Chapter Four
Several days later the sun was shining outside, and the heat was gracing them with its presence for the first time in what felt like weeks. Eva, Lexie, and the men were arranging the tables outside to welcome Gash into the fold. Nash, Steven, and Whizz were going to get Gash from the prison.
Glancing over the door, Eva saw Angel standing on a chair with Lash holding onto her waist as she started to pin up the welcome home sign.
“It’s looking good.” Eva held her thumbs up for the couple to know she was talking to them. All the kids were inside the play area Tiny had built in the compound. Tate was looking over them. She wasn’t too traumatized by what happened, and Murphy kept a close eye on her.
“Right, we’ve just got the food to bring out when it’s ready,” Lexie said.
“No, I’ve got to bring the booze out. The guys are going to want their drinks. Also, we need to fill the main room with balloons. Nash’s orders and he got them approved by Tiny. I don’t know what it is with the balloons, but I’m not going to argue with him.” Running fingers through her hair, Eva walked back into the clubhouse. Tiny was going over some figures while he sat at the bar.
She’d not been to bed with him for two days, not since he’d lied to her.
Approaching him, she glanced over his shoulder to see all the numbers he was looking over.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Eva wasn’t jealous of his first wife, far from it. She knew his first marriage wasn’t as perfect as people thought.
“I’m fine. Is Tate okay?”
“She will be. She’s getting stronger every day.”
“I’m starting to think she’s not cut out to be an old lady.”
“The club takes a lot of getting used to. Tate’s been through a lot. She’s expecting her second child. Please, Tiny, give her a chance.”
He shook his head. “It’s not just about dealing with the everyday crap. I don’t believe she’s cut out to be this kind of person. She’s nothing like you or some of the other women.”
“You can’t cut her off.”
“I’m not going to cut her off, Eva. She’s my daughter.”
“Where is all of this going? Why would you be thinking about Tate in my role?”
Tiny shrugged. “I’m not going to be the president of The Skulls forever. I know my time is coming to an end. I’m just thinking of the future.”
She chuckled. “It’s going to be some time yet.”
“Even so. I’m old, baby. I’ve got to start preparing for the future. I don’t want to be riding my bike and dealing with this shit into my seventies.”
“It’s over twenty years away.” She made to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her go.
“No, it’s not that long, Eva. You think it’s that long, but time goes by so fast. Before we know it I’m going to be seventy, and I don’t want to spend my days riding and dealing with shit.” He spun in his chair and pulled her closer to him. “I want to be with you. Loving you, spending my time with you.”
“Are you trying to suck up to me?” she asked.
“No. I’m trying to let you know that no matter how much I disappoint you, I’ll always love you, no matter what. I’m sorry for lying to you. I just can’t stand the fact you’re scared. It pisses me off.”
Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s okay. You can make it up to me later.” She leaned in, kissing his lips. “I love you, Tiny, and I’m sorry for being a bitch.”
He gripped her ass, squeezing her flesh. “Love you, too, baby.”
Reluctantly she pulled away from him to go searching through the cupboards for all the alcohol. She found a trolley to load up so she could have drinks all around the compound.
“It’s hard to be happy and sad at the same time,” Lexie said, coming to join her. For once the other woman didn’t have a child on her hip. That had been two occasions she’d seen Lexie without a child, and it was nice.
“What do you mean?” Eva asked, adding another bottle of scotch to the selection.
“We’re all celebrating the return of a brother who was falsely incarcerated, but we’re all still on guard. I wonder if we’ll ever be able to simply have a get-together that doesn’t involve pain, death, or fear.” Lexie held onto the trolley handle as Eva placed the last bottle to take into the garden.
“I know what you mean. It sucks, but at least we’re all still here.” They passed Sasha and Pussy on the way into the garden. The couple was cute, and it was shocking to see Pussy utterly devoted to one woman. “I wonder how long they will last.”
“They’re going to last a lifetime,” Lexie said. “He fought Devil to keep her.”
“Why didn’t Devil want them together?”
