Chapter 8
RED
I’m fucking angry. So angry I’m shaking.
The thought of anything happening to Emily has me on edge.
How dare someone come into our town and put his hands on one of ours?
It didn’t matter that she wasn’t wearing our colours; it still should never have happened.
We’d stopped patrolling when we went legit.
Maybe that was a mistake. I wasn’t the president of our club anymore, so all I could do was bring it up with Maestro to put it to a vote.
The quicker that Emily was wearing my cut, the better.
The clubhouse is heaving with brothers when I walk in.
Ignoring them all, I go directly to the room we use for church and put the code in the lock.
I need one minute to myself to decompress because I feel like I’m going to explode.
The thought of losing Emily tore at me. I’m not sure I’d survive losing another Old Lady.
Closing the door behind me, I walk to the tapestries that hang on the wall in Church.
Our history and our legacy, written centuries ago, lay out in front of me. Our ancestors had gone through so much to ensure we had everything we needed to survive. Inhaling a deep breath, I counted slowly to ten until I was calm enough to think.
Behind me, the door opens. I’m not concerned, knowing it would only be either Maestro or Cash. Only the three of us have the code to this room.
“How are you doing, Red?” Cash asks, coming to stand next to me, arms crossed as we stare at the tapestries.
“I’ve been better, Cash.”
“Yeah, I imagine you have. Is Emily okay?”
Turning my head, a little, I eye the man who’s been my son-in-law for years.
I couldn’t be prouder of him than if he were my own.
I know he had regrets about things in his life, but they’d led him to us and to being part of our family.
Realising he’s waiting for an answer, I nod.
“Yeah, she’s tough. She’s pissed that he threatened the girls though. ”
“I bet,” Cash agrees, clasping my shoulder. He squeezes. “We’ll get the fucker, Red. Don’t you worry.”
“I know.”
And I do. We’re only waiting for the vote, but even if it doesn’t go my way, I’ll still go and find the dipshit who thought he could threaten and hurt one of mine, but especially my Old Lady.
The door opens again, and the brothers start filing in. Cash and I find our seats waiting for Maestro to start church.
“Quiet down you fuckers this isn’t a social gathering,” Maestro orders in a biting tone. The brothers quieten down pretty sharpish, Surprise on their faces at the tone he’s using.
He picks up the gavel and brings it down on the table.
“Church in session. I’m not wasting any time today.
One of our Old Ladies was attacked in town today.
We know where the fucker is. This vote is a formality only; we’re going after the fucker no matter what.
Nobody,” he stares around the table, “and I mean NOBODY puts a hand on a woman in this town. I don’t care if she’s under our protection or not. ”
Shouts of, “Yes, Pres!” echoed around the room.
“Good,” he nods. “Emily was attacked outside the diner today.” He barely finished speaking when the brothers were demanding blood. If I’d had any doubt that my brothers had my back when it came to my new Old Lady, their reaction alleviated it.
Maestro holds up his hand for silence. “I get it. I’m pissed too but not as pissed as Red is.” He points to me. “Want to fill the brothers in, Red?”
“Thanks, Pres,” I tell him, giving him the respect he deserves as president.
Pushing my chair back, I stand. “You all know that Emily was an Old Lady in another MC before this one. They disbanded when they were all picked up and put in prison. Almost all have died there.” When they all nod, I continue, “Seems like while he was in there Emily’s ex had loose lips and his cellmate is here to find some big pay day he left with his greatest treasure. Not Emily by the way.”
“Fuckhead,” one brother mutters, and the rest rumble agreements.
“Anyway, this is what Emily knows,” I tell them when they settle down. I told them everything that Emily told us, including the information about the car her ex had called his greatest treasure. I handed the information to Hard-Drive while I was talking so he could get started on his searches.
When I’m done, Maestro takes over. “Now you know the reason. The guy is holed up at the motel just out of town. We vote on whether we pick him up and deal with him as a club. Let’s start.” He nods at Buck.
“Aye from me.”
And so it goes until all the brothers have voted. It’s unanimous. We’ll go and pick the fucker up.
“Buck get the van,” Maestro orders. “Ford asked permission that he goes along with Red. The boy is understandably upset that his grandmother has been hurt. We’ll be parked down the road as back up. Saddle up, brothers.”
Maestro turns to our enforcers Duke and Roar, “Get the shack ready for us, would you boys? We’re going to have some fun tonight.”
