“What has you so happy this early in the morning?” I questioned, already suspicious of the answer. It was always a damn girl.
He bit his lip. “Raine.”
“Be careful, son. Abel isn’t going to let you get within a hundred feet of that girl, especially if you decide you really want into the club.”
“It’s just nice to have a friend,” he muttered.
“I don’t blame you there, and she’s a sweetheart. So, did they give you a hit list or something?” I couldn’t keep talking about Raine with Ryder. She was too much like a daughter to me, and he was too much like me; it just felt too wrong.
“Basically your entire club. Abel and you are the big targets.” He bowed his head. “Sorry, Pop.” I stopped dead, but not from the danger—there was always a threat on my life. What gave me pause was that it had been the first time he’d referred to me as his father in some fashion other than just stating facts.
“It is what it is, son.” I shrugged, trying to ease his mind a bit.
Ryder smiled a little more. “To be honest, I’ve been having a little bit of fun doing this. Thanks for trusting me.”
“You’ve earned my trust, Ryder. This morning proves it that much more.”
Chapter 7
The thickness in the air weighed on me as I sat in the corner of the bar with my brothers scattered about. Everyone had come; even some of the guys from the Arkansas, Killeen, Sweetwater, and Atlanta charters had arrived in droves to pay their respects to our fallen leader.
Bear, the VP from Atlanta, stomped over to me, leaning up against the wall to my right. “How’re you holding up, Holt?” he asked. Bear would give the shirt off her back to anyone in need but that kind nature was wrapped in a rough-and-tumble exterior blanketed with scars and tattoos.
“It’s the risk we take, right?” I glanced over at Raine, who was crying in her stepmother’s arms behind the bar.
“Still, ain’t ever easy,” Bear sighed. “Rave was a good man. He’ll be missed by all of us.”
“How’re things going in your neck of the woods?” It had been way too long since I had checked in with our other chapters, something I was going to need to get a heck of a lot better about with the shoes I was about to have to start filling.
“Can’t complain. Seems like most of the action is up here. Should have transferred when I had the chance after Odin lost his marbles.” Bear started laughing uncomfortably. Odin wasn’t someone that any of us really brought up anymore. He was a black stain in our cub’s history books that we wished we could all forget.
Odin had snapped years before. He was a ruthless man, meaner than sin for the entire time I had known him. When his old lady left him for Rave, there was nothing holding the rage back. He murdered Sherry, Abel’s mom; Colleen, Abel’s girlfriend and Raine’s mother before turning the gun on himself. It was one of the worst situations any of us had had to deal with.
“You know you’ll always have a place here, but that VP flash looks pretty damn good on that cut.” I pointed to Bear’s leather with a drink in my hand.
“Speaking of vice presidents, why is Abel still wearing his VP patch? Shouldn’t that be on your chest?” The confusion on Bear’s face was little funny to me. He was right, Abel needed to step into his role.
I laughed a little. “Long story, but it’ll happen, all in due time.”
Dhonal walked up with beers for the two of us. “You guys look like you need a refill.”
I chugged the half-empty longneck in my hand, taking the fresh one from his. “Thanks.”
“Good to see you, Bear.” Dhonal hugged him quickly before turning back to rejoin his old lady and son at their table.
As I was about to head behind the bar to check on Raine and Crickett, a text buzzed in my pocket.
Ryder: We’re coming. They know.
I snapped into action, rushing to Abel’s side. “I need to talk to you in the office right the fuck now.”
Abel followed on my heels into the bar’s office. “What’s going on?”
Without a word, I showed him the text.
“We need to get the women and kids out of here.” His face went white. Of all the low blows, this one took the fucking cake. Even for outlaws on the hunt for blood, them coming for us at a damn funeral was pretty barbaric.
“There isn’t enough time. Have Crickett get all of them in the back. Any of them that can shoot need to get armed.” I pulled Rave’s ax off the wall, handing it to Abel. “It’s only right that she sees the vengeance she deserves.”