“She’s blind, and he saw her as a problem seeing as she couldn’t take care of herself. Pussy has given her more independence than any of her family. She’s doing great, flourishing. I had to convince Devil to leave them alone.”
Placing the bottles into the cooler, Eva found it strange.
“Oh, well. Men don’t really understand true love until they live through it.” Eva finished with the bottles and started taking the trolley back into the clubhouse.
“I’ve learned a lot about Devil over the last few years. He rarely allows any man into the club who can’t take care of themselves. It means a lot to him to have them on his side.” Lexie tucked some hair behind her ear. The brown locks glistened in the sun.
Tiny and Devil were totally different considering they were both presidents of MCs. Whizz was their problem at the moment. The brother could barely take care of himself, let alone support the club in a fight. What Whizz failed with his personal problems, he more than made up for with his computer skills. Whenever Tiny or the club had a problem, Whizz delivered. They could rely on him behind the scenes, which at the moment was the best place for him. He was The Skulls’ most valuable asset. Tiny wouldn’t allow anything to happen to the brother. Whizz was part of all of them, and no one would ever vote him out.
“Have I shocked you?” Lexie asked.
“No, not really. Devil never struck me as the kind of man with patience.”
Alex grabbed her arm. “Can I borrow you?”
Looking at Lexie, Eva was about to open her mouth when Alex tugged her away. “Hey, Alex. I was talking. You’re being very fucking rude.”
He didn’t stop until he escorted her through to his room. Alex led the way to his room where Tiny wouldn’t see them. She wasn’t afraid. Alex wouldn’t hurt her. They were friends before the club.
“What the hell is going on? You’ve never acted like this before.”
“Butch is the one who fucked up Patricia’s grave.”
She gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth.
He placed a hand over her mouth. “He did it at the order of Gonzalez.”
“Butch is working for Gonzalez?”
“Yes and no.”
Frowning, she dropped her hands and pushed him away. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You’re not making any sense.”
“I’ve got it all under control. I’m the one who sent him undercover.”
“What?” None of this was making any sense to her. Tiny had already told her all of this. She didn’t know how much she was supposed to know or what Tiny had told Alex. “You’re putting Butch in danger.”
“The club is in danger. Gonzalez is not predictable, and he’s going to put us all in danger. One man is better than the whole club.”
She stared into his eyes. Eva had known Alex long enough to know when he was lying.
“This isn’t about you or the club. This is about your son, Matthew. You’re doing all of this to protect him.”
He dropped his gaze from her.
“Does Tiny know?”
“Yes, he knows, but he doesn’t want anyone else to know what we’re doing.”
Why is Alex coming to me?
“Why are you telling me?” She knew what Tiny was trying to do, even if his plan did unnerve her a little.
“Because I don’t know if Tiny knows what he’s doing and I’ve got a son to protect.”
“Tiny has the interest of the club before anyone else. You should never doubt him.” She shoved him in the chest. There was no way she’d let Alex get away with doubting her man. “He’s been president of this club for a long time, a lot longer than you’ve ever given a shit about them. You stayed away in Vegas, involved in your casino. Don’t you fucking dare try to divide loyalty! Tiny knows this club better than most.”
She turned to grab the door handle. Alex gripped her elbow.
“I’m not trying to divide fucking loyalty, Eva. Devil and his crew, that’s Tiny’s weakness. He trusts Devil, and he shouldn’t.”
Resting her head against the door, she let out a sigh. “Devil and his crew have been there for us in the past.”
“They brought this mess to us. We shouldn’t be contemplating losing men or women, let alone children.”
She saw the fear in his eyes. Never in all the time she’d known Alex had she ever seen fear. He was a man who took risks and didn’t care about the consequences of what he was doing. This man before her was not just a man, he was a scared father.
“You’ve got to stop panicking and start to put your shit together,” she said.
He ran fingers through his hair. Pity filled her at seeing the conflict in his eyes. He was lashing out without even thinking.
“I can’t handle this. He’s just a boy.”
