Chapter Eight

Mick

If I hadn’t been sure about my feelings for Talon before, charging into her house and seeing one of the prospects holding her while Toro got ready to hit her again had brought it all home to me. She meant everything to me, and I had come close to killing a member of my club for her. That was scary shit, but not as scary as what they would have done if I’d gone straight to the clubhouse as I planned. “Darlin’, tell me you’re all right. Please.”

She cupped my jaw more lovingly than I deserved. “I’m shaken up and in pain but okay. They aren’t why I called, though.” Slowly she rose from the sofa, and I followed her down the hall where the bedrooms were located.

“What’s going on? I need to get out of here because some serious shit is going down tonight.” I didn’t mean to be an asshole after what happened to her, but we finally had the evidence we needed to present to the club.

“Trust me,” she said, and I wanted to yell and scream, to go fuck someone up because one silver eye had started to swell and the other had blood creeping in.

“I do.”

I guess that satisfied her because she moved that ugly ass beanbag chair that Magnus loved and pressed on the wall until it popped open. “All clear,” she groaned and stepped back.

Dagger stepped out looking like he’d been on the losing end of a beat down. “Holy shit, brother, what happened to you?”

“Toro and Wags,” he groaned as he stood, leaning on Talon who’d moved in to assist him to the bed. “They’re into some bad shit.”

“Yeah, I know. You showed up just in time for Church tonight.”

He grinned, but I could see how much pain he was in. “Your girl patched me up. Magnus has a kid, what a kick.” Then his gaze finally settled on her again. “What the fuck happened?”

“Your buddies wanted to come in and look for you. I said no.”

“Shit, Talon, I’m sorry.” He looked so full of regret that any anger I had about him not helping vanished. “I didn’t hear shit.”

“Thick walls,” she said and left the room, returning moments later with a bottle of water and her phone. “Can I let Trudy know you’re alive and well? She’s worried sick.”

“No,” he barked angrily. “When this is all over I’ll get home to her.” His voice softened. “She’ll try to come to me now, and it’s not safe.”

“Fine. There’s a truck in the garage, but I’m guessing you know that,” she said to me, her eyes no longer full of light and happiness.

I hated that this shit had touched her so closely, too fucking closely. “I do,” I finally answered and leaned down to press a kiss to her mouth. “I’m sorry this happened, but I swear I’ll make it up to you.” I took her mouth again because I couldn’t help it. Because she was everything to me. Because I could. “You truly are something special.”

She grinned and winced, placing a hand against her bruised and swollen face. “I’m glad you think so, Mick, because I’m sure.” She looked up at me, and what I could see of her silver eyes sparkled with love. I just hoped I could be worthy of a woman like her.

“Good to know.” I kissed her again, this time longer and hotter, full of meaning before stepping back and helping Dagger to the garage. “Talon?” I turned to where she stood in the doorway.

“Yeah?”

“I love you, too.”

She smiled, and her skin flushed prettily. “Be safe, guys. Come back to me, Mick.”

“Always.” I meant those words with everything inside of me. I would get the club back on the right track and then I’d come back to my woman and make her mine.

***

“You sure you want to do this, Mick?”

I looked at my President, my leader, and gave him a sharp nod. I more than wanted to do this, I needed to do this shit. “Fuck yeah, I’m sure. You saw what they did to Dagger, and you saw the footage, not to mention what they did to Talon.” Then a thought occurred to me. “Are you cool with them going behind your back to do this shit? Pocketing a shit ton of cash that should go to the club?”

His expression darkened, but when he answered with a short, “No,” relief flooded my body.

I knew I was being a prick and letting my mouth run away, but Rod didn’t seem to get how bad this was for him. For all of us really, but the challenge of his leadership could be dangerous for him. “If this shit comes back, it’ll be on the club not just Toro and Wags. I don’t want Talon or Minx or anyone’s ol’ ladies to pay for their shit. They pay enough for ours.”

“Yeah, yeah. I got it, Mick, and I’m with you. Let’s do this shit.” He clapped my back and slid open the doors of the Church of CAOS. It’s where we held all of our important meetings, voted on club matters from stripping members of their tags to removing tattoos and welcoming new prospects. For us this room was as sacred as any other church.

Roddick took his seat at the head of the table and removed the bandana that kept his black hair tied back. The silver outlaw gavel in his hand as he looked at the men already assembled. The empty seats belonged to the traitors whose fates we would decide tonight.

Toro and Wags strolled in, all smiles despite the ass kicking they took earlier. I looked forward to taking these motherfuckers down. Especially the prick who’d laid hands on Talon. “Looks like the gang’s all here.” He smirked and took his seat to Rod’s right.

“Sit down!” Rod’s bark echoed in the room, drawing the attention of everyone. Those still standing sat except Toro. Defiant to the fucking end.

Toro finally sat, leaning back in a casual stance that underscored the tension in his face. “Is this ‘cause Mick got his panties in bunch? You can’t blame me for wanting a piece of that fine ass. Would’ve gotten it too if you weren’t such a pussy.”

“Big talk for a man who got his face bashed in. Didn’t realize rape was a part of CAOS these days,” I spat and let the room absorb those words. “I got the bruises you put on her as proof. Want to deny it so we can settle this outside?”

He paled, but the bastard refused to back down. “Anytime.”

