“Thanks, brother.” I smiled, sitting at the head of the table. “I appreciate you meeting me before church. Just because I’ve dealt with Snowcone doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t still have a mole problem. I need intel from a trusted source without any extra ears around.”
“You suspect there’s someone else within your ranks you need to worry about?” he asked, taking the seat to my right.
“No. Nothing I’ve seen to make me think twice about anyone, but then again, I didn’t see Snowcone coming,” I said, dragging my hand down my face.
“I get it, man. Trying to figure out who you can trust within club life will drive you nucking futs,” Hatch said, smiling before taking a pull from his beer.
I laughed. “Dad puns. We’re gettin’ old.”
“No doubt.”
“Jesus Christ, does being President of a motorcycle club ever get easier?” I huffed.
“Should it?” Hatch replied.
“I guess not, but since Wyatt showed up, I’ve been excited about the future for the first time in a long time, and now I’ve gotta deal with allthisshit.”
“It’s enough to drive a man to drink,” Hatch said, taking another sip of beer.
“You know what? You’re right,” I said, going back to the bar and returning with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. “When life hands you the bad shit, drink the good shit.”
“Now you’re talkin’.”
I poured two full glasses and continued, “I’ll be honest. Until Wyatt entered the picture, I hadn’t laughed or had anything close to a good time in a long fuckin’ time. I was all but ready to hang up my cut.”
“No shit?” Hatch asked.
“The cancer almost did me in, mostly because Ori and I were at each other’s throats, and I didn’t know if he’d be able, or willing, to take up the mantle.”
“And now?”
“Now, it’s good. Orion and I are back to normal, I feel like I’m twenty-five fucking years old again and I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life.” I sighed. “So, if this Beast motherfucker wants to try and get in my way, let him try.”
“Careful what you ask for. If what’s been going on in Savannah is any indication, the Beast isn’t fucking around.”
“I didn’t ask for any of this. I’m just saying, if the Beast is feeling strong, let him come.”
“Just remember,” Hatch warned. “Live by the sword, die by the sword.”
“If the Beast shows his head anywhere near my club, he’ll lose it before he can draw his sword.”
“If you even see him coming,” Hatch said.
“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? What do you know?”
For the next hour Hatch filled me in with the details of the recent troubles in Savannah and Portland as well as all the intel they’d been able to gather about the Beast. There wasn’t much, and by that, I mean next to nothing, but we had a start and our eyes were wide open.
“When do you head back to Portland?” I asked as we finished up.
“We head out on Sunday. I promised Masie I’d take her ziplining at the Canyon of the Gods before we left.”
“Ziplining?” I asked, shocked.
“She said it’s on her ‘bucket list.’”
“It’s on my ‘fuck that,’ list,” I replied.
“Yeah, well I figured this might be the last time we have a few days to ourselves if we’re dragged any deeper into this Beast shit.”
