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Just letting you know that there hasn’t been any word yet.

Me:

What about Prez?

After Mercy and I went through the surveillance footage, we called Prez and told him what had happened. He’d agreed that this wasn’t random. A tag like the one we found was anything but. Someone wanted us to know they could get close, and it bothered me more than I cared to admit.

Them thinking they could get away with this shit had me wanting blood, and something told me I’d have it. Mercy and I had been putting some feelers out, quietly checking around to see if anyone had heard about a possible uprising with the Vipers. Prez had done the same.

There had been a couple of rumors here and there, but so far, nothing concrete. In my experience, silence wasn’t a good thing. It usually meant something was coming, and whoever was behind it was trying their damnedest to make sure no one knew what they were planning.

Mercy:

He’s working on something.

Haven’t heard back from him yet.

Me:

Let me know when you do.

Mercy:

You know I will.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket as I grumbled curses under my breath. I didn’t like this shit. I didn’t like it one damn bit. It made me want to march over to those fucking Vipers and ask straight out what the fuck they were thinking by tagging Fury’s garage.

Prez had just taken two bullets for some bullshit with the Coyotes. He’d barely given himself enough time to heal, and now he was thrown back into more. Not that he’d ever complain. Hell, he lived for this shit, and truth be known, he would have to be carried out of the clubhouse on a stretcher before he’d ever admit he needed to slow down.

I’d get back with Mercy later tonight at the clubhouse.

Maybe Prez would have something by then.

I looked across the arcade, and Sam was still playing hoops with Jack and Miles, and Reese was still with Peyton, collecting her tickets. They were both laughing and carrying on. They were happy, and that made me happy. Didn’t mean I wanted to be there any longer than I had to be.

I checked the time, and we still had an hour or so to go. The gathering wasn’t until later, and knowing how they loved going to the clubhouse, I’d planned on taking the kids with me. But Reese was already tiring out, and I wasn’t sure that was the best idea anymore.

She’d been up early. They both had, and they’d spent the afternoon filling their stomachs with pizza and sugar. It was only a matter of time before it caught up with them, and I had no desire to drag two exhausted kids into a clubhouse full of bikers, booze, and bonfires.

It was a recipe for disaster, so I pulled out my phone again and pulled up Katie’s contact information. She was a sophomore in high school who lived a few houses down from me, and she was their favorite babysitter. We’d been using her since Reese could walk and considered her family.

I texted her to ask if she was free to babysit, and to my relief, she was available. I put my phone back in my pocket and went back to watching the kids. Reese snapped at Peyton about dropping her tickets, and I knew then I’d made the right call. They’d had a full day, and if I was being honest, I needed a bit of a break, even if it was just for a few hours.

Sam moved to a different game, and Reese and Peyton picked a spot on the floor and sorted through their piles of tickets, making plans for what they were going to get from the prize shop. For a few minutes, everything felt normal. I liked normal. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much of it.

Lately, it seemed like every time I thought I had a handle on things, something would come along to remind me that I didn’t, including a certain redhead who’d stormed out of my house with a fiery look in her eyes. I pushed the thought away. Tonight wasn’t about her.

It was about Prez.

It was about the club.

Nothing else.

After the party, the kids both crashed on the sofa and were zoned out the entire time I was getting ready. I was pleased that they weren’t too torn up over me getting Katie to stay with them, especially when I told them they could order takeout and watch movies.

As soon as Katie showed up, I gave her some cash for dinner, and after laying some ground rules with the kids, I slipped out and left her to it. I might’ve felt guilty about leaving them if they hadn’t looked so damn tired. Hell, Reese looked like she’d be out before eight, and Sam didn’t look like he’d make it much longer. Regardless, I would check in with Katie throughout the night to make sure they were making it okay.

When I got to the clubhouse, several of the guys had already started to gather out in the back, and they were shouting out their critiques as they watched a few of the prospects build the bonfire. I walked over just as Prez grumbled, “It’s ridiculous.”