“Then you know exactly how we’ve all felt the last few years. You don’t think I’m terrified about what happens to Miles and Tabitha? They’re my world, and yet I’m part of a world that could have them taken from me.” She stopped as tears filled her eyes. “The panic will come along with the fear. You’ve got to learn to trust Tiny. He’s gotten us all out of trouble so far. Trust him, and Matthew will be fine.”
She opened the door and left him alone.
Without stopping, she went to Tiny and grabbed his hand. “We need to talk.”
“I’m busy, baby. I want to get these numbers done before Gash arrives.”
Eva didn’t give him the chance of turning her down. She grabbed the paperwork and threw it over the counter. “There, the work is done.” Taking hold of his hand, she led him into the office. The club was snickering as she led him back to the main office. Closing and locking the door she turned on him and shoved him hard in the chest. “Are you fucking insane?”
“Baby? What?”
“Butch, him risking his fucking life and doing that shit to Patricia’s grave and you didn’t even tell me?” She placed hands on her hips and glared at him. Eva was so fucking angry, she was ready to hurt him.
Her body shook with anger.
“Who the fuck told you about Patricia?”
“Alex. Don’t you fucking dare!” She pushed at his chest when he made to pass her. “You’re not going to take any shit out on him. You’re the one at fault here, you, not Alex. You’re my husband, the one responsible for keeping me up to date on all the shit you’ve got planned, not him.”
“It’s club business. He had no right to tell you.”
“So I’m not club business?” she asked, yelling. She didn’t give a fuck who was listening to them. “I’m not an old lady? I’m the one who has to look at Butch’s wife when he’s fucking murdered because you kept me in the goddamned dark!”
“Eva.” He held onto her shoulders, and she shook him off.
“No, you don’t get to Eva me and try to shut me up. You’re in the fucking wrong. I’m your old lady, Tiny. I’m your fucking wife. I knew you were doing this shit with Butch, but this, it’s going to get him killed. What are you doing to do when Gonzalez asks him to do more? How far do you want Butch to go? Desecrating Patricia’s grave is fucking mild for Gonzalez, considering he was more than happy to give the order of cutting off a woman’s head. Butch doesn’t even know you’re in on it. Alex doesn’t even know that I fucking know what’s going on. This is bad news.” She slapped his chest, feeling the tears fall down her cheeks. “You lost the right to treat me like a whore when you put a ring on my finger and twins inside me.” She stopped, licking her lips. “You should have told me everything. How can I help you if you’re only ever giving me half of it? This isn’t going to work.”
Laying a hand against his chest, she felt the pounding within her head. This thing with Butch was getting complicated, and if Tiny wasn’t careful, it was going to bite him in the ass.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I don’t want to worry you. I never want to worry you. This is my business, and I’m risking his life—”
“Getting information from Gonzalez is a lot different than acting like a pet. Butch is nothing more than Gonzalez’s pet. It’s going to get him killed, Tiny. It’s dangerous.”
He didn’t drop his gaze from hers. “I’m doing what’s good for the club. This is our only way of getting to him from the inside. Butch acting like this has helped us stop something else.”
“What else could it have stopped?” she asked, opening her arms wide. She didn’t know what else to expect from him.
“Butch found out that a cop on the force within Fort Wills was going to start another raid on the clubhouse. We’re all in lockdown. All of us would have ended up in jail.”
“How did you stop it?” she asked. They hadn’t been woken up in the middle of the night to a raid. There had to be something Tiny and The Skulls had done.
“He’s dead,” Tiny said, whispering the words against her ear. “Whizz dealt with his car. The bastard was travelling to the city and didn’t gain control. He veered off the road connecting with a tree. We took him out.”
“Did this cop have any family?”
“No, he wasn’t even a local to Fort Wills. He was nothing but a mole put in to work for Gonzalez.”
“And him dying in his car didn’t lead anyone to you?”
“No. Butch may hit out at us, but he’s doing it to help us. I hate this as much as you do, but it’s going to work.”
