I catch the chatter of people in the background. “Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve been working on something else.”
He remains quiet, letting me speak.
“The Kings want your help.”
A taut second passes before his laughter crackles the line. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“The fucking Kings of Anarchy wantmyhelp.”
“To end what’s going on. Yeah.”
His mirth vanishes. “And how do they think I can help them do that?”
“They want your input on how things work. Smoke’s thoughts and habits. They need your unique insight, Dad.” The moniker feels slimy as it slides off my tongue.
“Crowned fuckers incapable of doing it themselves?”
I snarl at the cocky tone in his voice. “They want to be sure they do it right so that nobody else needs get hurt.”
“Jesus, Jenna.” He scoffs a repulsed laugh. “They got you drinking their Kool-Aid, don’t they?”
“Why? Because I think they could do it?”
“Because you believe that they’d want to.” He grumbles. “They don’t give a fuck about the women in the trade. They want to take Smoke down a notch or two, so he stops making them look so bad.”
Sure.And that’s why they have four of us still on site. Why Jinx’s partner Kyra works so hard to help find suitable placement for The Kid—Anna.
Why they didn’t kill me when they could have. Twice.
“You’re sounding an awful lot like a rival MC member for a guy who no longer wears their patch.”
“Because what I learned while wearing that patch,” he grits, “affords me a clearer point of view than what you’re given.”
“And what if you’re wrong? What if they do want to end this bullshit? What if they do care? Huh? Are you really going to ignore the line you’re thrown because the picture on their back is different to yours?”
“You don’t understand a fucking thing about how it works,” he hollers. “You want to know why clubs don’t let women into leadership roles? This bullshit. You’re too gullible. Led by your heart and your emotions, not your head.”
Because he’s totally not being emotional right now or anything.
“Women make stupid decisions that risk everyone around them. Leave the politics to the big boys, honey, and play yourpart. Stay quiet, stay submissive, and use your God-given ears for what they’re intended.Listen.”
“Chaos invited you to meet with him.” I utter the sentence in a lifeless tone, my brain already shutting down to protect me.
“Tell him he can fucking take the invite and shove it up his ass.” He ends the call.
The phone hangs lifeless in my hand as I stare out into the forest.
Heisa monster. And worst of all? I think that deep down I always knew it.
“Jenna?” Kathy pops around the corner of the building. “I heard your voice and followed it. Are you okay?” She studies my face.
My lack of emotion. Of anything.
