Chapter 21
Up The Ante
Thunder
We’d all wanted to rush to our bikes, but we stayed in our seats instead.
Sabre closed his phone. He’d been fielding calls ever since our visitor had left. “Everyone in the clubhouse is fine. There’s no damage, and the fire department is almost done. Op’s supposed to text when they clear out, and then we’ll leave.”
He rubbed the back of his neck before sharing a look with Grizz. “The club’s always worked together, but we’re going to have to include the women after this.” He shifted his gaze towards me. “Aunt E is going to have to make contact.”
Grizz shook his head. “I hate this.” He pulled the rubber band holding his bun out, shook out his hair, and then redid it. “They lined up behind our bikes. Whatever happens, we have to make it clear they can’t be physically involved.”
“Liz won’t let them, if that’s what you’re worried about.” I’d promised her she wouldn’t stand alone, and I’d keep that promise.
“He’s right.” Sabre shifted back into his chair, bringing his hand up. “It’s Aunt E who scares me. She’s been a step ahead of us this entire time. If she reaches out, how much time will it buy us?”
***
No one said anything. Even the babies didn’t dare giggle.
“He showed up?” Buster’s eyes were so wide her eyebrows nearly blended into her hairline. “How did he even fall for that? I thought it was stupid.” She sat back on the couch, curling up into Grizz’s side.
“Walked right into the ballroom like he fucking owned the place.” Sabre sat on the floor in front of Flo, but his head tilted towards Liz. “You’ve tried to tell me this was coming, but I wasn’t listening hard enough then. I hear you now.”
Liz and I sat on the other couch, but when I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, I could feel her shake. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins. She was a pivotal part of this conversation, but if she crashed, I’d take her back to the clubhouse.
“He doesn’t…want me.” Her eyes darted from Flo to Buster before landing on Sabre again. “Not them. Con…con…control,” Liz said.
Sabre leaned his head back against Flo’s knee.
His thoughts were clearly running behind his eyes, and I watched as they clicked into place.
“When he offered Gerry lead counsel, it was about keeping him in line.” His expression closed, and our president appeared.
“I don’t doubt he thinks the arranged marriages are real.
They’re more about keeping us squashed under his thumb. ”
Pretty was never serious, but I watched as his face went blank. Red flowed up his neck, tinting his cheeks. “Wreck knew when he said to make a deal.” He slammed his hand on the floor. “Not squashed. All they have to do is give us a side quest, and bam—they’re steering the entire game.”
“Aww, fuck.” Sabre dropped his head. “We’ve been dancing to their tune and not even realizing it.”
“The more independent we become, the harder they strike.” This was the first time I’d heard Flo say something since we’d occupied her living room.
Her tone was soft, and she looked worn out.
Dark spots were forming under her eyes, and when she smiled at Liz, only sadness appeared.
“Like Dad making more deals with Alex when we didn’t visit. ”
“That’s why he was throwing tantrums?” Buster asked. “We’re not kids. We have our own lives, and he could have been a part of that. He’s the one who was an asshole when he didn’t get his way.”
“‘Don’t worry about my son,’” Pretty said, deepening his voice as he tore into a bag of chips. “You made him break character with that one.” His chewing was the only sound in the room.
“Pe…Pe…Peter?” Liz sat up, turning towards me. “He doesn’t…know?”
“Alex thinks Peter’s still dismantling the Lopezes from the inside.”
She shuddered and leaned back against my chest. “How does…he not… feel it?” I didn’t have an answer for her.
“So how do we break his hold on us without going to war?” Grizz said, his voice even.
“Fight our way out,” Pretty said, shoving a few chips into his mouth.
“Were you paying attention?” I said. “Without a war.”
Grizz reached over, snatching the bag out of his hands.
“I don’t understand. Every time I’ve spoken to Alex, he’s always been a reasonable man. Can’t we make him an ally?” Flo placed her elbow on the end of the armrest, her hand sliding along the back of Sabre’s neck. “At least until we know why he wants dominion over the Shield.”
“Yeah, Grace. If that actually works, we’ll be married off to some Lopezes.” Meredith rolled her eyes. Grizz wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close in case he had to defuse the situation quickly.
“That’s not what I’m saying. You said,” she directed at Sabre, “that Alex said he didn’t send the truck, so someone else did. Isn’t the enemy of my enemy my friend?”
“Your mama’s breaking out the ancient proverbs.” Pretty leaned over, kissing the top of JR’s head as he sat in his bouncer.
Sabre rolled his eyes, not bothering to hit Pretty for that one. “I know you want that to work, but you can’t set the terms with a man like that. He’s the person who expects us to support him.” Sabre tilted his head back. “Now that we know, we can’t let him continue playing with the club.”