“I like Cheryl. She’s good for Butch and a brilliant mother to Matthew. There are two men in the club affected by her, Tiny. She may not be anything to Alex, but she’s still the mother to his son. Two men who could be affected by any decision you make. The women are my responsibility. I can keep my shit together, but I need to know the whole truth of what’s going on. Don’t keep little pieces away from me.”
“I won’t keep anything else away from you. I’m sorry.”
She pulled out of his arms, needing the space. “You’ve got to share this stuff with me, Tiny. The club is part of you, and so it’s part of me. Please, share this with me.”
“I will.”
“What else do I need to know?” she asked.
“Nothing. I promise. I’m not keeping anything from you.”
Reaching out, she touched his cheek. “I know you’re trying to protect me. I’m telling you to stop. You don’t need to protect me, Tiny. I can take care of myself without your help.”
He took hold of her hand, drawing her knuckles to his lips. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“You’ve got to be careful. Alex thinks your friendship with Devil is going to cost you dearly. I’d watch your back around Alex until this blows over. He’s more concerned about his son than anything else. I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”
“I will.”
Stepping closer, she placed a kiss to his lips. “Tonight?”
“You’re back in my bed?”
“Yes, I’m back. Don’t give me a reason to leave it again.” She licked his lips, and he opened up for her to deepen the kiss. His hands moved around to her ass, drawing her close. The length of his cock pressed against her stomach, making her moan. “I need you now,” he said.
“We don’t have time.” Pulling away, she smiled at him.
“You sure you don’t want me to take care of your needs?” His gaze was on her breasts.
“All you think about is sex.”
“It’s not the only thing I think about, but when I’m around you, it’s all I can think about.”
Laughing, she left the room, feeling happier than ever before. She made her way out to the compound where the tables were set.
She spotted Devil and Lexie with their heads together talking. The seriousness on Devil’s face alarmed Eva. When he glanced over at her, she made sure to make herself busy. Checking the time she started to fire up the coals for the barbeque. Within the next half an hour, Gash would be arriving, and she didn’t want to have him waiting around for food.
“Hey,” Lexie said, approaching her.
“Hey. Is everything okay?” Eva asked.
Don’t give anything away.
“Club stuff. Devil’s always worrying about something.”
Glancing up, she saw Devil talking on the phone. She didn’t like the way the two clubs were going. Between Alex and Devil’s suspicions they could tear apart the bond the Chaos Bleeds crew and The Skulls had formed in the last few years. She liked the crew, but The Skulls would always be her home.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” Eva asked.
“Yeah, Devil’s missing home. He wants Gonzalez taken care of as much as you do.”
Something wasn’t right, but Eva didn’t have a clue what to do about it. Her gut was telling her that Devil was going to cut away from them and get this done on his own.
Running fingers through her hair, she went to talk about her fears with Lexie. Before she got a single word out, the commotion of the men returning cut off all conversation.
“We’re back, and we’ve brought him home,” Nash said, yelling for all to hear.
Pushing the troubled thoughts to the back of her mind, she entered the clubhouse to greet their new arrival.
****
Tiny laughed as Gash lifted Tabitha up easily. Considering the guy had been in jail for the last five years he was looking good. It had been too long since he saw the other man. The anger wasn’t present in his eyes as he swung Tabitha in the air. Miles was next in line. The children were flocking toward him as if he was some kind of light and they were moths.
“Fuck me, I turn my back a moment and you’re all breeding like rabbits,” Gash said.
“This is my woman.” Tiny tugged Eva to his side.
“Finally, you decided to lay claim to her. I thought I was going to die before you laid claim to this peach.” Gash pulled Eva into a hug. “Lovely to see you again, darlin’.”
Eva chuckled. “You’re a charmer like always.” She took Tabitha out of his arms. Miles was next, and Tiny moved away while Lash introduced Angel to Gash.
“Well, I never thought I’d see the day I’d have an angel in my midst. Hey, baby, this bastard treating you well?”
“He’s treating me how he knows best.” Angel shook Gash’s hand. Tiny tensed as Gash pulled her in for a hug and kissed her on the lips. Lash tensed, but Angel pulled back, looking startled.
