But Salvo taught me that leadership isn't just about giving orders. It's about making men understand why they should follow them.
I stand at the head of the table, hands flat on the worn wood, and meet their eyes one by one.
Zenon on my right, steady as always.
Sipher looking thoughtful.
Behemoth unreadable.
Klutch leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed.
The others—Cleric, Lazarus, Enigma, Stark, Death, Halcyon—watching and waiting.
"You've heard by now," I say. My voice is calm. Measured. "Yesterday, I stripped Cain's patch."
Murmurs ripple through the room. I let them settle before continuing.
"I didn't bring it to church. Didn't call a vote. I saw what I saw, and I acted." I pause, letting the weight of that sink in. "I know that's not how it's supposed to work."
Klutch shifts in his seat. "Prez, with all due respect?—"
"Let me finish."
He closes his mouth.
"I was in the parking lot last night. Stepped out for a smoke. And I saw our Enforcer with his hands around his woman's throat." I keep my voice flat, but something dark moves beneath the words. "Her feet were barely touching the ground. She couldn't breathe. And when she looked at me, I saw fear like I haven't seen since the war."
The room goes very still.
"We've got rules," I continue. "Protocol. Chain of command. I respect that. I built my leadership on that. But we've also got a code, and the code says we don't hurt women. Not our women. Not anyone's women. That's not who we are."
I look around the table, making sure every man feels the weight of my gaze.
"Cain violated that code. He violated it in my parking lot, in front of my eyes, and he didn't even have the decency to look ashamed. He laughed it off. Told me women get emotional. Like choking the life out of someone is what you do on a random night."
Silence.
"So yeah, I stripped his patch without a vote. I should've brought it to the table. I didn't." I straighten, squaring my shoulders. "You want to challenge me on it, now's the time."
No one moves.
Zenon catches my eye and gives an almost imperceptible nod.
He's got my back. He always has.
After a long moment, Sipher clears his throat. "For what it's worth, Prez, I never liked that bastard. Always thought there was something off about him."
"Agreed," Behemoth rumbles. His voice is low, gravelly—a sound like stones grinding together. "He enjoyed the work too much. The hurting."
A few others nod. The tension in the room shifts, loosens. They're not happy about the breach in protocol, but they understand. Or at least they're willing to accept it.
"What happens now?" Enigma asks. "Cain's not gonna take this lying down. He's got a temper."
"Let him have a temper." I keep my voice cold. "He comes near this clubhouse, he'll regret it. He's out. Done. Anyone has contact with him, I want to know about it."
Nods around the table.
"One more thing." I pause, choosing my next words carefully. "We need a new Enforcer. Behemoth, you're up."
