I watched as men walked up to Crater, some hugging him, some only nodding. But it was clear they all had a fondness for him. I’d be a fool not to tap into that fondness and secure an ally. Especially one right in our backyard.
The moment we moved inside, the men started eye-fucking my woman. I clamped my mouth shut and held out my hand to her as she hurried into my arms.
“Bandit, I’d like you to meet my old lady, Morgan Delany.”
“I don’t see a cut,” was the first thing he said.
Before I could say a word, she raised her eyebrow and said, “And your point is?”
“Point is, sweetheart, no cut, no property.”
“Would telling you my father is Braesal O’Malley make you get your men under control?” Bandit’s eyes widened. “Or how about my brother being Kingston O’Rourke? Is that sufficient enough?” she asked. “You see, where I come from, the Sons of Hell don’t make their women wear cuts; introducing them as an old lady is enough to make men back off and treat them with the respect they deserve.”
Bandit narrowed his eyes at Morgan. “You remind me of my old lady.”
Crater snorted behind Bandit, and I glared at him.
“That’s a compliment, Prez. My aunt Ginny doesn’t take shit from anyone, especially him.” He hooked his thumb in Bandit’s direction, and the other Highway Sinners laughed.
“Shut the fuck up, kid, or I’ll send her over here to beat your ass.”
Crater rolled his lips between his teeth, cutting off the smile he’d had a second ago.
“Morgan, I need you, Benny, and Sully to go upstairs. Church isn’t big enough for all of us.” I looked in the corner where Jenna and the whores were watching the men. “All of you, out!”
“Fine,” she said and kissed me before sending a glare in Bandit’s direction.
Bandit smiled at Morgan’s back. “Yup, just like my old lady,” he said, shaking his head. “Now, what the fuck do you need us for?”
“I need you to protect the clubhouse and my women.”
Bandit eyed me while his VP, Scotch, asked, “How many women you got? And how’d you get your old lady to be okay with it?”
“There are four women here besides the club whores. My old lady, her mother, my little sister, and another woman under the club’s protection.”
“Where are you going?” Bandit asked.
I looked at Crater, wondering how much information the Highway Sinners could be trusted with. Crater nodded, and I sighed.
I told Bandit everything that had happened in the last thirty-six hours. I didn’t have to tell him who Zephyr was, and I didn’t tell him why he was after Sully and Morgan, but word about the war had made the rounds in the last few months. Allies all over the country had been made aware of who was behind the coup to take over the Biker Federation.
Then I explained about Sylvia St. James and her mission to collect the children of bikers in every club in the country, what we knew about her, and why this was urgent.
“Can I trust you to protect our women and our clubhouse?”
Bandit looked at his VP as he rubbed his chin. Scotch nodded, and Bandit answered, “Yeah, go get that son of a bitch.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chasm
We split into two groups. Venom was with me, while Krypto went with Zombie. If this was a trap, we had a better chance of one of us surviving if we weren’t together. The prospects stayed behind to keep an eye on the Highway Sinners. That and Vincent and Colson were in no position to fight.
Colson had been shot in the leg out by the gate when the Satan’s Angels stormed the clubhouse. And Vincent had taken one in the shoulder. They, along with Brian and Peter, were the only men I could spare to be my eyes and ears in the clubhouse.
I hated leaving Morgan and Sully with men I didn’t know, but more than one brother vouched for Bandit. Crater admitted his uncle was an asshole, but he was an old-school biker who ran his club the same way and was a firm believer in not fucking with family.
Zombie and his team were heading north to Conway, while my team headed south to Benton. When Omen had given us the names of the towns that held the two diners Nathan had visited often, B remembered a phone call Nathan had with someone he said was his grandfather.