“Keep your hands and lips to yourself, Gash. I don’t want to beat the shit out of you before you get settled back at home,” Lash said, pulling his woman to his side.
“Sorry, I’ve got to get as much action in as possible.”
Tiny stared at Angel. There was a time when she’d be terrified of such attention whereas now she looked more taken aback than scared. Her hands were steady as she tucked some of her blonde hair behind her ear. He’d never seen her look so calm and relaxed.
What had happened to the scared woman who only felt safe around Lash?
“What’re you thinking about?” Eva asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Nothing.”
“You can’t lie to me. You’re thinking something while you’re staring at Angel.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You never miss a thing. I was wondering when Angel changed.”
“What do you mean?”
“There was a time she’d be crying or shaking at Gash’s attention. She’s taken it all in her stride and is even laughing about it. What did I miss?”
Eva tapped his chest. “She’s been through a lot of crap to get where she is. Be happy that she’s gotten this far without breaking down again.”
A few years back Angel was attacked and she’d been pregnant but had lost the baby, sending Angel into a mental breakdown. Since then, Lash had been very protective of his woman, to the point of over-protective.
“It just opens up possibilities.” He reached into the cooler and grabbed himself a beer. Opening a beer for Eva, he snagged another for himself but didn’t let his woman go.
“Are we okay?” she asked.
Glancing down at her, he nodded. They were more than okay. She had a right to be pissed. If Butch died because of this job then he’d get Eva to talk with Cheryl. Alex had told him everything about what Butch had to do to get on Gonzalez’s good side. What Tiny didn’t like was wondering what was going to happen next. Gonzalez wasn’t the kind of man who just let things slide for the hell of it. The bastard had a plan and Tiny’s along with Devil’s crews were the targets.
Sipping at his beer, he watched as Gash made the rounds and shook hands with Devil. Gash had seen Devil a couple of times before he went inside. It was good to have him back.
“We’re more than okay, baby. I don’t have a problem with you in the slightest or anyone else for that matter. Alex telling you simply cleared the air.”
“You sure? You don’t look happy.”
He smiled even though he didn’t feel like it. “Just wish we could have invited Gash home with a lot more loving than telling him to stay as sober as possible for a club meeting later.”
“You’re going to bring him up to speed on his first day back?”
“There’s no point in prolonging this giving him a false sense that everything is going to be okay.” Tiny shrugged. “Like I said, wish we were all under better circumstances.”
Pulling away from his wife, Tiny went to put the meat on the barbeque. The women had gone to the fuss of preparing salads and little fancy stuff that he’d never eat. He was a meat and potatoes man all the way. Tiny refused to eat the salads. Even if it meant getting into Eva’s pants, he still wouldn’t eat that shit.
Flipping burgers, he changed his beer for water. There would be time for drinking later when all the serious crap was out of the way. The only reason he was waiting was so Gash got a chance to meet all the family.
“I can’t believe how different this place is,” Gash said, coming to lean against the wall near where Tiny was cooking.
“What do you mean?” Tiny didn’t take his gaze off the meat.
“There are a couple of guys here I’ve never seen before. One of them is fucking huge, but I’m told not to really talk to him, Whizz, the dude that’s great with a computer. The other is Killer. That bastard just looks scary. I’d have loved to see him on the inside with all those crazy fucks. It would have made for some entertainment.” Gash stopped talking to swig down his beer.
“I’m really sorry it has been some time since I visited you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Everyone has women and family to take care of. Did you see Lash? I thought he was going to kill me.” Gash laughed. “It’s insane. I heard what happened to Nash with the drugs. I’m pleased you put him through the wringer but didn’t get rid of him. He’s been to see me a couple of times.”
Turning from the burgers Tiny looked at the man who’d been put in jail for convictions that had nothing to do with him.
“I know you’re not going to like this, but you can’t go out seeking revenge just yet.”
“You’re not the right person to be telling me what I should or shouldn’t do,” Gash said. “You’ve taken your revenge out on everyone who’s done you harm.”
