Cas
The morning of a brother’s wedding should be joyous, instead, I’m weighed down with anger and guilt. A dangerous combination. Parking up where I always do at the lakes, I swing my leg over my bike, and walk towards the water. I usually come here with Alannah, between her and the calmness of the water, they normally calm me in return. I haven’t been home since I overheard my wife’s betrayal, I don’t see any way to fix this today. She’ll be with Kyla, preparing for the ceremony and during the reception I’ll be expected to welcome the happy couple and join my brothers making Ricky’s day a day to remember.
I need calm even though my wife won’t be helping to achieve that right now.
Snatching the smoothest stone from the ground, I skim it along the water and it bounces off the surface five times, it’s a record for me. Such a small feat brings a smile to my face.
It’s shortly lived, the number Jameson gave me burns a hole in my pocket. The wedding is a happy distraction, but it won’t last past today. The club needs a direction they know and provides for them and their families.
Samuel Lopez isn’t the only option out there but he’s the only option on the table right now.
Pulling out his number, I put his digits into my phone and sigh as it rings and rings.
Just as I’m about to hang up, a deep American voice booms down the phone.
“Samuel Lopez?”
“Who’s asking?”
“Cas Jackson, President of the Lost Souls MC.”
“Ah, I was hoping you’d call. I am Samuel Lopez. Jameson told me he wasn’t sure if you would reach out to me.”
“He was too quick to jump to assumptions. My relationship with Denzel benefited us both and we worked side by side for many years.”
“I know all about that, let’s arrange a meet, as you can appreciate, I don’t like conducting business over the phone.”
“Name a time and place.”
“Tomorrow, noon, at the turn off before Willows Peak.”
The line goes dead and I slide the phone back in my pocket. Spying another smooth stone, I scoop it up and lob it across the water, this time, it bounces only twice before it sinks.
Arranging a meet with Lopez isn’t a bad choice, that comes if the meet doesn’t go well. But the way I see it, if the meet goes well, we’re back to making money. If it doesn’t, then we find another supplier and go from there.
My phone pings, and it’s a message from Sparky, wanting to know where I am, and that Alannah and Leo are at the club.
My own wife went behind my back, it doesn’t matter how I feel about Jacqueline, it wasn’t her call to make.
My cunt of a mother should never have showed up, she’s fucking everything up and I hate her more for it. However, she did come here, and I will be the one who chooses how it plays out and in my own time.
As I vowed to Oak, I’m going to focus on the club, so with that still the plan, I build the walls back up around my heart and set off back home.
After a quick shower and throwing on fresh clothes, I’m heading back out the door, ignoring the fact that the living room is still half empty of furniture after I went on a rampage and lock up behind me.
Arriving at the club, the decorations begin at the gates and trail off around the back of the bar and main house. I park in my spot and I’m met with Sparky hovering, waiting for me.
“Where have you been?” he asks.
“I was thinking and moving the club forward.”
“Oh yeah, and where are we going?”
“For starters, we’re going to a wedding today and tomorrow, we’re meeting with Samuel Lopez.”
His eyebrows shoot up and his mouth falls open.
“Since when?”
“Since I spoke with him a couple of hours ago and before you start, I don’t need a club vote to meet with him. We’ll decide how to proceed once we know more.”
I had to get it out before he began arguing with me. I’m the president and I will lead as I see fit.
“Hey!”
We both turn around and immediately my shoulders hunch up and Sparky stiffens for a brief moment before putting on his front of relaxation.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” he murmurs under his breath.
“Beats me, let’s find out.”
The prospects won’t let Robert in and his ramblings clearly show he’s drunk. Shoulder to shoulder, we head for the gates and Robert’s anger flares straight for us.
“Tell me whose responsible for killing my son,” he yells at us.
His suit is dishevelled, his shirt is hanging out of his pants and his tie is haphazardly loose around his neck.
“It was an accident,” I say.
“Yeah, so I heard…I want the men who were fucking around and caused the death of my son.”
“Technically not your son, but I’ll bite,” I grunt, “What happened to John was an accident. Go home and sleep off the drink, it isn’t helping you.”
“Not my son?” the guy spits, “He was my son, I raised that boy into the man he became, your friend, or brother, whatever, he wasn’t no daddy. He was a criminal, a drain on society, and now my boy has no future, just like the lot of you.”
For fuck sake, he had to go and drop that shit on us. Sparky is the most laidback one out of the two of us, he can dig deep and find the sincerity needed for the situation, but today, he isn’t digging for any.
Together, we grab an arm each and haul him away from the club. I feel for the guy in the sense he has lost a son, but that’s as far as it goes. I have no loyalty to him, I don’t know the first thing about him apart from him he’s a pain in my ass.
“I’m not giving you any names, what happened to John was an accident and one none of us will ever forget. You need to go home, and grieve with Shellie, she needs you.”
I don’t know if it is him she needs, but she needs something, and it sounds like the right thing to say.
Dropping to his knees, the tears start to fall, and he loses all composure before us.
“Maybe if we shoot him, we’ll put him out of his misery and we can move the fuck on,” I murmur to Sparky.
Raising his eyebrows, he stands next to me stunned into silence.
“What? It was only a suggestion,” I grunt.
“Seriously, what is going through your head these days? He’s a father who has lost his son and doesn’t know why. Have some heart, Cas.”
Have some heart? I don’t think so.
“Seeming as you’re all heart, you can deal with him. Get him out of here.”
With one last look down at Robert on the gravel, I feel nothing. Turning my back on the both of them, I head for the back of the clubhouse and get lost in the masses of brothers and guests. Kyla wanted the big white wedding and it looks like she’s getting it.