“Why do you assume it was me that said something?” He looks up from his phone. “Who’s the only person that was a part of the conversation?”
“Damn woman can’t keep her mouth shut.”
“Don’t think she had much of a choice. Sounds like someone might have a crush,” Coda chimes in. The man is like a damn ghost. Him and Joaquin. It’s the quiet ones that you have to look out for. Which is why Joaquin is going to tag along with me after church.
“Can we just start the damn meeting?” I throw my hands in the air. “It’s bad enough that VP and Joaquin want to hold up the meeting, but it's not our fault that they decided to chase ass.” I should have chosen my words carefully.
“Funny, because I’m pretty sure this fine ass saved the club once or twice, and took a few bullets or two.” Tessa’s voice comes through the room. Jackson stands behind her like a warrior about to protect his queen. The glint in his eyes comes with a warning, that if one was to cross her or him, war would break out.
“Anything else to say, dumbass?” Jackson growls out, I simply shake my head and shut the hell up before anything else happens.
“Bjorn, welcome again.” Rawlings extends his arms out, rushing over to her. There was a found respect between them two. It is still a stunned sight to see. She returns the embrace. Giving him a small peck on the cheek. “Grizzly old man.” She says in response. She is a queen, a queen of being a pain in my ass sometimes.
She walks back, about to take a seat besides Jackson, then I feel the stinging on the back of my head. She smacks me on the back of my head, “Grumpy, lovely to see you as ever.”
What the hell is with these women!
Chapter 7
Keola
Typicallywehaveournormal meetings on a Wednesday night, but with the events at Lighthouse, this is a special meeting. And if Tessa’s involved in this meeting, there might be more at stake. Especially if one or more parties are involved.
Again, we aren’t saints or true saviors. We all own a tarnished halo and some have fallen harder from heavens and almost to the pits of hell. Sure we do shady business, but at least the club follows a code of “we don’t harm those who don’t deserve it”.
There was more to that, but I think Tessa had hoped that it would extend to “we protect those that can’t fend for themselves”.
“I’m assuming that not everyone understands or knows why we are here?” She starts to say looking around for a confirmation. A couple of nods and a couple of shaking for no.
“Alright story time.” She begins, as Jackson lays a hand on her shoulder, “No squirrel moments this time Teresa.” She flips him off and ignores him to continue.
“We had a student that was reported missing after drugs had been found in his locker at his high school. The education department was notified and they didn’t understand why the school left it unnotified until that time. Our education director, Charlotte, most of you met her at the fall festival.” She pauses.
“The little tinker bell girl.” D.R asks. Tessa nods, “That’s her.”
“How did the school know the drugs were in his locker?” Memphis asks, his interest is pique.
Her shoulders slump, you can tell the devotion and dedication she has for her community. She is empath for sure, taking on the emotions of everyone, trying to get the weight off of someone else. A burden she feels she has to carry. She didn’t have to carry it all on her own.
She takes a deep breath, “Unfortunately, there was a ‘complaint from a concerned parent’ that there was a student that was dealing and resulted in a school wide search and once the service animal smelled the locker it was only a matter of time.”
I’m not surprised. With the amount of school violence and distribution through the years, schools took the measures to a higher standard. I remember those moments all too well. It is never easy to tell the school officials that there was a student selling or dealing in their own school. “The downside is that the school ‘attempted’ to reach out to the parent and then never notified our programs. When Charlotte got a hold of it, she treated it as a missing student not turning the kid into the cops.”
No wonder why she’s highly protective of them. She cares as if they are one of her own.
“So, the kid was dealing in drugs. Some gangs start them young unfortunately.” Rawlings adds his two cents.
“Well, we don’t know if he was or not, but we found out about the threats that were against him after the fact. The student was found and was in rough shape when he arrived at the foundation. The student was bruised and beaten. He spoke with one of our mentors and was able to get out some information. There was a group a few years back that started recruiting but something happened after a bust and everything went quiet.” She finishes the story. “And now, it’s my understanding that this is a common enemy we both have.”
The exchanging of looks is enough to tell her that it wasn’t just any group that the kid got involved with.
The Falcons. The slime of the city, well worse reputations than us. In her eyes, it is defeat, it is fear that rings louder.
“I’m right aren’t I?” Her soft voice tries to be heard.
“Afraid so buddy.” D.R breaks the news. Her face gives off the expression of anger and rage but a sense of sadness.
Rawlings stood up, walking around the room, leaning on the table in front of her, “We said this was the battle and we weren’t sugar coating it.”
