Chapter 22
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
Julie
My dad walks out of the kitchen with two cups of tea.
“You didn’t need to make that for me.”
He raises a brow. “Did you ever think I made it because I wanted it?”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. If there’s one thing I know about my dad, it’s that he doesn’t drink tea willingly. It’s not his drink of choice. When he has it, it’s because I am.
He’s doing this to try and calm us both down over the events that happened earlier.
They arrested Aragon, but now Dad is determined to sleep here tonight even though I don’t want him to.
“Dad, it’s three in the morning. You need to go home,” I tell him for what feels like the millionth time tonight.
Darn Aragon pushing his way in and making my dad freak out. I already got him to leave once, so hopefully I will be able to get him to leave again.
“Sweetheart, I can’t do that. Not yet,” he says, shaking his head. “You could have been hurt.”
“It’s late,” I say again. “I’m not hurt. He’s in jail. I’m fine.”
He hands me a cup and sits down. I watch as he runs his hand over his face. Something about the action makes him look older, more tired, and it makes my heart sink.
I did this.
I hate causing my dad worry. I go out of my way not to, but tonight that was taken out of my control.
I didn’t ask Aragon to barge into my life. He did that all on his own.
“When I got an unknown number texting me that someone was here, that a King was here, I swear my heart stopped, Julie. I didn’t know what I would find when I got here.
I thought you would be dead. I thought about how Liz and I would have to plan your funeral, and it petrified me.
I can’t live without you, sweetheart,” he says quietly, not hiding the quiver in his voice.
“I’m fine.”
“But I’m not,” he mutters.
“I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head. “You have nothing to be sorry about. In fact, I’m the one who owes you an apology.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as guilt hits me hard. I should spit it out, tell him the truth.
But I can’t. Not yet. If he knew, he would intervene before Yak could take care of whatever it is that he’s working on.
“Dad, that’s not true.”
“Yes, it is, Jules. I know it, and you know it. The only reason a King came here tonight was because of me. I don’t know what I did to piss them off recently to make them go after you, but I’ll figure it out. I won’t have them messing with my daughter.”
“The leader made it sound like the order didn’t come from him,” I point out.
He raises a brow. “You heard that?”
I shrug as I look down at my tea.
“That honestly makes it even worse. If he’s having problems internally, that means the club is unstable. Unpredictable. That means putting more people in danger,” he mutters. “They know where you live.”
“Are they really that bad?” I ask without thinking.
Dad shoots me a look like I’m crazy. “Sweetheart, they are a one-percenter club. From what I know, they run guns for sure, and I suspect drugs as well. Who knows what else happens. People have gone missing after associating with them as well. They aren’t good people.
They aren’t like the clubs that raise money for charity and help escort women and children to court after being abused. ”
“True, but that doesn’t mean all of them are bad.”
Dad sighs heavily. “My little bleeding heart.”
I want to tell him that I know for a fact some of the men are good. That I’ve met them and spent time with them, but I keep my mouth shut.
Hearing it right now might send him over the edge.
“I want you to come home with me tonight,” he says.
“No.”
“Sweetheart, your place has been compromised.”
I shake my head. “I have cameras and locks. I won’t just open my door again without asking questions.”
“Fine, then I’ll stay here in your guest room.”
“Dad, you need to go home. I’ll be fine on my own,” I tell him gently.
His jaw clenches. “I just want to protect you.”
“I know you do, and I appreciate it, but I got this.”
“Why are you fighting me so hard on this?” he asks, catching me off guard.
“What do you mean?”
“Earlier you pushed me to go home. Now you are again. You refuse to come with me or let me stay, and I don’t get it,” he says, shaking his head.
Looking down at my tea again, I choose my words carefully.
“Because, Dad, I’m twenty-five years old.
I love you, but I need to make sure that I can do some things on my own.
If I let you take over, then I’ll never learn to deal with the hard stuff on my own.
I’m afraid if I run from here tonight that I’ll never want to come back, and I love my home.
I love my independence, and I’m not willing to give it up,” I tell him quietly.
He sighs again. “I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry.”
He takes a deep breath. “You get your stubbornness from your mother.”
I can’t help but smile. “Dad, I’m pretty sure we both know I get it from you as well.”
“Will you at least call Liz? Ask her to sleep over so you aren’t alone?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Will you, though?” He smirks, making me chuckle.
“Honestly, probably not.”
“At least you’re honest. You get that from me for sure,” he mutters as he stands.
Once again, guilt eats at me. Almost to the point that it feels suffocating.
Standing, I give him a hug. “Bye. Love you.”
“Love you too. Call me if you need me,” he says, kissing my forehead. “I’ll have the guys patrol. Someone will be close.”
“Dad…”
“It’s my compromise. Let me have this.”
It will make it harder on Yak, but I nod.
I watch him walk out the door and lock it behind him.
Leaning against the door, I take a deep breath.
Now to wait for Yak. Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that he’s going to come back. It’s not a matter of if but when.
Yak
We’re back at Sap’s sugar shack. The only place we know we don’t have to worry about someone stumbling upon us.
“It smells so damn sweet in here,” Poutine mumbles.
“Don’t make it weird,” Sap tells him, shaking his head.
“Okay, enough bullshit. While Yak waits to hear from his girl, how about we do something productive. Like talk about the upcoming run,” Yooper says.
I nod. “I will. We are just waiting on one more person.”
The guys frown and share a look.
“Who? I didn’t think you had cleared anyone else,” Sap asks as tires crunch outside on the gravel.
