Page 412 of Devil’s Disciples

“He was pretty much my only friend,” I said. “That doesn’t mean I didn’t get frustrated with him. He did dumb stuff. He said dumb stuff. But, I knew it wasn’t really him. It was a drunken version of him. I’ve heard people say if you get a drunken asshole to sober up, you’re left with an asshole. Well, my father was a good guy. So, when he was drunk, he was a pretty good drunken guy.” I laughed. “Most of the time.”

“Sounds like you guys maintained a good relationship.”

“We did,” I said. “That’s the point I was going to make. We maintained a good relationship despite him making a butt-load of bad decisions. I’m not telling you what to do, but I’ll suggest that it’s been eighteen years. That’s a long, long time.”

“Not going to happen,” he said. “I’ve got my life, and they’ve got theirs. There’s no sense in me giving them a chance to do something to hurt me again.”

“So, if someone disrespects you, you’re done with them?”

“If someone does it repeatedly,” he said. “Absolutely. I write them off.”

I didn’t know his parents, and I couldn’t pretend to know the grief that they’d put him thorough. I could do my best to cause him to consider giving them a chance to make amends, though.

“Using that logic,” I reasoned. “I should just walk away from the club now.”

He sat up. “What are you talking about?”

“Not what,” I said. “Who.”

Then, at the same time, we both said his name.

“Cash.”

152

Goose

We were called to Baker’s office for an impromptu Monday morning meeting. While Reno, Tito, Cash and I were gathered around Baker’s desk, Ally admired the view from the third-floor window.

“I’ve cut each of you a check through the LLC.” Baker said as he began passing out envelopes. “I know the holidays are a few months past, but I called it a Holiday Bonus. Just keeping everything legit.”

Cash snatched his pocket knife from his jeans and cut the envelope open before Baker passed out the last one.

“Fifty g’s,” Cash said, slapping the check against his open palm. “That’s what I’m fucking talking about.”

I folded my envelope and put it in my back pocket.

“What’d you get?” Cash asked.

“I’m sure it’s the same as yours?”

“You ain’t gonna look at it?”

“I’ll see it when I take it to the bank.”

Dressed in jeans, sneakers and a tee shirt, Ally was seated along the window’s ledge, just taking it all in. With her hair in a ponytail and wearing her new choice of attire, she looked much different than she did in the dresses and sneakers that I ‘d become accustomed to.

Hell, she could wear anything and look good in it. As I watched her watching us, I felt that she was being ostracized. Sadly, the only person in the room that hadn’t accepted her was Cash.

He noticed me looking at her and glanced in her direction. “She better not get the same amount we did.”

I balled my fists. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

He looked me up and down quickly before giving me a dismissive wave of his hand. “You better grow up before you bow up, motherfucker.”

I puffed my chest and put my nose mere inches from his. “I mean it, Cash,” I said through my teeth. “I’m done with your bullshit.”

“Really, motherfucker? You’re going to let a bitch get between us?” he asked. “After all we’ve been—”