The others nod too, all voicing their agreement.
“Church adjourned,” Kurt says, and slams the gavel down.
I push to my feet and head out without another word.
I’m so fucking sick of leaving these meetings like this. I know why some of them want to turn to guns. Igetit. We’re boxed in, and if we freeze now, the Sons will take everything. And we’ll be nothing but a footnote in their expansion.
But the idea of running guns… it eats me alive.
It’s not just business. This is our community. The one that built us and the one we protect. And there’s no guarantee that the weapons we smuggle to some crew in Buffalo or Baltimore won’t circle back into the hands of those who can hurt the people we claim to stand for.
I know we need somethingnow. I just hate that it’s the only card we’ve got on the table if we can’t get cross-border auctions off the ground fast enough.
But Iknowwe can.
I shove through the clubhouse doors and make my way towards my bike. It’s almost time to head back to the clinic…
Then I need to find my doc and make us both feel good.
Just before I reach Cade’s office at the end of the hall, a voice sounds behind me.
“He’s not here.”
I turn to find the blonde, perky woman who always acts like she’s Cade’s fucking gatekeeper standing in the doorway of an office. Her posture is stiff, and her arms are crossed tightly over her chest.
I glance down the hall towards Cade’s office to see the door closed.
“Ok,” I say with a shrug, already turning back the way I came. If he’s not here, I’ll go find him at his house.
“Do you know what you’re doing to him?” she asks as I pass her.
I stop and slowly turn to face her again. Then I take a step closer, and she tenses.
“I do,” I say with a nod. “Do you know whatyou’redoing to him?”
I tilt my head as I let my gaze fall down her, taking in her neatly pressed dress pants, delicate pointed shoes, and a flowy blouse covered in flowers. Over her shoulder, her office looks like it belongs to a therapist, with soft lighting and a circle of cozy armchairs. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a framed poster in there somewhere telling me I’m stronger than I think.
Her brow just creases as she stares back at me.
“Hm.” I nod to myself. “Didn’t think so.” Then I turn to continue on my way.
“You’re hurting him.”
I pause and turn back to her. My eyes narrow as I step into her again, this time close enough to make her feel it.
“No, darlin’,” I say in a low voice. “I’m not hurting him.” I lower my head until I’m looking her dead in the eye. “I’m doing much more than that.”
Her fingers twitch where they rest on her arms, and her knuckles pale with how tightly she grips herself. But she doesn’t break eye contact with me. Instead, she stands a little taller.
“Leave him alone.”
I huff with a small smile. “And why would I do that, when we’re having so much fun?”
Confusion flickers across her face, like she’s trying to figure out if I’m serious or joking.
I tilt my head as I observe her. “What’s your favourite tree?”
Her brows lift, and her eyes dart away from me for a moment, seeming to search the hallway for someone to come save her. “What?”