“It was a last-minute decision.”
The man on the other side knocks on the door.
Sap looks at me. “Are you sure about this?”
I nod. “Let him in.”
Sap tips his chin and goes to the door.
“It’s fucking cold as fuck out there,” Predator mumbles as he rubs his hands together.
“You used the word ‘fuck’ twice in one sentence,” Poutine says.
Predator raises a brow. “So fucking what? You got a problem with the word ‘fuck’? Because I can promise you, your mother sure as fuck likes it when I say fuck.”
I cringe. “Okay, as riveting as this conversation is, can we not? We have some things to discuss.”
Predator turns toward me and stares. “Decided not to be a lone wolf after all, huh?”
“Not with them, no. With you, though, it depends on if you answer a couple of questions right.”
He crosses his arms. “Okay, ask what you want to know.”
“How do you feel about the club’s current direction?” I ask.
I feel Yooper stiffen next to me, but I don’t turn toward him. Meanwhile, Predator never breaks eye contact.
“The club itself is fine. I believe in what we are doing, what most of us are doing. There are a few members who are making questionable decisions, but it’s not my place to judge. Not unless they hurt women or children.”
“What about Aragon? Do you trust him?”
“I wouldn’t trust that man to watch a pot of water on the stove, let alone anything important to me,” he says immediately.
“Do you think he’s dirty?” Yooper asks gruffly.
Predator’s eyes shift from me to him. “Depends on your definition of dirty. Do I think he’s following the club code?
No. Do I think he realizes that he isn’t the president of the club?
Also no. Do I agree with what he’s doing?
Absolutely not. There is a hierarchy for a reason.
If he wanted to lead, he should have challenged you, not gone behind your back. ”
“So you agree that he’s overstepping?” I press.
He shakes his head. “Overstepping is putting it lightly. What that man is doing is building an army under the president’s nose.”
“You think he’s planning a coup?” I ask.
“Son, I think the word ‘ambush’ is more fitting for what he has planned,” he says solemnly.
“You suspected all of this and didn’t fucking tell me?” Yooper growls.
“I didn’t at first. Not until Yak came to me with his concern. I was going to bring it to you when I had more proof,” Predator admits.
“Do you think his dad knows?” Sap asks, reminding me that Aragon’s father is also a club member.
Predator shakes his head. “It’s hard to tell. His father spoiled the shit out of him growing up, but at the same time, he’s the kind of man who likes things done by the books.”
I file that away for later and get back to the main topic at hand.
“So will you help us take him down? Prove that what he’s doing isn’t right?” I ask, heart racing.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in clubs over the years. Some good and some bad.” His eyes drift to Yooper. “I think you have a lot of potential as a president if you aren’t being undermined. I would like to see what you can do as a leader with the full support of the club behind you.”
“That’s a weird way to say you’re in, but okay,” I mutter, shaking my head.
Sap laughs softly as Poutine bites back a smile.
Yooper sighs. “You just have to ruin it, don’t you, brother?”
“You love me.”
“I’m starting to second-guess why I’m here,” Predator mumbles.
“You are here because you’ve officially been cleared, and we need your help.”
Interest fills his eyes. “Tell me more.”
“I want to plan a run, but this time have Aragon be a part of it. See if anything goes wrong.”
“Which with his track record, something will,” Sap adds.
I nod. “Exactly. The man won’t be able to say no. His ego is so inflated he won’t see the trap in front of him.”
“Be that as it may, how are we going to pull it off? We don’t have enough bodies. Not when we don’t know who to trust.”
“I think Krill and Beck are working with him for sure. Timbit, Yukon, Wolverine, and Mowtown were good on the run. The background checks on them came up clear along with Goose’s. I think we would be safe including them.”
“We could, but what if we bring in someone else?” Predator muses.
“Who do you have in mind?” Yooper asks.
“What if we call in the other chapter of Kings? Ask for their assistance,” Predator asks.
“Are you talking about the Arkansas chapter?” I ask.
Predator shakes his head slowly. “No, there’s another chapter here in Ontario, over in Forbach. They are newer. They don’t have many bodies yet, but this could be good for all parties involved.”
Yooper shakes his head. “I don’t know how, but I forgot about them opening up.”
“You’ve been a little busy,” Poutine points out.
Sap nods. “I got the notification and forgot about it as well. No judgment.”
“Are you sure they would do it though? They don’t owe us anything.” I say, trying to keep us on track.
“They might not owe us, but it’s always good to build a rapport between neighbors. If they do this, that means we are more likely to help them in the future,” Predator says.
Yooper nods. “And with them being a baby club, that means they are more than likely going to need an assist before too long.”
“Exactly.” Predator nods.
Leaning back against the counter, I think about it. It makes sense. They are Kings, close by, and have no ties with our club. They would be the perfect distraction and a way for us to keep everything in-house.
Well, almost everything.
“Are we sure they are clean? No ties to Aragon?” I ask.
Predator nods. “I’ve kept tabs on them, but from what I can tell, they’ve never had a run-in with him.”
“I know no one asked for my opinion, but I say fuck it. Let’s do it. What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Poutine says.
Sap reaches over and slaps the back of his head. “Never ever say that out loud again. That’s a surefire way to jinx us.”
“Ow,” Poutine whines.
Rightness settles into my bones. This is it. Somehow, I know that this will be the end of Aragon’s rebellion. We just need to play it smart and not let him know we are on to him.
Easier said than done.