Chapter Twenty-Eight – Christopher #4
“She helped iron out a deal between the Dwellers and the Scorpions. If you approve it, Bash and me meetin’ and signin’ off on a peace agreement. We also explorin’ business deals between our clubs, especially in Utah. Diesel will oversee that.”
Christopher didn’t turn and see Diesel’s reaction. He forged ahead. “We got to vote on Kendall and Diesel’s salary for their new positions.”
“What about Brooks?” Slipper called around a belch, then pounded his chest.
“He still part of the club’s counsel. He a good attorney. We just need fresh eyes sometimes.”
“Kendall’s smart,” Torrin said. “I don’t have a problem with Brooks answering to her on club matters.”
“Would Diesel have to get her approval for the Utah deals?” Bishop asked.
Christopher shook his head. “Not for the minor shit.”
“Bitches?” Orange, Slipper’s son, asked.
“We not trusting the Scorpions with girls,” Christopher said.
Orange nodded.
“Let’s fuckin’ vote.”
Everyone was in favor of the peace agreement. Only Johnnie and a couple of his motherfuckers voted against Kendall becoming lead attorney. Christopher refrained from pointing out how much that would hurt Kendall if she ever found out.
“Next, Bash want me to patch over Easton.”
Silence greeted that announcement. Not that he blamed anyone. It sounded insane when Bash first proposed it.
“Easton risked his fuckin’ life to save Molly Harris. Bash think the motherfucker in danger since what he did for her made his brothers question his fuckin’ loyalty to them.”
“Easton was a good motherfucker,” Potter said. “I don’t have a problem with him.”
“If we agree, we got to make sure we can trust him before he become full patch,” Christopher said.
“Do we treat him as a hangaround or a Probate?” Huck asked.
“I say Probate,” Diesel said, snickering. “Make that motherfucker hold up ten-pound buckets. If he lowers them within an allotted time, we beat the fuck out of him.”
Narci, Torrin, and Diesel laughed.
“Diesel’s got a point,” Pike said. “We have more freedom to test his loyalty and his stamina if he’s a Probate.”
Johnnie shifted, and Christoper worried he’d reveal Easton’s relationship to them. While it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker, it would make the brothers view Easton in a different light.
“Should we repay Easton like this?” Johnnie asked, his question surprisingly thoughtful. “He almost lost his fucking life trying to save Molly, something he didn’t have to do. He could’ve left her to her fate.”
“Bash also pointed out Easton got a different type of mentality,” Christopher added. “It aligns more with us than the American Scorpions.”
“What do you think, Johnnie?” Burger called, one of the motherfuckers in Johnnie’s camp.
“And what about you, Cash?” House, Burger’s friend, asked.
Stretch cringed.
Lighting a cigarette, Christopher waited for Johnnie and Cash to answer their fucking flunkies.
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Johnnie said. “I trust Christopher to make the right call.”
News to fucking Christopher, but he merely nodded, refusing to look at the stupid motherfucker like he was a stupid motherfucker.
“Me too,” Cash said. “Like CJ pointed out, Outlaw has safely guided us through some difficult times without flinching.”
Burger and House swung their gazes to Christopher.
“What do you say, Prez?” Burger asked.
“Wasn’t he already prospecting with us?” Slipper asked, pounding on his chest again and releasing another rancid belch. “Who sponsored him again?”
Johnnie hung his head.
Christopher smiled viciously, not moved by Rory’s sniffle. Father and son, the cryingnest motherfuckers alive.
Mortician and Diesel whispered to each other, then Diesel nodded.
“I sponsored him,” he said. “You got a fucking problem with that, Slipper?”
The fetid motherfucker gulped. “Not at all, kid. We know you’re gonna beat the fuck out of him for the false pretenses. We don’t have to sanction you.”
Diesel bared his teeth at Slipper, while Mort patted Rory’s back.
“Thank you, Uncle Mort,” the kid said quietly.
“We family,” Mort responded.
“Yeah, Ro,” CJ said. “We aren’t the ones who forgot that.”
Chuckling, Mortician dragged on his cigarette. “I don’t fucking know who shadier. You or Meggie girl.”
CJ snickered. “Mom definitely.”
“Yeah, Aunt Meggie will cut you the fuck down without even cursing,” Ryan agreed with a surprising amount of admiration. “That takes talent.”