They grin manically at Maestro, giving him a fake salute. “Yes Pres.” They leave church. We haven’t used the shack for a hot minute; it’s about bloody time.
Church empties in a hurry. The brothers are ready to ride. It’s times like this that I realise how grateful I am for the life I’ve lived and the brotherhood I’ve built.
“Let’s go, Pops,” Maestro slaps my shoulder.
“You know we don’t need all the brothers for a snatch and grab,” I comment as we leave the clubhouse.
“Yeah,” Maestro nods. “But it will be good for the town to see us out in force, we’ve been slack on keeping up patrols and it’s let rot creep in. No more. This is our town. Always has been, always will be. It’s time we once again made that clear.”
“Okay then son. Let’s go pick this piece of filth up. Emily deserves a good life and she won’t relax until he’s gone.”
Ford is waiting at the panel van we used to use on the regular for this sort of thing a few years ago. Glad Maestro saw fit to keep it.
Stopping by Ford, I grip his shoulder. “You sure you want to be in on this?”
Ford’s furious gaze meets mine. “He hurt my grandmother enough that you had to take her to the hospital. She’s the only one who ever gave a shit about me until a few weeks ago. I’m sure, Grandpa.”
Pride fills me. Ford is an Ivor through and through.
We protect our family no matter what. I’m not expecting this to be dangerous.
I had a feeling the dickhead who attacked Emily was a bully and it wouldn’t take much to subdue him.
Saying that, though it was never too late to start training the younger generation.
Squeezing Ford’s shoulder, I nod. “Okay, son, get in the van and let's pick this motherfucker up.”
I know the motel that he’s staying in, and it doesn’t take long for us to drive into the parking lot. There’s a truck stop on the opposite side of the road. Maestro and the rest of the brothers pull in there. They’ll wait there unless we call them.
“How are we going to find out which room’s his?” Ford wants to know.
“I know the owner,” I reply, opening my door and stepping out. I pick my cut up from the back seat where I’d placed it and slip it back over my shoulders as we walk towards the motel reception area.
Pushing open the door, I see Ted sitting behind the counter where he’d been for the last fifty years. I’m shocked at how old he looks. I realise it’s been nearly five years since I’d last seen him.
“Red,” surprise flares on his face as he shakily stands and leans against the counter.
“Ted,” I greet, holding out my hand. “How’ve you been?”
“Been better,” he admits. Then asks, “What can I do for you?”
“You got a guest that laid hands on my Old Lady. I want his room number.”
Ted looks at me and then starts chuckling before he starts to cough in a way that’s painful to watch. Seeing the carafe of water on the counter, I walk around the desk, pouring him a glass. I hand it to him, helping him into his seat.
“What made you laugh and why doesn’t anyone know you’re sick?”
Ted waves his hand in my direction. “Got cancer, don’t have anyone to tell. Tell me about your Old Lady; hope she’s not some gold digger.”
Ford makes a choking sound, and I laugh. “No, Emily isn’t a gold digger,” I reassure him, then point at Ford. “She’s his grandmother.”
Ted eyes Ford, seeing the family resemblance. He says, “Keeping it in the family then.”
“Something like that,” I agree. “Are you going to help us with a room number?”
Ted nods. “I only got two rooms booked out at the moment and one is a family, the other is a single guy. He’s probably the one you want. Nasty fucker. Tried it on with Ada but she got him in the balls with the mop.”
“You report it?”
“Yeah, but you know the cops. They said it was a he said, she said deal. They did speak to him though. Are you going to take care of him?”
“We are. Ada okay?”
“She’s fine. That girl is tougher than nails. She’ll be okay.”
“And you?” I want to know.
Ted looks steadily at me. “I’ve not got long.
All paperwork is in order. Leaving everything to Ada.
The girl doesn’t know it though. She’s been working here since she was fourteen.
Trying to get away from her family. She’ll need help.
They’ll be coming out of the woodwork thinking she’s got money.
This place is a money pit and needs lots of work but if anyone can do it she can.
I don’t got no children or family of my own except her.
I’d appreciate it if you’d keep an eye on it.
You might also want to check into the diner and shop over the road.
They’re looking to retire and move to their kid’s.
It would be good for Ada if the MC owned that. ”
I nod. “Let me sort this fucker out then Maestro and I’ll be over to chat with you.”
“Appreciate it, Red.” He leans over and snags a key from a hook. “The spare for the room. I’ll switch the cameras off. They’re old, you know, constantly glitching.”