Since he hadn’t slept much and hadn’t had any caffeine, he said, “Whatever it takes to get rid of Ava’s debt.”
Volt let out a low whistle. “In theory, we could front her thirty-three grand, but it has to go before a vote.”
That seemed too easy, but Punc figured the club had money. “How soon can we have church? The asshole or one of his shady customers was in their backyard last night to freak out, Catalina. He better not fuck with them after this.”
Volt spoke in a knowing tone. “And that’s the biggest reason some brothers will say no.”
“What?” Punc’s voice rose, and he sat up fully.
“Darren’s known to keep lousy records - even with motorcycle clubs. We pay the debt, he may still harass Ava for the money. A member of the Devil Lancers had issues with him, and he pulled a similar stunt.”
Shit.
Even though Punc had earned his patch years ago, there was plenty he didn’t know when it came to local MC history.
“And we can’t offer club protection to them?” he asked.
“I didn’t say that, but you will probably be the extent of the club protection.”
“Seriously?”
“Punc, we’re footing her medical bills already. Now you’re asking for roughly thirty-five K on top of it with an asshole who has one of the worst reputations. Be prepared for some pushback on this.”
He swung his legs off the couch and leaned an elbow on his knee. “What about getting violent with this asshole? Turk told me not to do that last night, but—”
“Wait for church.”
Punc clenched his free hand into a fist. “Volt. He followed her sixteen-year-old sister out of the school parking lot with one of his drug buyers in the car. Told Ava that this guy liked the look of her sister. Then someone - could have been him or one of his people - was in their backyard last night. My gut says there isn’t any time to waste.”
Volt sighed. “I’ll check with Blood, Cal, and Patch. It’s the weekend, so I think we can schedule church tomorrow. Do you have a shift tonight at Platinum’s?”
“No,” he said. Then he added, “And if Ava’s on the schedule, she isn’t showing up tonight.”
“Punc—”
“She’s mine, Volt. Whether she’ll agree to it has yet to be determined, but she has no business dancing.”
“Turk and Yak would disagree. If the past two nights are any sign, she’s headliner material, Punc.”
“Volt, she’s only dancing because she’s desperate. Hell, if anyone pays attention, that comes through in her every move.”
“That may be true, but if you want the club to handle this debt in any way, it might be good to give a little here… She’s the reason Platinum’s has seen such an uptick in revenue. Patch is definitely gonna focus on that, and it won’t win you much support if you insist she quit.”
“I’ll keep it in mind, but none of the brothers would want their women dancing.”
Volt gave a low chuckle. “Which is exactly why there’s a no-fraternization policy.”
Punc felt like he’d betrayed the brothers. “Sorry, it wasn’t—”
“Stop. I’m not blaming you. I’ll let you know when we’re having church.”
“Thanks, Volt. Later.”
He put his cell on the coffee table, tugged on his t-shirt and jeans, then folded up the sheets. In the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and cursed. There wasn’t much in the fridge, and he had no doubt the heavy debt to Frank Darren had everything to do with it.
“Turn on the coffee maker,” Savannah grumbled.
He shut the fridge and watched her trudge into the kitchen.
