My brothers. Some who I’ve ridden with ever since I joined the club, some who’ve come along later. But all are men who wear the same patch and who I wouldn’t hesitate to give my life for theirs. In just a few minutes, instead of treating me with the respect I’ve earned as the enforcer, they might look at me with hatred instead.
Would they really send me out bad? Would they burn the Kings of Anarchy tat off my back? Would they turn on me?Surely showing mercy isn’t that bad a crime?
Do I regret I could have saved myself this anguish by ending Toni’s life? If I went back in time, would I put that bullet into her head?
No. Now’s not the time to reconsider, and even if I had those minutes back again, I’d have done nothing differently. Toni was a misguided fool, easily led, but the root lay in the fact she’d lost her family. But it’s also my trump card, in ensuring her silence. Toni would do anything to reconnect with Ace. Ironically, my lenience might mean I’ll now lose my brothers.
I grimace. I’m putting my all on the line assuming I read Toni correctly. Her desire to leave the door open for a relationship with my son overcoming any desire for revenge. She winsnothing by taking the Arizona Kings down. I can only hope I can persuade my brothers around to my way of thinking.
Looking up, I see Tempest staring at me.Does he know what we’re here for?
But I need wonder no longer, as Bullseye strides in, closely followed by the VP. Both have serious expressions on their faces.
Wasting no time, Prez bangs the gavel as soon as he sits down. All eyes look to him.
“It’s been a tumultuous couple of days,” he starts. “We fuckin’ beat the MDMC, got Ace back unharmed.” He reminds them of the positives for which I’m grateful. And though we’ve had this discussion before, everyone stamps, claps or hoots at the repetition.
“Nobody fucks with the Kings!” Piston roars. His words are echoed by everyone, and for a moment the sound is deafening.
Bullseye waits for the renditions of our motto to die down. Then he wipes his hand over his face, his brow furrowing in its wake. “Brothers, I’ve called you here on a serious matter.” He closes his eyes, then raises his head as he opens them, stress marks showing his emotion. “When we agree on a course of action, I expect it to be carried out. Especially if not doing so puts our club in danger.”
I see Words’ mouth form an O, as he pointedly looks my way.
Prez continues. “We voted that Freak either kept Toni close, or ended her.” He snaps his head to the side and looks straight at me. “Instead, Freak let her leave.” He lets that sink in, then shifts his gaze down the table. “Words and Winchester reported that to me, Freak didn’t have the respect to tell me himself…”
“I was going to…” I start.
“But you had ‘better’,” he puts the word in air quotes, “things to do.”
“Like making sure my son was alright.” I snap. That had been top priority. Along with clearing the air with Trixie.
He continues as if I hadn’t spoken. “I told Words and Win that we’d discuss what Freak has done with everyone present.” His eyes sharpen. “In my view, what the enforcer did could have put the club at risk. We’re here today to discuss whether Freak’s action is sufficient to strip him of his rank, even his patch.” There’s a sharp intake of air all around the table, and I’m suddenly the subject of scrutiny. Prez leans back in his chair and folds his arms across his chest. “Over to you, Brothers.”
I feel like I’ve been sucker punched in the gut by the way they’re all looking at me, hurt in their eyes. Tempest, in particular, is sadly shaking his head.
Rattler throws up his hands. “What the fuck were you thinking?” He glares at me. “She was a witness to you killing Candyman, and knew the club took out other members of the MDMC.”
Woody purses his lips. “Actually, she only saw Freak put a bullet in the MDMC VP and the asshole who was with him. She was whisked out of there fast. She didn’t witness anything else.”
“That’s true,” Words states. “It would be her word against Freak’s, and the rest of us are scot free. There’s no evidence to put us there, except for the MDMC, and they won’t talk to the Feds.” He’s right, though we left no calling card, they’ll know it was us, even if we weren’t wearing our cuts – who else would rescue Ace from under their noses? They’ll want revenge, but that’s a problem to come.
“Why the fuck did you just let her leave?” Tempest gets to the heart of the matter.
I sit forward, placing my arms on the table and linking my hands. “I’ve killed women for Uncle Sam, when they were carrying guns or bombs and targeting them at US Forces...”
“Yeah, yeah,” Rat drawls, “We all know you were a fuckin’ hero.”
“Shut it, Rat,” Saint snarls.
I continue as if I hadn’t been interrupted. “I’ve never raised my hand to a woman who acted wrong for, however misguided, what to her were the best of intentions.” I raise my eyes, and one by one meet those of my brothers. “Toni came here for Ace, and he means the world to her. And, while Ace doesn’t want anything to do with her now, in time he might. She’s his only link to his mother. So I had two problems carrying out my instructions. One, my own ethics, and my judgment that Toni’s crimes didn’t deserve a death sentence, and two, that I couldn’t face my son, and tell him I’d killed his blood relative.”
“Fancy words,” Piston observes. “But did you not think of the club?” He waves his hand at Words. “I heard what you said, Brother. But what do the Feds care about evidence? They’re just looking for one sniff of trouble to come pull this club apart.”
“They could do that any time on a whim,” Paint puts in.
“I want to know why if Freak did anything to stop her opening her mouth,” Winchester asks. “They sure spent a lot of time talking, when he was supposed to take her out.”
I nod. He’s raised a good point. “Toni was fooled into thinking Candyman was her half-brother. Now that’s been exposed as a lie, the only family she’s got is Ace. And family, as we can all understand, is of the utmost importance to her.” Fucking Rat’s opening his mouth again, so I hurry to finish. “With Ace, she knows she’s burned that bridge, for now, anyway. So I waved the carrot that maybe he would relent when he was older. I told her she was to give me the details of where she ends up, and how to contact her, and promised I’d give them to Ace when he turns eighteen. Vengeance on us, destroying our club, won’t make Ace think more friendly of her. She doesn’t benefit by going up against us, but she does by staying quiet.”
