Chapter 4

Pheonix

“What the hell does all this mean for us?” Ricky, another brother asks as I go over the situation with Kenna and her dad.

“It means that she makes the call. I’ve looked into her. She’s a girl that really loves this city. I have no doubts that she will take it in the right direction but Ascher won’t let it go down that way. We all know how he is and havin’ a female runnin’ shit at his side isn’t him,” I explain. I watch the guys as they all sit around the table. A few look pissed and a few unsure. I knew it would be divided because not all of them are in the know of Vernon and they don’t know how to gauge all this.

“What about you? You okay with lettin’ somethin’ with a pussy reign with you?” Hearing the condescending tone in Micky’s voice grates on my last nerve. I can’t deal with his bullshit today of all fucking days.

“I think we all know that my line of thinkin’ is a little different than some clubs. All of you have been with me long enough to see that, yeah? Anyone with a brain can stand beside me. Havin’ a pussy between her legs is a plus.” Leo snorts and chuckles next to me knowing exactly what I mean. My father didn’t raise me to hate women like some clubs. He didn’t teach me that they are the lesser of the two and aside from the girls that we run for prostitution, I don’t treat them any different. Hell, even those girls do it by choice and are taken care of.

“I don’t like the idea. What the fuck is next? Pink frilly signs out front? We’re fuckin’ drug dealers, Prez!” Rolling my head back and forth, I try to work out the tension again, before I pound this assholes face in.

“You said it. I’m the fuckin’ Prez. Not you! This takeover is happenin’ either way you look at it! Would you rather be runnin’ under Ascher? That’s what the fuck this comes down to. Me or him! I for one am not sittin’ back and watchin’ this son of a bitch take what we’ve worked our asses off to build. You wanna walk, Micky? Drop the motherfuckin’ cut at the door!” Turning on my heel I storm from the office needing some air. I need space and time to think. I don’t like the idea of Ascher running anything around here. I know how he is. I know what he thinks. He will tear this city apart for his own wellbeing and to hell with the people that live here. I won’t let that happen. I won’t push Kenna into something she isn’t comfortable with either. That’s not my style.

As soon as I light up my cigarette, Leo comes to stand next to me.

“You should vote that little bastard out, brother. Can’t stand his ass,” he grumbles next to me.

“Fuck him. Poor bastard’s just jealous he’ll never amount to shit around here. He’s lucky I let his ass sit in on meetin’s as it is.” Taking another long hit, I close my eyes and lean my back onto the brick wall behind me.

“I think you’re headin’ in a good direction, Phoenix. Never doubted you before and I sure as hell don’t plan to now.”

“And that’s why you’re my fuckin’ VP, Leo,” I tell him with a chuckle. We both grow silent as we let all the information seep into us. I can’t force that girl to choose me, but I can sure as hell show her I’m better than my brother is. That’s the goal in all of this.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

The sound is one we haven’t heard in a while. Gun shots. My eyes snap open, my senses go on high alert. My hand reaches behind me without my thinking and pulls my gun. I scan the area when more shots are fired, one narrowly missing my head. I should have seen this coming. I should have known that bastard would start a war. He was never one to lay down and let shit happen, but neither am I.

“Fuck!” I roar when I see the assholes shooting. A dark blue van with the side door open and I see pricks wearing ski masks, so I can’t see who the fuck they are. Useless little fucks. If I want to fire on someone they will damn sure know it’s me doing the shooting. I fire back as Leo and I both move to get cover but unlike him, I move forward. Adrenaline courses through my veins as I rush the goddamn van.

“Call out, Prez!” I hear Lynch, our enforcer screaming for me to answer. Fuck him. I’m in my zone. The faster I run, the faster the van speeds up. I continue firing until I can’t see the fuckers anymore. Typical fucking drive-by which makes me believe it wasn’t another MC. Not many will cover their faces like that and we sure as fuck don’t hide in the cover of a van. We go out on our bikes and handle business.

“Call out, Prez!” One more time Lynch hollers.

“Yeah! I’m good!” I stuff my gun back onto the back of my jeans and stand to full height. I didn’t see any cuts. They were in a van. Those same thoughts keep rushing my mind.

“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” Leo asks out of breath stepping up next to me.

“You thinkin’ Ascher sent them?” Glancing over at Leo, he nods.

“Yeah.”

“Then, yeah. Didn’t see any cuts. If they were a rival they didn’t wear them. Fuck, Leo!” Scrubbing my hand down my face, I turn to see the rest of the guys standing behind us. I knew they’d come as soon as they heard the shots, but this is what I’m talking about. Stalking toward them, murderously I stop in front of Micky.

“That shit,” I thunder pointing over my shoulder, “is that shit what you want runnin’ this city? You want to have shoot outs on our goddamn streets?” My hands ball into fists at my sides. My body is coiled too tightly to calm down without hitting something or someone. I need a good fight. I need to take this out on someone.

“Too many people are tryin’ to run this city! Too many have their hand in the goddamn pot. I would have never thought that a takeover would be the way to end this shit, but I see it clearly now. This is the only fuckin’ option. We need this!”

I storm past the guys and head straight into the clubhouse. I only stop long enough to grab a beer and then head down to the surveillance room. Lucky sits inside at his desk already doing his thing.

“Gimme a bit, Prez. No plates that I can see but I’ll get you somethin’,” he says looking over his shoulder quickly at me. I watch him do his thing, his fingers moving over the keyboard like an expert. I guess in a way, Lucky is an expert. Computer hacker looking for a second chance when he got out of prison. My dad took him in and the bastard has been here ever since. Lucky’s an old man but his knowledge is what keeps him young.

“Just a little longer,” he says keeping his eyes on that screen.

I nod and take a long pull from my beer when my phone rings. Sliding it out, I snap.

“What?”

“Is that anyway to greet a lady?”

“Who the hell is this?” My nerves are shot from that little stunt and now an unknown number and female? Yeah, I need to get fucked. And soon.

“Kenna Vernon.”

Well, fuck.