8 | The Celebration Mac
Past ~ 1 week earlier
“W ill it ever end?” Tits says under her breath.
I chuckle.
“Fuck no. Chaos surrounds us daily,” I answer, even though she wasn’t talking to anyone.
I’m sitting at the bar in our Chicago chapter clubhouse. Tits, the bartender, looks up, surprised I heard her, and smiles when she sees it’s me.
Grabbing a couple of shot glasses, she pours each of us a shot.
“Cheers,” Tits says, clinking glasses.
“Cheers to chaos,” I reply, tapping the bar with my shot before slamming it back.
Tits leans against the bar. “You doing okay, baby?”
I give her a big smile. “Always.”
She grins, hitting the bar with her hand before moving to another brother down the bar.
I’m exhausted, mentally and physically. It’s been close to two months since I saw Raydene. It’s been a month of complete chaos and her evading us. I’ve been in Chicago for weeks and can’t find her.
After she texted me that fucked up picture of her with a black eye, she ended up talking to the girls saying she was okay. She and Dexter got into a big fight. She had to go DJ somewhere, and he wasn’t going, so she’d be fine. That was the last we spoke to her on the phone. The only other communication has been text. I know we have so much going on, but I feel it in my bones, and in my fucking dreams, that something is wrong.
Since the day she woke me from my nightmare, I’ve had dreams of my dead sister every night.
Marcus, Vi’s cousin, is the only one who has helped me search. But, with all our other issues, I barely have time to get away.
Finally, we gunned down the president of the Chingas, eliminating the threat and finding out who our rat was—Sarge, the VP here. We have him locked up and are trying to determine if he was working alone.
Today was Bricks’ celebration of life. Of course, we couldn’t celebrate without some mayhem. Vi had just returned from San Francisco, where she was DJing with the Spin It girls, when she was shot by her cousin Marcus’s ex-girlfriend, Veronica. Vi’s okay and being worked on by Stitch and Doc while I sit here.
“You good, brother?” Blink asks, sitting down next to me and finishing his beer.
Irritation swarms me. Gripping my beer bottle, I start to peel the label, hoping to keep my rage inside.
I say through gritted teeth, “Why the fuck does everyone keep asking me that? Are you okay?”
“Fuck no, I’m not okay. We just lost a brother,” Blink snaps back, and when I don’t say anything, he adds, “I’m worried about you. You never stay down for long. You’ve been locked up since Ray left.”
He hasn’t been around these past few weeks since he and his twin brother Chiv took Vi to San Francisco while we dealt with the Chingas.
I let out a deep sigh. “I’m not okay. Something’s wrong.” I turn to my brother. “I need to find her.”
Blink looks over. “Are you sure she wants to be found?”
I look back at my now empty beer and think about his words.
“I need to see with my own eyes that she’s okay. I need her to tell me to go home and that she’s okay,” I explain.
Blink turns his attention to his beer, letting what I said sink in before answering me. “Okay, I’ll look into it. I’ll find her.”
Knowing he’s one of the best bounty hunters in the United States, a weight is somewhat lifted off my shoulders. Finally, someone listens to me.
“Thank you,” I say, feeling a bit of relief.
“Don’t thank me yet.” Blink chuckles. “If she’s evaded Brick, the girls, you, Marcus, and Dallas, it may take me some time.”
Cash whistles. “Chapel now.”
“Christ, what now?” I grumble, finishing my beer.
Once everyone is crammed into the room with Wolfe at the head of the table, he calls the meeting to order.
Wolfe starts his speech by saying, “We have a lot to talk about. Decisions need to be made and things need to be handled. This meeting is to inform you of what needs to be addressed, and then we’ll set a date to decide and handle them.”
Everyone in the room is quiet. All attention is on our founding president, Wolfe. Wolfe, Cash, and Bear started the Wolfeman MC, along with Hawk and Stitch. All of them are next to him except Stitch. He’s busy dealing with Vi right now.
“First to order, we will vote on a new president and vice president for the Chicago chapter.” There are a few murmurs around the room, but they stop once he continues. “Second, we need to deal with Sarge. It has to be a majority vote. Now we know Veronica worked with him to help the Chingas target Brick and Violet.” The room gets louder with distaste for the old VP.
