BRANDON
Another fucking meeting. I swore this club was beginning to turn into a goddamn corporation. Nathan called everyone into the room and began lecturing everyone on the few jobs we’d been running outside the cartel deal. The financial business went quickly as he tossed out envelopes to everyone for their cut in the latest drop. I pushed the fat envelope in my inside pocket and leaned back in my chair, letting Nathan blow off steam.
He was beginning to do that a lot lately. Just ramble on and on for no reason but to make himself look important. He went over the next job and pointed to me. “Brandon is the lead on this drop. It’s a long one. It’s gonna take a few days.”
“Days? Where we going? Mexico?” I laughed.
“Yeah, dipshit. You have to do the pickup just south of the border this time.”
I sat up straight in my hair. “You want us to cross the border with a truck full of fucking guns and blow?”
“Eduardo needs this favor. You go down there, stay for a few days, make nice with his crew, then they’ll load you up and send you north.”
“And get through border patrol with all that shit in the back?” Shark kicked me under the table, but I know he was thinking the same damn thing. “How many of the Soldiers are coming on this run?” I switched gears.
“None. This one is all ours.” Nathan didn’t look at me when he made that statement. He licked his lips a few times and looked around at the other members. “They’ll get a run later on without us tagging along.” He shrugged his shoulders and scratched his bearded chin. I looked over at Shark, who had the same expression as he had when he walked in the room.
“What about Aaron? What are you doing about him?” I pressed on.
“He’s a deserter. If anyone sees him, you drag his ass back here for reckoning.” Nathan stabbed his finger into the table. “Understood?”
“Deserter?” I scoffed. “Nathan, there’s no way-”
“I don’t want to hear another fucking word about it.” He slapped the table. “You leave this afternoon. Take Shark with you. Two others if you think you need it, but I would think the more you have the more trouble you’ll come into at the border.”
Before I could argue any further he slammed his gavel like some high handed judge and stalked out of the room. I glared at his back then turned to Shark.
“The border patrol is going to search that truck.” I jerked my thumb at the door where the rest of the members filed out of the room.
“Of course they are.” Shark nodded. “And there won’t be any Soldiers there. Just us.”
“What does that mean? Why would Nathan put his own members in danger like that?”
“I think he’s got something going with the cartel that he’s not telling us, or the Soldiers.”
“What do you want to do? You don’t need this run. I can take it.”
“Fuck that.” Shark glared at me. “I’ll be there with you. We’ll take one other guy and that’s it. This Eduardo better have a plan to get us through the patrol without getting busted.” He pushed back from the table and adjusted his kutte. “’Cause if I don’t make it back, Lacy will take her pregnant ass down there and start asking questions.” He paused a moment. “I need to go see her, let her know I’ll be gone a while. She’s not going to like it. I’m going to have to soothe her first.” He gave me a shit eating grin and a wink and headed out. “You might want to do the same,” he called as he walked through the clubhouse.
Hannah wouldn’t know to meet me. I tried shooting her a text, but she never responded. We only had another hour before we were to get in the truck and head out.
“Brandon.” Nathan walked up to my bike as I hopped on. “Listen, I need you to keep a clear mind when you're down there. Make sure Eduardo is happy with this run. It’s a big one, I know, and you'll be getting a big fucking piece of the pie. But don’t make a single move without his okay or mine. Got it?”
I snapped on my helmet and nodded. I tried to imagine the man I’d known for the last decade standing before me, but the image was lost in the mess of a man standing there now. The Nathan that patched me in, took Shark and me under his wing, he was no longer there. That Nathan was all about club, family, and community. This one, he only gave a fuck about money and getting the bigger score. Even if it meant putting his club in jeopardy.
“Does Eduardo know there won’t be any Soldiers with us?” I asked over the roar of my engine.
“Yeah, I told you, they get the next one.” His eyes shifted when he spoke and another shiver ran down my spine. Everything told me to get out of that run. Not to step foot on Mexican soil. But he was my president, and until I took my out, I didn’t have much choice. “Where you going anyway? If you’re going to make it close to the border by nightfall, you need to get your ass in gear.”
“Going to see my ma before we go. Need to drop off her rent. I’ll be back in an hour.” He didn’t look any more convinced about my lie than I did his, but we left it at that.