“Still no leads?” he asked, all serious.
I shook my head.
No. There were still no leads on who had shot Skinny. Still no leads on who the fuck had turned up at the safe house and tried to take out Quinn. Still no leads on who she’d shot in return, saving the lives of herself and Skinny. It made no goddamned sense how there were no leads, but it was the way it was.
“It ain’t right. Why’s he not doing more about it?” Jesse gritted out, angry.
I got it—I even understood his anger. We were all angry. The only person who could have known where Quinn was going to be that night was one of our brothers, someone within our own club. And yet we were two months on and still no closer to finding out who it was.
Jesse was staring past me, his narrowed eyes on the door to the church where Hardy—his father, and the president of our club—was.
I patted him on the shoulder. “He’s dealing with it.”
“Is he though? The same way he dealt with what happened to Battle? Threats against our brothers, our women, and he doesn’t do shit?” he snarled. He cracked his knuckles on his lap, his hard gaze still on the church. “He’s just going about business as usual.”
“Watch your mouth,” I said, and his gaze shot to mine. “That’s your president you’re talking about. You’re new to this, so I’ll take it in my stride, but son or not, Hardy will gut you if you try to undermine him.” I looked over my shoulder toward the church door as Gauge came out. “The mood he’s been in recently, he’d gut any one of us.”
“Probably gut me just for being his son,” Jesse replied darkly.
It was no secret that Hardy didn’t get along with Jesse, though no one really knew why. Kid was headstrong, smart, loyal—all the traits the Highwaymen respected. But he’d been fighting his whole life for his father’s respect. I think he’d hoped that once he patched in to the club he’d get that respect, but if anything, things had gotten worse between the two.
“Probably,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder. “You’re a little shit though, so you’d probably deserve it,” I said, trying to lighten the dark mood.
Jesse smirked and slid off his chair as Casa came into the clubhouse. “Can’t deny that,” he joked.
“Motherfuckers and bitches!” Casa yelled loudly, his arms spread wide and an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. He reached up and plucked it out. “I have arrived. You can all stay in your seats, no need to stand up for me, though if any of youhermosas damaswant to get on your knees, I’ll be happy to oblige those pretty mouths of yours.”
“This fucker,” I grumbled, jutting my thumb in Casa’s direction.
Jesse laughed and dragged Casa into a brotherly hug as he came over. “You high, fuckface?”
“Nah, just happy. Happy is the new high, don’t you know?” Casa lit his cigarette, his eyes roving over the room and falling on one of the club bitches. “She’s new.”
“Happy is the new high? What kind of bullshit is that?” Gauge asked, looking horrified at the thought. Casa threw an arm around Gauge’s shoulders.
“Brother, the things I could teach you. I’m like Aladdin and you’re—”
“Princess Jasmine?” Jesse laughed loudly.
Casa and Jesse howled with laughter, getting the attention of some of the other brothers.
“I can show you the world!” they both sang in unison before laughing again.
Gauge glared between the two of them before looking at me. “Did he just call me a princess?”
It was hard not to smirk at that. “I’m more concerned with how they know the fuckin’ lyrics to that song.”
Gauge shrugged out from under Casa’s arm. “I’m real fuckin’ pretty, I know, but you touch me again and you’ll be sorry.”
“Sorry, princess,” Casa replied with a wink. “I’ve got shit to do anyway.” He saluted Gauge and strode toward the club bitch he’d been eye-fucking.
“I swear to God it was the worst thing we ever did, patching that kid in,” Gauge grumbled.
Jesse laughed. “You don’t mean that.”
Gauge shook his head. “No, I don’t. Asshole’s too good at what he does for me to regret, but he’s a cocky little fucker that gets on my nerves.”
I shook my head at him. “Everyone gets on your nerves, brother.” I stubbed out my joint before turning away and heading out of the clubhouse. I had shit to do, and a woman to stalk.
