“I’ve had weed before.”
“A lot of the prospects and probates use coke,” Mattie told him.
“I thought they were one and the same.”
She shrugged. “For now, but they are actually two different stages on the road to full patch. Rebel, Harley, and me researched it.”
“Even if you all won’t be able to join the club?”
“It doesn’t mean we can’t contribute, Grant. You can, too, but in a different way.”
“Funding the meth lab?”
She nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see her. “Yes. Would Pop still disown you?”
“Probably not,” Grant said, sighing. “But who knows? He doesn’t want me to be a full-time biker.”
“Why doyouwant to be? Do you know all the boys jockeying for position to be close to CJ? It will be literally impossible for him to appoint them all to a position that puts them in his orbit.”
“I thought the officers are elected.”
“They are, but that means he can’t endorse anyone if most of them are his family members.” Daddy and the rest of her uncles did, but CJ would be a very different leader than Uncle Christopher. Not asruthless, so he’d need methods to minimize conflict. “Conflict of interest, ya know?” she said lightly.
“I don’t need to be an officer to cook meth.”
“Will you kill Narci?”
“What? No!”
“Unless he bites it, he’s the resident drug dealer. That makes him perfect as the club’s drug lieutenant who runs your meth lab.”
“Could I trust him?”
“You can start prospecting now, while Uncle Christopher and Uncle Mort are still officers. You can learn from them. If they think Narci’s trustworthy, then your question will be answered. I think he’s a pompous jackass and only worried about profit. If you were paying him to cook and run the lab, in addition to sharing in the profits, he might not be as cutthroat with his own brothers.”
Grant was silent for a moment, then he shifted. “You know a lot.”
“I’ve been around the club my entire life. Rebel isn’t the only one who wants to be a part of it. She’s just the most vocal.”
“Your plan is sound except for the part where I wanted to earn my patch with CJ.”
“Who says you can’t? Earning a patch takes anywhere from one to three years. CJ turns eighteen next year. Ifyoubegin prospecting now…see where this is going?”
More laughter wafted from him. “I do, sweetheart.”
“As for your law degree—”
“Law and finance,” Grant said. “I’m a double major. Dad has always wanted me to drop both and become a business major.”
“What does Lolly want?”
“Me to attend school nearby. Otherwise, she doesn’t care.”
“What do you want? That’s important, too. Outside of cooking meth.”
He laughed again. “CJ seems so lost, Matt. I just thought if I supported him…”
“CJ is coming around.” Mattie knew because she was still lost, so she was aware of someone who’d been in her shoes and was finding their footing again. “Even if he isn’t, youcooking methwon’t make a difference. It will leave you and him at risk for jealousy, violence, and death. He has to work through his problems. You can’t do it for him. So I’m asking you again, what doyouwant to do?”