“We’re going to have a meeting and bring you up to speed. I’m telling you that you can get your revenge, but you’ve got to wait for any retaliation.”
“Nash told me I could get Whizz to find out where the bitch lives. I’m going to take her out, and then I’m going to kill any man who worked toward putting me inside.”
“Whizz has an order not to help you until we deal with Gonzalez. That’s a fucking order. I know you’re fucking hurting and want to deal with this shit. The club comes first. We’ve got a full house, and Patricia’s grave has already been desecrated. I’m asking you as a friend, but I’m telling you as your president.” He pointed the fish slice at Gash, waiting for him to respond.
For several seconds, Gash didn’t say a word.
“Fine. I won’t do shit, but I swear, Tiny, when all this shit is over, I’m going to take my revenge.”
“Killing her will put you back on the inside.”
“Not if they don’t find the body, and not having a body is what I intend to do.” Gash moved away from the wall. “I’m going to talk with someone else.”
Gash was gone leaving Tiny alone to finish up the burgers.
“He pissed that he can’t go and take out the problem?” Alex asked, joining him.
“You’re approaching me now when we’re surrounded by kids and women?”
“I figured you’d attack me either way if you were pissed enough.” Alex’s hands were thrust inside his jeans pocket. The casual look didn’t suit Alex at all.
“I’m not pissed. Eva had a right to know what’s going on. I’d already told her most of it, just not all of it.” He turned to see Eva talking with Angel. The possibilities with Angel had opened up options in his mind that he didn’t think were possible. He filed the information away for later. “Do we know if he’s been asked to do more?”
“No, we don’t. He’s not been contacted yet, but I imagine it will only be a matter of time. What I’m worried about is what Butch will be asked to do. Gonzalez is going to play with him, and it’s going to get dirty.”
“Whatever happens, his family will be well cared for.” Tiny saw Cheryl standing with Matthew and Butch, who looked happy.
He saw the conflict within Butch. It wasn’t going to be easy for Butch to do what he needed to do. Tiny only hoped it didn’t involve any of the women.
For the next few hours he ate, drank, and spent a great deal of time with his wife. By the afternoon the kids were starting to get restless and tired. The barbeque had long finished, and Gash was starting to look pissed. The alcohol was no longer flowing like Tiny had hoped for Gash’s return.
Entering his office, he took a seat behind the desk and stared at the blank computer screen in front of him. His men would start entering along with some of the Chaos Bleeds crew, but that would be all.
Running a hand down his face, he was starting to feel his years. It had been too long since he had the chance to relax.
The phone on his desk rang. Picking up the receiver he greeted whoever was on the line.
“Having fun at the party?” Gonzalez asked, bringing Tiny onto the alert.
“It’s going okay.”
“I’m sad. I thought I’d get an invite seeing as I’m technically your boss.”
Turning his hand into fists at his side, Tiny tried to keep his anger locked within. The last thing he wanted to do was anger Gonzalez. They were not strong enough yet to take the bastard out.
Why not do what Devil has done?
His gut was telling him to hold off on an attack. If they struck out too soon then Gonzalez would be the one coming out the victor. Tiny knew his own men and that Ned also had favors to bring in to take this bastard down. What he didn’t know was how many men Gonzalez had working for him.
Years ago, he’d have busted into this guy’s glace and taken him out without a second thought. Today it was all different. He had too much to lose. The thought of anything happening to Eva scared him to the core.
“We’ve all been busy. I’m afraid there was no time to invite you.”
Gonzalez chuckled and tutted over the line. “You’re lying to me. I hate it when I’m lied to. People tend to get hurt or even killed when I’m lied to, and you’ve got a lot of people together in one place. Do you know how dangerous that is?”
Tiny stood up. “You fucking touch my club—”
“Calm down, Tiny. You’re losing your touch as a president. Drawing all of your people into one building is risky. I mean, your clubhouse has been blown up before. I’m sure it’ll be easy to do again.”
Sandy had been the one to blow up the clubhouse the last time. They didn’t have a chance as the club had been divided and The Darkness had been trying to take over Fort Wills.
