Ghost

 

 

We haven’t called the boys home because they’re wrapped up in their own shit right now assisting another friendly MC. We don’t know them well, but Wasp does and that’s good enough for us. He trusts them, so we have his back in this situation. Keeping drugs out of Templeton’s territory is important to the future of that club. Hopefully, we don’t have to go in and assist since we have our own shit storm brewing here. Plus, Ryder would lose his shit if he came face-to-face with his old man. He’s so full of anger when it comes to Sniper I’m not sure things will ever be the same again with father and son. Don’t even get me started with Sniper’s relationship with his daughters, Kaci and Kassi. That situation was already fucked up.

 

He sent them away to boarding schools instead of being the father they so desperately wanted growing up. He hardly let them home for holidays and kept them as far away from the club as he possibly could. Those girls now despise their dad, and with good reason. He wasn’t even there when Kassi was hurt and Kaci gave birth to his grandson. Travler and Malibu would love to have his head for that alone. Seeing Sniper sitting at a chair at our table isn’t going over well with my brothers. He may not have been a rat, but he was a traitor to the code nevertheless.

 

We needed him, we needed his guidance after King was murdered. But he flew away like a wounded bird, and we all lost any respect for him that we had. I don’t care that he was one of the founders of our club. I don’t care that he was our VP since the day I started. I don’t care that it was my job to protect his life. He’s a coward in my eyes, and the only reason I’m allowing him to sit in here is because he may or may not have information we need to protect the club and our families. Fuck. Him.

 

None of us have any control over the death stares we are sending him. We know there’s a reason he’s here and we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Nothing more, nothing less. He’s lucky he’s getting the honor of sitting in a room with us at all. It’s more than he deserves, he will never be welcomed back into the fold. Once you lose the trust of your brothers, the life as you know it is over. He will never wear the Rage Ryders patch again. Trust in this life is not just a necessary thing, it’s a needed thing. I for one have no trust in him, I just hope he doesn’t let us down, once again.

 

Wasp brings the meeting to order. “We called this emergency meeting after Ghost received a phone call from Sniper. He claims he has important information regarding the situation we find ourselves in thanks to Cordozo and his merry band of misfits. I know most of you have a few things you’d like to say to him—however I’m giving an order to hold your tongues until we can figure out what’s going on. Understood?”

 

Everyone responds with either a nod or a yea. We know this situation is dire, which is the only reason I’m sure the boys are willing to hold their tongues. Bristol is one of ours and if keeping our mouths shut means getting intel we so desperately need, we’ll do what needs to be done. Not happily, but we’ll oblige. For now. Justice gives me a look, letting me know he wants to talk once this is all over. He hasn’t been around for the full jist of what exactly has gone on and most likely wants some holes filled. We’ve known and worked side by side for so long, I know what every signal is he gives and what every look he has means.

 

“Alright Sniper, tell us what you’ve got,” Tic says.

 

“One of my old informants gave me a call the other day. He’s high up in the ranks in Valdez’s organization. He’s heard we’re willing to help put an end to the shadier side of things that he and a bunch of his crew are not in approval of. They despise Valdez and want to see him brought down. ASA motherfuckin’ P. All they ask is that we leave the guns and drugs alone, as long as they promise not to sell it in any of our territories.”

 

It really irks me to hear him say ‘our’, he isn’t part of us anymore and I want to slap some sense into his ass for even saying such a thing. I promised to hold my tongue no matter how hard it is, so I’m biding my time to tell him exactly what I think. My leg starts shaking involuntarily and I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I draw blood. I catch the eye of Tic who hands me over a Kleenex to wipe the blood from my lips. He gives me a look reminding me to keep a lid on it. I reply with a nod letting him know I’m in control. Which I am, to some degree.

 

“So, we have to agree to have drugs and guns running around in order to save Bristol and end the sex trafficking ring. Am I hearing you right?” Wasp asks Sniper.

 

“That’s their request for helping out. I told them I would bring the deal to you and let you vote on it. I also told him I’d let him know the decision and to introduce you and Tic to him for future reference.”

 

“How do we know that the information will put an end to it all?” Justice asks.

 

“He’s willing to put up collateral,” Sniper relies to Justice’s question.

 

“What kind of collateral are we talking about here?” I can’t help but ask my own question. I think we need to know how serious this fucker is.

 

“You guys aren’t goin’ to like it. He wants to marry his daughter off to a single officer of the club. He says it’s more binding than any contract could be. A truce between us all.” There he goes with that ‘us’ and ‘ours’ bullshit again. By the time this meeting is over I will have no blood flow left in my mouth.

 

“You may leave now Sniper, and we’ll let you know what we decide,” Wasp tells him.