“Enough,” Rod growled, his patience obviously at its breaking point. “Church is now is session. We need to talk about some of the rumors I’ve been hearing and frankly I don’t fucking like.” He outlined the basics, that club members are providing unsanctioned protection for shit we don’t deal in.

“Probably just a few assholes jealous because they’re broke.” Toro grinned, but I could see the lines tightening around his eyes and mouth.

Rod looked him head on. “So, you’re telling me that you aren’t one of the men providing protection so the Mexican Devils can get drugs across the border? What about the Aces & Spades? The Star Fuckers?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You have something to say, say it.”

Rod nodded and looked around the room. “Does every voting member in the room know the penalty for stealing money from the club?”

Everyone nodded because we all fucking knew.

“And double dealing,” Rod added with a glare.

We all nodded again.

“And what about going against the club?”

We all banged against the table knowing that the penalty for that particular sin was a date with the Outlaw.

“Good. Then let’s get down to business.” The flat screen on the wall flickered on, and the grainy video footage Cash and I shot began to play. After a few grumbles the room fell silent, watching Toro shake hands with Lazarus, take cash from Lazarus, and lead him and his men to a safe house that belonged to the Star Fuckers.

“This is bullshit!” Toro stood and banged his hands on the table in fake ass outrage. He marched to the door but found two prospects standing guard and turned back to Roddick. “You know I wouldn’t do that.”

Yeah, that fucker was afraid now.

Rod stood up, every fucking inch the battle-hardened President he was. We needed. “I thought that too, but then I spoke to Lazarus. And Dante and Xiao. They all told me about these deals they thought were brokered with my okay. Funny, Toro, I don’t recall any of these fucking deals.”

Toro paled while Rocky and Wagman remained silent. No one knew who else was involved yet, and those assholes kept their mouths shut. “We did the heavy lifting, so we earned that money,” he shot back, full of defiance.

Rod stared him down for a long moment, probably thinking of all the shit they’d been through together. Those two had been around for decades, had each other’s backs for a long time, and this kind of betrayal had to sting. He banged the Outlaw gavel five times in honor of the five founding members. “Call to a vote on VP Toro for stealing club funds. For brokering deals against club interests. For killing a fellow Outlaw.”

“I did not kill Magnus!” The fear in his eyes told me that’s exactly what he’d done, but my guess is, he had the prospect do it.

“Really, because I have three affidavits that say you did.” Rod’s gaze never left Toro’s, whose own gaze flickered to two of his accomplices. “Vote on expulsion, Dagger.”

“Aye.” His palms banged forcefully on the table.

“Vote, Mick,” Rod spoke with steely determination.

“Aye.”

“Vote, Baz.”

“Aye.”

“Vote, Torch.”

“Aye, motherfucker!” Our enforcer was a crazy bastard, and he’d be the one to administer CAOS justice if it came to that.

“Aye,” Rod said forcefully. “Toro expelled from CAOS. Torch, get the gun.”

Wild eyes looked around the room. “You haven’t voted on that yet!”

Rod smiled, but there was no amusement there. “No. First, we get rid of your ink, and then we decide if you meet the Outlaw.”

I stood toe to toe with Toro and cut off his VP patch, tossing it on the table while Dagger removed his cut. It gave me great pleasure to be the one to strip that bastard of his title. Of his club. “Prospect, take him to the south building,” I said with a grin.

“Now we vote again,” Rod said, and we went through the same thing with Wagman and then Rocky. “It’s unanimous, Rocky and Wagman expelled from CAOS.”

Every remaining member banged their hands on the table, all shouting, “Outlaw! Outlaw!”

Rod stood and looked around the room while they were escorted to the south building along with the prospect who helped them. “Now we vote on Outlaw or Mercy for our former members.” Everyone quieted and turned to Rod because this vote was a big fucking deal. The Outlaw vote was rare, even in a club full of outlaws. We were all former military and we knew loyalty, had it drilled into us from an early age. All capable of taking a life, we tried hard not to. “Mercy vote.”

A quick glance around the room told me what I suspected. Toro’s crimes were too heinous to warrant mercy. No hands were in the air.

“Outlaw vote.”

One hand went up and the others pounded a fist on the table, all the way around the fucking table. “Toro meets the Outlaw,” Rod said with a grin.

Torch, the crazy motherfucker that he was, brought out two bottles of the good shit. Whiskey bottles were passed around, the mood somber and jubilant. We hated that any CAOS member had to meet the Outlaw, but we were all happy to get rid of the toxic parts of the club. “We ain’t leaving ‘til the bottles are empty,” he yelled and let out his signature howl.

“Looks like we have a few seats to fill,” Rod said, calling attention back to Church. We were down one prospect, but there were plenty of men on the other side of that door we could trust to be loyal and honest. Who’d been to battle with us and come out the other side. “Mick, I want you as my VP, all in favor.”

Everyone was on board, but I looked to Dagger who didn’t seem to have a problem with it. “I’m happy with my weapons.” He grinned, his smile streaked with filth and blood.

I grinned back, still smiling like a giddy teenager when Torch removed my Treasurer patch and gave me the VP patch. “Congrats, brother.”

“Thanks.”

“Get Cash in here,” Roddick ordered when we voted him in as club Secretary. “Rich, too,” he said of our newest Road Captain.

I smiled, looking around the table at our newly assembled club, whole and happy. We had a long night ahead of us, and though I was instrumental in everything that would happen before the sun came up, all I really wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed with Talon.