Wolfe lifts his hands to quiet us down. “Third, we’ll be voting on business dealings and who we stay linked to here in Chicago. Brick had his hands in a lot of pots. We need to vote on what this club wants and can keep control over. And lastly, anything any of you motherfuckers want to bring to the table, bring it. Once we have this vote, all discussions are final. I don’t want to have another inside club betrayal. I will shut down this fucking chapter if we can’t figure out how to communicate. It is never just one man running a chapter. So, let’s take the week to get our shit together, mourn our brother, reconvene with our heads clear and ready to make some fucking decisions.”
The room erupts in agreement. Wolfe stands up, grabs the gavel that used to be Brick’s, and announces, “Until next Friday,” then smacks it down hard.
Everyone is filtering out of the room when Wolfe adds, “Mac, hold up, give me a minute.”
I was almost out of my chair, so I sat back down, looking at my uncle, my father, and their two best friends who helped raise me.
I have idolized these four men all my life. I would do anything for them. Once the room is empty, my uncle leans forward, placing his forearms on the table.
My father, Bear, speaks up first. “Son, are you okay?”
Seriously? What the fuck?
I’m so over this fucking question. I fire back. “Are you?”
“No, and that’s why I’m checking in on you,” he answers, leaning back in his chair.
Irritated with everyone, I rant, “Is that what you wanted to know, if I’m okay? Our brother died. Snow and Doc were taken. Vi was shot. Raydene is missing. It’s a lot to deal with, but I’m dealing.”
My uncle Wolfe smirks.
I lock eyes with him and wait. Wait for him to explain why I’m sitting here. And when he does, it takes me completely by shock.
“We’re here with you because we want to know if you want to take over the Chicago chapter?”
I snap, “What?”
“Well, it seems you’re interested in staying here, and you’re blood, so obviously, you’re our first choice, but you need to want it,” Wolfe explains, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his massive chest.
I’m shocked. I don’t know what to say because I’ve never wanted to be president. I’ve never been serious enough to be president. I would rather let Shy deal with all the major shit, and I back him up.
When I don’t say anything, my father says, “Think about it, but we wanted to bring it to the table. Whatever you decide is fine with us. I know you have the lounge in New York, but we thought you wanted to make a move since you’ve attached yourself to Raydene. Just let us know before Friday.”
For the first time in a month, I wasn’t thinking of Raydene.
They all stand up and move toward the door, slapping me on the shoulder as they walk by, each giving me their words of encouragement.
Can I leave my best friends? I’ve been inseparable from Dallas and Shy since high school. And Snow, she’s like my sister now. What about the lounge?
I don’t know how long I sit contemplating the pros and cons, but I jump when a soft hand touches my shoulder.
“Shit, sorry.” Vi’s voice chuckles.
I turn to see Vi with her shoulder all bandaged up. I move to stand, but she taps me again on the shoulder. “Sit. Let’s talk.”
Vi takes a seat next to me with a smile. I return her smile. This bitch has been through hell and back. She just shot someone and was shot but is sitting here comforting me.
“Are you okay?” I ask softly.
“I will be. Thank you…” She pauses. “Once I’m better this week, I want to look for Ray.”
I sit up and concern fills my face. “Why? What’s up?”
She smiles. “Oh nothing. I want to find Raydene before the chaos of me trying to move happens. I’ve texted her a few times, but nothing.”
My expression stays unchanged as I lean forward. “You just let me know, and I’m there.”
She grins. “Perfect. We will find her, and it will be okay.”
I can see the worry in her eyes now, and I’m so glad other people are starting to feel how I feel.
I give her a nod. When she goes to stand, I jump up to give her a hand.
“Thank you,” I say softly.
She turns to me, gripping my biceps with her good hand. “No, thank you. She’s my best friend, and we must ensure she’s okay.”
I give her another head nod.
Fucking finally.
“Now, will you come out here and have some drinks for our boy?”
“Hell yes!” I chuckle, guiding her to the bar.