Page 25 of Thick

“Shit.” He took another drink. “I wish it was that simple.”

“Never ran into anything yet that we couldn’t fix.”

“I’m not saying we can’t fix it. I’m saying it’s going to be a pain in the ass. I can assure you of that.”

“Care to elaborate?”

He nodded his head toward the shop door. “Notice that new paint on the front of the building?”

“Didn’t notice it. Smelled it when I came in, though. I wondered what you fuckers have been painting.”

“MS-13 tagged this fucking building. Cocksuckers have been going around tagging shit and claiming it. When the owners don’t give it up, they slaughter ‘em and take it. Then, they post up in it selling dope until they get run off. Their name isn’t on the lease, so they just leave and start fresh somewhere else.”

Southern California was littered with gangs, but none were as ruthless as MS-13. Basically, the Mexican drug cartels had sent their hitmen to Southern California to sell drugs and kill anyone who opposed them, women and children included. They were fearless and lived by no moral code.

My eyes slowly widened. “They’re heavy hitters. We sure this wasn’t just some kids dicking around?”

“That fucking cop that told us Tank was an ATF agent? The same prick that arrested me? Well, that asshole came by here while we were getting ready to paint over the graffiti, and he told us about MS-13 tagging places from Chula Vista to LA. Said if we didn’t move out, they’d slaughter us and our families just like they have in other cities.”

The MC had several members that talked a lot and did very little. There were also members that talked very little and were quick to volunteer to do the club’s dirty work.

I was one of those people.

I wasn’t about to sit back and let MS-13 – or anyone for that matter – threated the club, the men in it, or the families of the men I considered to be my brothers. “These are the same cocksuckers that kidnapped Cholo?”

He tilted the neck of his beer bottle toward me and gave a nod. “Same bunch.”

“We need to make a bold statement on this one, Boss.”

He exhaled heavily. “I’m well aware.”

“Whatever it is, I’m in.”

“I’m not asking you to be in on this, Meat. Hell, you just got out of jail. I’m just explaining--”

“Any time we’ve had to make a stand, I’ve volunteered,” I said boldly. “Why in the fuck would you think for one minute that I wouldn’t do so now?”

I took offense to his statement. I’d been involved in the club’s dirty work since earning my patch ten years prior. The only to two members who had more time in the club than me were Pee Bee and Crip.

“I didn’t say you wouldn’t. I said I didn’t expect you to.”

“Well, prepare for a fucking surprise, then. I’m in on this deal.”

“I’m planning on taking out however many of these pricks we can find, Meat. There’s a place over by the old ball diamond that they’re supposed to be using as a dope house. We’re going in, killing every last one of them, and beatin’ feet. I can’t have these pricks threatening my men.”

I finished my beer and then spread my arms wide. “I’m in.”

“Appreciate ya.”

“How many of them?”

“From what I hear, about ten.”

“How many of us going?”

“The six of us, plus whoever else will volunteer.”

“You going to be calling a meeting about this?”