Before shit went off the fucking rails again, Christopher said, “Diesel, you the lucky motherfucker that get the responsibility of Easton.”
“Goddamn, Outlaw,” Digger said. “I thought you wanted that motherfucker to stay alive.”
“As long as he is trustworthy and follows my directions, he will,” Diesel said calmly.
“If he looks at your ma, carve his fucking eyeballs out,” Christopher instructed.
Diesel smiled, anticipation lighting his eyes. “Definitely. We can always have a welcome party. Aunt Meggie will say hi to him. He has to look at her to respond.”
“She’d count that as a fuckin’ setup,” Christopher decided after a moment of consideration, ignoring how fucking appalled CJ was. “She’d probably get madder than a motherfucker.”
“Yeah, and either we’d have to lock Axel in a fucking dungeon and feed him raw meat or fear for our fucking lives,” CJ griped. “The rabid little dog.”
Ignoring everyone’s laughter, Christopher looked at Diesel. “Just monitor the situation, boy.”
“As you wish, Outlaw,” Diesel said politely.
“Back to Gypsy. We agree on the armbands?”
“How about me and Windy coordinate a final rev for her?” Val suggested, referring to the Hounds’ RC.
“I’ll talk to Derby,” Christopher promised, liking the idea.
“I vote in favor of the armbands,” Johnnie said softly. “Maybe the women can wear magenta shirts or headbands?”
Christopher nodded. “I’ll tell Megan to let them know.”
“Can I take part, Uncle Christopher?” Rory asked.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, cuck?” Ryan snapped.
“Aunt Kendall would want to know why.”
“Not if the three of us participated in some capacity,” CJ suggested, looking at Christopher, a question in his eyes.
“I don’t know, kid,” Mortician said. “That mean we got to tell Red, Chester, and Meggie a fucking lie about why you three participating.”
“Didn’t you allow them to attend one last time to tie up the loose ends, Christopher?” Johnnie asked. “This is important to Rory. Just say it’s more loose ends.”
“As much as I empathize with Rory, I think you all underestimate how quick Aunt Meggie is,” Diesel said.
“She knows about Gypsy and me. If Ryan, Rory, and CJ participate in Gypsy’s funeral, Aunt Meggie will put it together.
She’ll either think Gypsy slept with all three of them and alert Kendall and Zoann.
Or she’ll think it was one of them and still alert Kendall and Zoann. ”
Groans traveled through the crowd.
“As much as we like Val and Johnnie’s broads, we got to get
back on Meggie’s good side,” Burger said. “When she didn’t like Prez to kill, we didn’t worry about whether he’d fuck us up.”
“You betrayed the woman,” Mortician said in disgust. “You
sowed her seeds of not giving a fuck because you motherfuckers didn’t. Now reap the fucking terror.”
“Can we talk to her?” House asked.
“Fuck no,” Christopher barked. “And if you fuckin’ approach her with club business, Ima shoot the fuck outta you. Mort right, so shut the fuck up.”
House lumbered his bulk back to a chair and sat, pouting like a young motherfucker despite being an old motherfucker.
“Finally, Diesel turnin’ thirty this comin’ Saturday. I already know Gypsy’s services won’t be for at least another week because of out-of-town motherfuckers.” Christopher nodded to Diesel. “His ma hostin’ a barbeque. You all fuckin’ invited.”
“She is?” Diesel asked, his eyes wide.
“Yeah, boy.”
“Prez?” Slipper called. “What about Jazzman and the rectory? What’s going on?”
“Stretch preparin’ a budget for our regular fuckin’ meetin’ with an appropriate donation. For the time bein’ Father Wilkins in LA, helpin’ me with Rule.”
“Oh, yeah. Rule. Been meaning to ask how your kid is Outlaw,” a motherfucker blocked from view by House, asked. “My old lady praying for him.”
“Thanks, brother,” Christopher said. “He better. He got a long road, but he’s gonna get there.”
“For sure,” that same motherfucker said. “If you or Meggie need anything, we’re here.”
“Appreciate that,” Christopher said. “I’m gonna have Easton moved on the secure wing at the hospital. I need some motherfuckers to volunteer to keep watch on him.”
Three brothers raised their hands.
“If there’s nothin’ else, the meetin’ adjourned.”