“We’re here for a wedding. You want to fuck up the two couples’ happiness, then fine, blow us the fuck up. We’ve got friends here to celebrate a wedding and one of our men coming back to us.”
One by one the men started to file into the room.
“One of the men on the force, one of my men, has been found dead. His car veered off the road into a tree. I’ve just got the news. Have you heard anything about that?” Gonzalez asked.
Tiny took a moment to collect his thoughts. He didn’t want Butch knowing the truth. This had been set up between Alex and Whizz. “Hold on.” He dropped the receiver from his ear and shouted. “Whizz, have you heard anything about a man on the force hitting a tree? Something to do with his car?”
Whizz raised a brow, taking his time. “No, I’ve not heard shit.”
Putting the receiver to his ear, he started to talk. “Nope, nothing has hit us. Are you sure it was a Fort Wills man?”
“I’m not so easily fooled. Something is going on, and I’ll find out the truth.”
“You’re not going to find shit.”
“Now, Tiny, you don’t need to panic. I’ve got plenty of fun to be had in time. I mean, Devil’s the one I’m really pissed at. He killed one of my men and took out one of my factories. I’m not happy with him. Maybe we could make a trade.”
“What?” Tiny asked, staring at the man in question.
“Give me Devil and his crew and I’ll leave you and Fort Wills alone.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“And that’s why you, your club, and all the families connected with you are going to die. You’re not the kind of man to make the hard decision. I’ll be in touch.”
The call ended, and Tiny placed the receiver back in its place, cursing.
“Gonzalez?” Devil asked.
“Yeah. He’s disappointed we didn’t extend him an invitation to our little get-together.”
Gash leaned against the door with a raised brow. “He actually thought he had the right to be here?” Gash asked.
“Gonzalez believes he holds all the cards,” Whizz said. “He’s mistaken.”
“What have you found out?” Tiny asked, turning his attention back to Whizz.
“His father set up his European base of being the king of the criminal world, like a mafia boss, without the attitude. He was crazy, insane, and he was unpredictable. Gonzalez senior in his early years had been known for lashing out and fighting bloody. He’d kill people for saying a wrong word to him. He took out Butch’s family and the club his father was part of, and he even killed his wife in front of his son. His wife was the daughter of one of his associates. Her death meant they had to flee Europe as there was a price on Daddy Gonzalez’s head. He started to gain ground on American soil, and then for some reason, he simply upped and left, going back to Europe. I found out that his deceased wife’s father had in fact died. The reward on his head dropped, which was why he returned to Europe. Then baby Gonzalez grew up and killed his father, taking over the operation. However, baby Gonzalez wanted American soil, and because of that, his European base weakened. He’s no longer the one running shit there. It’s been taken over by some Spanish guy. I can’t pronounce his name, and it doesn’t matter. I’ve been in touch with him, and he doesn’t want Gonzalez back on his soil. He wants Gonzalez in the ground.”
Tiny saw the tension inside Butch. Something there didn’t sit right with him. There was nothing that Whizz said that wasn’t the truth, unless there was something wrong with the facts.
Glancing at Alex, Tiny saw his former brother-in-law was also staring at Butch strangely.
“He gave all of that up to come here,” Whizz said. “Gonzalez’s old life is gone. Someone else has taken up his place. His old allies have pretty much spat him back out as if he tasted bad.”
“What are you saying? Gonzalez only has what he’s got here?”
“Pretty much. The problem we’ve got, is that he’s got a lot of favors he can pull in. The raid we got a few months back was called in by a favor from a cop. Gonzalez is your average run of the mill salesman until you get to know him. He draws you in, sets everything up, and uses what he’s got against you. The biggest problem is the girls and the smuggled drugs. He clearly has connections elsewhere, which is why he has a constant supply. I’ve been in touch with three people, and I just got another five around Vegas and near Fort Wills. They’re backing down and won’t answer Gonzalez’s calls, but we’ve got to take him out. If we don’t take him out within the next month, they’ll finish what they started.” Whizz sat back, resting his head on his hand.
