“You know Chaos has been patrolling our turf now for wellover a decade.”
I didn’t know that.
“Okay,” I replied.
“Nothing has happened, Rosie.Not even close.BeforeValenzuela, patrol wasn’t even that big of a deal because everyonedoin’ stupid shit in Denver knew to keep it off Chaos.Wejust did it regularly to make sure that message stayed out there.”
“Okay,” I repeated.
He studied me again while he was eating and I took anotherbite too while he did it.
Finally, he pressed forward.
“Before my time, when they werepullin’outta some shit they were into, they lost a man.”
Uh-oh.
“Good guy,” he carried on, “way everyone tells it, thebest.”
“Snapper,” I whispered.
“And I tell you that, Rosalie, because that loss did twothings.It tore apart every member who stayed in the club and it solidified thebrotherhood as well as the path they were on to get clean.I know that’s adichotomy but it’s the way the story is told and it’s the brotherhood I know.So what I’msayin’ is, that last part, we got inhand, but that first part, every brother is going to do everything in theirpower not to let that happen again.”
“Not everything is in Chaos’s power,” I pointed out.
“That man they lost, name was Black, he had a woman and twoboys.”
Uh-oh!
“She’s Chaos lore too, baby,” he went on gently.“The wayit’s told, she never got over that and they loved their brother, they lovedthat woman, they loved those boys, so they felt his loss three ways.So when Isay we’regonnado everything in our power not tolose anything precious along the way, we’regonnagoballs to the wall with that.”
He didn’t lean into me but the way he was looking at mechanged so it made it feel like he’d slid across the couch and got in my space.
“We are notdoin’ this stupid.We’replayin’ this smart.Those men have women andchildren to protect, Rosalie.I know you get that Club is a family, but maybeyou don’t get that Club isfamily.We want this done and we’re all into do it, but we’re notgonnaButch and Sundance thisshit.We all got different parents but we share blood.Chaos is our blood,baby, and I’m notsayin’ shit isn’t intense.I’msayin’ we’re not taking unnecessary chances.And I can’ttell the future.What I’maskin’ is for you to trustme.”
“I trust you, Snapper.”
“Then all we got left is to eat and then we can goupstairs.”
“There’s nothing you have for the agenda?”I asked.
“Nope,” he answered.
Well, that was a relief.
“We have something else to talk about,” I shared as heshoved food in his mouth.
“What?”he asked after he’d swallowed.
“I want you to get that what I’mgonnasay is real and not about all you’re giving me.”
“What?”he repeated.
“And I’m worried it’s too soon and you won’t believe in it.”
“Baby…” He was losing patience.“What?”
“I’m not falling for you,” I told him.
