My fists clench and unclench as my father paces the floor in front of me, and Brenner keeps stepping from foot to foot, anxious for this to be over. He has always been a loose canon, and I’ve picked up the pieces of his bad fucking choices his entire life.
Buzz and Tats are a few years older than him and known as the Brothers Grim, not because of them fighting evil, but because they fucking are it.
They have been at the club since they were fourteen, when their old man went down for the rape and murder of their own mother. Apparently, they’d witnessed enough sickness in their childhood by the hands of their father that it had seeped inside them, infecting their mentality. Bullseye, our VP, had to take them under his wing at first, but soon enough, they outgrew needing a father figure. They’d fucked up a few club whores before, to a point that my father had to step in and reprimand them, costing them money from their own pocket for medical bills and a ban on all pussy at the club. Women come here for a good time, not to be cut up by a couple of deranged fuckheads.
When Brenner got older, they began to stick to him like glue, recognizing the darkness inside him, no doubt.
They’ve all gone too fucking far this time.
You don’t just murder and kidnap women and bring them back to the club to maim for the sake of it.
I’m not into the hurting of women, but a lot of the brothers treat females like shit and don’t give a fuck what another brother does with them. Fuck ups like this one happen when you’re a reckless hot head. I guess we all have mommy issues; not one brother would ever admit that.
I’d gone back to the gas station, but there were other cars there and a few people gathered around on their cell phones, so I thought it best to stay clear of that shit show.
“Did you touch her?” our father asks, stopping his pacing and glaring at Brenner. My jaw tenses while I wait for his answer, unsure why I care.
“She got mouthy and tried to run, so I hit her.”
“Did you fuck her, you dumb cunt? Did. You. Fuck. Her?”
“Not yet.” He shrugs, and I have to hold in the fizz of laughter bubbling in my chest, but not because he’s funny. Stupid motherfucker. I cringe when our father’s fist connects with Brenner’s jaw, and Brenner hits the deck like a stone being dropped from a skyscraper.
Spitting blood to the floor, Brenner grabs his jaw. “I don’t see why this is such a big deal. Let’s kill her. They will never know it was us,” he mumbles.
“You’re a fucking idiot, that’s why you don’t see what the big deal is. If we kill her or she’s missing, you think he isn’t going to come looking? And that your stupid dumb fuck brothers won’t slip up? Or Kiwi, who saw you arrive with her? Should we kill them all?” Prez roars.
“Then we go to war like we should have done in the first place.”
My stomach tightens, knowing what’s coming.
Our father lifts his foot and smashes it into Brenner’s face, knocking him clean out.
He’s got too much to say for someone who’s only prospecting and thinks because he’s the son of the president he gets free rein with his mouth.
The Cutters’ motorcycle club isn’t as big as our club and doesn’t have nearly as many chapters, but they have respect from other clubs and big players on their payload. They are good suppliers and handlers, and they bring good business and profit into our club. They have the town businesses in their pockets and wash millions of our money through those businesses. Going to war with them then or now serves no purpose and will only end with a death count of our own brothers as well as theirs, and cost millions. My stupid ass brother is a arrogant loose canon. He has no idea about business.
“I’m going to need you to clean this up,” my old man tells me, looking at me with something akin to guilt in his eyes. “You’re going to have to do this for your club, your brother. Me.”
His hand goes to the back of my neck and his forehead comes to rest on mine. My shoulders tense at the affection he’s showing. Our father is a hard ass and doesn’t pussyfoot around us. We were treated like men from the age of twelve.
“The club comes first always,” I tell him, letting him know I’ll do whatever the fuck I have to.
He smiles, but it’s strained. “I know, and that’s why your brother is so hell bent on being a pain in my ass.”
I don’t answer, just wait for him to continue because I know there is more coming.
“He’s been acting out since I told him that Bullseye is stepping down as VP.”
My head jerks in confusion. “What? Why?”
His eyes cast downward and he scrubs a hand over his chin. “He’s dying. Cancer.”
What the fuck?
“He asked to keep it quiet. Your brother overheard us talking.”
I’ve known Bullseye since forever. My whole life he’s been there, and my guts twist at the thought of him being eaten away with cancer.
“I want you to take his patch.”
I toss his words around in my head. He wants me to be his VP.
“I… that’s…”
A small chuckle sounds from his chest. “I know this is all news to you but you deserve this. I wouldn’t want anyone else. This was always the plan in the long term.”
“Did you tell Brenner this?”
He quirks a brow. “Brenner already knew that’s what would happen and he thought he would be getting Sargent of Arms.”
My patch?
“What?” I almost laugh as if it’s a joke, because surely Brenner isn’t that deluded to think he would get a club officer position. He’s eighteen and a fuck up.
“That shocked look you’re wearing right now is the same one I had before the laughter.”
“Where is his head?” I look down at Brenner who’s still out cold on the ground.
“I don’t know. He’s always been a handful, and if he weren’t my son, he wouldn’t be wearing our club’s colors, that’s for sure.”
“He’s still young.” I try to defend him, even though at his age I was the polar opposite and already taking on club responsibilities.
“The Brothers Grim don’t help. They indulge his recklessness. If Buzz weren’t a fucking whiz with computers, I’d have probably beaten him to death by now.”
He’s right. If Buzz gets his head out of his own brother’s ass he could have a real future with the club. He’s beyond skilled when it comes to technology, he just lets his stupid brother lead him astray.
There’s a knock on the door which breaks our moment.
“Yeah?” my old man bellows before the door creaks open and Dice waltzes in with his laptop. “What you got?”
Dice is our tech guy and information provider. He can find anything and everything on the net. He’s also a gambler, which is how he got his road name.
“Nothing yet at the hospitals. Police scanners have been alerted to the scene though, so it won’t be long until hospitals’ computers are updated. I dug into the girl Jenna’s background, and she has a cousin in Jersey, twelve.”
Getting leverage on Jenna to keep her quiet is paramount because killing her as collateral damage won’t help make the princess play ball in whatever plan Prez has conducted.
‘They’re close. They talk every day and vacation together,” he adds with a tight smile.
“Good job. Let me know as soon as you have more on the body count.”
“Will do.” He nods, picking up his laptop and leaving the same way he came.
“So, what are we going to do?”
Brenner is going to owe me for this one for the rest of his goddamn life. I meant what I said about the club coming before everything else, but some of us sacrifice a shit load more than the rest.
Church is called and everyone except me is inside like Prez planned. He’s going to drill the brothers to find out if any of them saw Brenner or the other two fuckheads tonight and get to sorting damage control. Keeping everyone confined to one place means I’m free to get the princess out without being seen.
My head is throbbing and racing with uncertainty.
“She’s never going to go for this plan,” I mumble heavily to the empty halls.
“Yes, she will.”
My head spins in the direction of my father’s voice.
“What are you doing? You got a meeting.”
“Chatter has some bullshit he wants to tell the brothers. It will keep them busy for a while. You know how that fucker likes to talk. You ready?”
Straightening my spine and rounding my shoulders, I nod. “As I’ll ever be.”