Page 19 of Reckless

Chapter Five

GHOST

One Week Later

By seven thirty every morning, Church is running exactly as expected. Conversation ebbs around the table, coffee gets poured, and someone tells Deek to shut up, which he inevitably ignores.

Normal has a sound.

I have learned to listen for it.

Sin is already in his chair. A new dad with four hours’ sleep if he’s lucky.

Doesn’t change a damn thing.

He still owns the room before he opens his mouth.

Most people only see the president, but I catch the half second before he becomes him.

“He’s rocking a quality sleep deficit,” Deek observes, entirely without invitation, gesturing toward Sin with his coffee mug. “Classic new dad. I give it sixty more days before he loses the ability to form full sentences.”

“You know he can hear you?” Koa states.

“I know.” Deek doesn’t adjust his volume. “I want him to hear me. It’s a public service announcement. He should be aware of what’s coming for him.”

Sin lays both hands flat on the table, the movement slow enough that everyone in the room knows he’s choosing patience over violence.

“Moving on.” His eyes make one steady pass around the table. Sin flips the page on the folder in front of him. “Security?”

Bear glances down at his own notes. “North perimeter’s been quiet since we upgraded the cameras, but the east fence still needs another sensor. Motion picked up two coyotes this week.”

“Get it done.”

Bear nods once and makes a note.

Sin looks across the table. “Prospects?”

Anchor straightens almost automatically. “Kyle’s improving. Liam still needs work on the bikes.”

Deek snorts. “Liam needs work on everything.”

A few quiet laughs circle the table.

Sin doesn’t smile. “He’ll get there.” Nobody argues before he turns another page. “Supply run?”

Koa scratches the side of his jaw. “Steel supplier’s trying to bump prices again.”

“How much?”

“Eight percent.”

Sin scoffs out a laugh. “Find somebody who wants the business more.”

Koa nods. “I’ll start making calls.”

The meeting rolls on. There is nothing dramatic, nothing urgent, just the steady rhythm of the club taking care of the thousand little jobs nobody outside these walls ever thinks about.

Bear looks up from his notes. “The upstairs rotation stays in place?”