Grace scanned the room, but when no one disagreed, she let it drop.
“No one wants to work with him. We can’t fight the cartel without going to war, so now what do we do?” Pretty picked JR up from the bouncer, cradling him against his body.
“Poke holes,” Buster spoke. “What if we constantly nitpick at them, like Dad used to do us?”
***
Elizabeth
I rolled my head against Thunder’s shoulder, staring at him until he looked down at me. “I want…peace.”
“Be careful what comes out of your mouth next. If you even think about sacrificing yourself to protect the family, I’ll haul you back to the clubhouse and we’ll live in one of the jail cells in the basement. I’m not playing.”
“No. Peace…to live.” I raised my hand to cup his cheek. “Make war.” As I stared into my husband’s eyes, I could feel the black veil settling between us. It swallowed me whole until I heard my sister’s voice replaying the past in my ear.
“I can’t believe you said that.” Madalyn. “He’s a criminal.”
I lay on her bed, flipping through the pages of a magazine as she got ready for some function or another.
“Why can’t you take anything seriously?” She stepped in front of me.
“He called you, Lizzie, and Gerry says he keeps calling the office asking about you.” She pivoted, the skirt of her black dress twirling out, but it was the pearls at her neck that caught my attention.
“Gerry. I don’t really like them, but he says all the wives have a strand.
” She scrunched her nose. “They feel like a choker around my neck, but I don’t want to disappoint him. ”
My hand came up to touch my neck, but it was bare. I never wanted to feel a collar when all I yearned for was freedom.
The veil slowly lifted.
“What are you going to say?” Thunder asked. The muscle under his eye twitched. I leaned my forehead against his chest, and his arm wrapped around my back.
“Not…sure. I have…to poke…first hole.”
“It’ll be all right.” He lifted my chin, our eyes finding each other. I wasn’t sure who moved first, but our lips crashed against one another.
“You need to warn the children in the room when you’re going to do shit like that,” Pretty said, chewing on a chip.
“You’re hiding from Wreck, so what does that say about you?” Grizz chimed in.
Pretty ignored the dig, focusing on Meredith.
“I know where you can get fake piercings.” He smirked, dodging Grizz’s hand as it swung out to smack him.
“Hey, bitch. Baby on board.” JR swung his little fist, not knowing what was going on.
“Besides, this is a family meeting.” Pretty drew out the words. “I’m family.”
We ignored them. Thunder shifted, pulling his phone out of his back pocket before handing it to me. “Are you sure about this?” There was no point in rehashing the inevitable. I opened his call log, clicking the number, but I didn’t let it connect yet.
My eyes found Thunder’s again. “You know I’m with you,” he said. I nodded, shifting on the couch to watch Grace and Sabre.
“Thunder’s right. I won’t let you sacrifice for this family when it’s my responsibility.” Sabre’s eyes narrowed at me as he leaned forward, wrapping an arm underneath his knee.
“I want…to live. Won’t come…to that.”
Sabre nodded, and I moved on to Meredith and Grizz.
“I’m right there with them, Aunt E.” Grizz leaned forward in the chair, resting his elbows on his knees as Meredith patted his back.
I couldn’t say anything for fear that the words would stick in my throat.
“Wreck knows something. I’m too pretty for the front line, but I’ll crack that nut.” Pretty was serious, but as I watched him, he let his face soften, smirking.
I closed my eyes, hitting the green button on the phone, but when it connected, I needed a minute. I hadn’t thought this through.
“Mi amor.” I heard the term of endearment, and I said the first thing that came to mind.
“I’m not interested. Stop hounding me.” It was the same thing I’d said to him when I’d finally accepted his call one night after my mother had pressured me to answer the phone.
Laughter spilled down the line. Deeper. Older than it had been all those years ago.
“Does this mean you’re going to let me take you out to dinner?” He’d said the same thing, and something about those words had made me weak. I’d caved, starting this whole lurid history. “Those words worked before, so I know they’ll work again.”
They no longer had the same effect.
“Not this time.” I quickly scanned the room again, looking at my family. The brown eyes, so similar to my sister’s. The men who would never let them hurt. My husband—the man I loved with everything I had. “My son found me. I don’t need you.” I quickly hung up, collapsing against Thunder.
Grace shifted to the edge of the couch. She reached for Sabre’s shoulder, but he wrapped an arm around her leg. There was a time and place for her care, but now wasn’t it. I needed my husband.
“Too bad we’re not playing poker,” Pretty said. “That just upped the ante.”