For the first time since Whizz’s attack, he actually looked normal.
“We don’t take Gonzalez out in time, they’re coming for us as planned? What’s going to happen to the people supplying him?” Zero asked.
“The Spanish guy is in talks to take over from the suppliers. We take out Gonzalez and he’s more than happy to deal with the suppliers. First, we need to take Gonzalez out and worry about the men closest to us. I’m working on getting them to come out and talk to us, but it takes a lot longer to convince people to come to us. I’ve asked them what Gonzalez has on them, but they’re silent. Not that I blame them for being silent. I wouldn’t trust anyone with my secrets. I’m currently hacking into phones and numbers to get the information I need. It’ll take some time, but I’ll get it done,” Whizz said. “I’m not worried. Computers never lie.”
No one could deny Whizz was awesome.
Tiny looked toward Alex, who was still looking at Butch. The deep thought in Alex’s eyes made Tiny tense.
“Gonzalez also mentioned about giving you up, Devil,” Tiny said, turning to look at his friend.
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. He wanted to make a trade, you and your crew for me to be left alone along with Fort Wills.”
“Why didn’t you take the deal?” Devil asked.
“Do you really think he’ll leave us alone? He wants to know how far he can push. I’ve got a feeling he’s going to start trying to make us turn on each other.”
“Then he doesn’t know the kind of shit we’ve been through, does he?” Devil chuckled.
“It’s time you brought me up to speed on this Gonzalez guy,” Gash said. “He sounds like the kind of person who needs to be put down.”
“He is,” Butch said. “He’s a fucking bastard and the worst kind of sick fuck imaginable.”
“Sounds like fun. When do we kill him?” Gash had his arms folded over his chest, waiting for an answer.
“We can’t just kill him,” Zero said.
“Why not? This fucker is stopping me from taking care of some unfinished business. I want to do what I’ve been planning for the last five years. Get me a chance to take this fucker out and I’ll kill him. I’ve waited long enough for my revenge.” Gash grabbed the door handle. “I don’t need to know anything else.”
Gash walked out of the room without further notice.
“I guess there’s no point in a meeting,” Tiny said, watching his men file out of the room.
Devil stayed behind. Tiny was surprised Alex didn’t try to talk to him.
“What?” Tiny asked, standing up.
“You’re lying to me, and I want to know what the fuck is going on.” Devil folded his arms and refused to move.
Letting out a sigh, Tiny moved past him to close the door.
“We’ve got Butch pretending to be a spy for Gonzalez.” Tiny turned around to see Devil frowning.
“What?”
“It was Alex’s idea. Gonzalez was still under the illusion that we had to blackmail Butch to bring him back into the club. He doesn’t know that Butch begged us, not the other way around.”
“You think that’s going to work?”
“Patricia’s grave is a clear sign that Gonzalez believes it to be the truth.”
“Butch did that?”
Tiny nodded. “Yeah. Believe me, it was a shock. Butch doesn’t like the way he’s acting, but it needs to happen for Gonzalez to believe what’s going on.”
“This is dangerous. What happens if Butch has to attack one of our women or force her somewhere that puts her in danger? Alex isn’t a fucking president. He’s a jumped up business man who doesn’t have the first clue about running a club.”
Tiny almost laughed. Alex and Devil were not the best of friends.
“Be careful. He’s a Skull, and without his help we wouldn’t be standing where we are now.”
“I don’t give a fuck. He was never a biker. We are, Tiny. It’s time for you to start making your own decisions before the club life fucks up.”
Devil stormed out of the room leaving Tiny alone.
When had he stopped trusting his own judgment? Over the years Alex had taken more and more of a stand beside him. Was he letting Alex run The Skulls without him even realizing it?
“Hey, baby,” Eva said.
He glanced up to find his woman leaning against the doorframe. “Do you think I’m losing my club?”
“What?”
Shaking his head, he tapped his finger on the desk. “Forget about it. It’s nothing.”
He really hoped it was nothing.