“Mr. Washington! Nice you see you again, sir,” Jules said as he reached through Charles Washington’s truck window and shook his hand. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

“I thought I would drive out and see how the development was going. It’s been a while since I’ve been out here.”

 

“As you can see, they are building like crazy. The construction foreman told me that they were at fifty percent sold already. At that rate, there probably won’t be a spec house in the bunch.”

 

“And you?”

 

Jules smiled. “To be honest… taking this job is a pain in my ass. Between my regular customers and this, I can barely keep up. I’m trying to hire some more help, but, well, you know how it is. We’re going to have to start working six days a week if something doesn’t give.”

 

Washington smiled. “Yeah, I do. Don’t you go trying to hire my hands, you hear me?” he teased.

 

“No sir. I don’t think I could match your pay anyway,” Jules responded with a grin.

 

Washington chuckled. “Listen… there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about, if you have a couple of minutes.”

 

“Sure. Give me just a moment to make sure these guys stay busy, and I will be right with you.”

 

***

 

“Rachel…” Jules said as he wandered up to the bar. He looked decidedly unhappy.

 

“Hey, babe,” she said with a smile. “What’s wrong?”

 

He met her lips halfway across the bar for a quick smooch. It was only six, and there were only a few customers in the place, so she didn’t mind being a little extra friendly with Jules. “Nothing. Do you mind if we shove a couple tables together in the back corner. We need to conduct a little club business.”

 

“Not at all. Just put them back when you’re done, okay?”

 

“I will. This shouldn’t take long. Where’s Will?

 

“Dallas with some friends of his. They are taking in a Rangers game. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

 

“Okay. I’ll get one of the guys to help me push the tables together.” Before he had even finished speaking, Dwayne, Gigolo and Todd walked in. “See you in a bit,” Jules said as he moved off.

 

Rachel watched as Jules and Todd moved three tabled together. As they were finishing Spence and Marsh walked in, with TC and Hugh close on their heels. They were placing their order with Angie when Duck walked in.

 

As she filled their order, she watched the group as Jules talked. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but she could tell it was bad news. Todd slapped his hand on the table hard enough to make a loud crack, causing everyone to look at their table, but he was oblivious.

 

As she wiped the bar with her oiled towel, furtively watching Forsaken 99 while still waiting on other customers, she could tell they were involved in a tense discussion. Finally Todd shoved his chair back, threw a bill on the table, and stomped out, his beer only half consumed. A few minutes later, Dwayne and Gigolo rose and followed him out.

 

After the three left, Spence and Marsh leaned in and spoke quietly with Jules while TC and Hugh looked on. Finally Jules nodded. With a nod, Jules broke the group up and they returned the tables to their proper location before they crowded around one.

 

“Everything okay over there?” Rachel asked Angie.

 

“Don’t know. Every time I got close, they clammed up. Didn’t want me to overhear anything I guess. They don’t look very happy, though, do they?’

 

“No. And that normally is a bad sign for Jules.”

 

“How’s he doing since…”

 

Rachel smiled. “Better, don’t you think?”

 

“Yeah, much better. He smiles a lot more now, and doesn’t seem so… down. I’m glad it’s working out for you two.”

 

“Yeah… me too.”

 

“Rachel Wallace… are you blushing?” Angie teased.

 

“No…” she drawled out as her face burned even hotter.

 

“You are too! Look at you!” Angie crowed quietly. “That good, huh?”

 

“Oh, stop it!”

 

“Damn… I have always been into the cowboys… but maybe I need to take a look at a biker.”

 

“Don’t you have a table or something to check on?” Rachel teased, trying to extract herself from this conversation.

 

“No…”

 

“Yes you do,” Rachel said as she made shooing motions with her hands.

 

Angie giggled. “Here comes lover boy,” she whispered before moving off.

 

“Everything okay?” she asked as he sat down.

 

“No. I had talk with Charles Washington today. The ranchers are pulling about eighty percent of our funding.”

 

“That’s too bad, but I guess I can understand that. You run, what, two intercepts a month now? I think you have won. It’s only natural that they wouldn’t want to keep spending at the same level if they don’t have to. It was one thing when the mules were shooting his cattle, but it is something else now.”

 

“Yeah. I know. But the club kind of depends on that support now. We’re a lot bigger than we were ten years ago. We have five intercept vehicles now. How are we going to pay for those? Not to mention the insurance and everything else.”

 

“I don’t know. Do you need so many vehicles?”

 

“Now? No.”

 

“So you could sell a couple of them, right?”

 

“I suppose.”

 

“Is that why Todd stomped out of here?”

 

“That, and the fact that I pissed him off.”

 

She sighed. “That again? What this time?”

 

“He wanted to see Washington… try to talk him out of this. I suggested that I tag along. You know how hot headed Todd can get. He took it as I didn’t trust him.”

 

“Which you don’t,” Rachel pointed out.

 

“I do, but he isn’t the most… diplomatic… person on the world.”

 

“I know. But he is the President of the club. Maybe he can convince Washington that… wait… there is more, isn’t there?”

 

“No, not really,” Jules said, wondering how she could read him so well.

 

“Yes there is. I can see it in your eyes. What did Todd say?”

 

“Nothing really. I’m probably just reading it wrong.”

 

“Angie, watch the bar a second,” Rachel called. “I need Jules to do move something for me. Come with me,” she said as she moved toward the end of the bar.

 

She led Jules to the storage room and shut the door behind them. “Jules… tell me what’s going on.”

 

“Rachel… it’s nothing. Just club business.”

 

“Did Todd threaten you?”

 

“No! Of course not.”

 

“Then what? For certain there is a hell of a lot more to it that simply Todd talking to Charles Washington.”

 

Jules sighed. “It’s just the way he worded it. I didn’t like the sound of it. Neither did Marsh or Spence.”

 

“What did he say? Can you tell me?”

 

“He said, ‘After all we have done for that old shit, I’m not going to let him cut our legs out from under us like this. If he thinks he can pull our funding, he has another thing coming.’”

 

“Son of a bitch! That sounds like a threat to me! If Todd were to say something like that to me, he would be staring at the business end of my shotgun. You need to call Washington and tell him.”

 

“I don’t know. That may only make matters worse. I don’t think Todd will do anything stupid and I don’t want to poison the well in case it was just Todd blowing off steam. Marsh, Spence and I talked about it and decided to let it ride for the moment. If Todd pisses all over everything I will try to smooth it over later. But if I go behind his back, and it turns out to be nothing, then… well… you just don’t do that to a brother. And as you say, he’s the club President.”

 

“Okay… but what if he does do something stupid? Then what? If he crosses Washington, then you guys are going to be in a world of shit. Washington holds a lot of sway in this town… you know that.”

 

“I know. That’s what worries me.”

 

“So, do something about it.”

 

“It’s not that easy, Rachel. I have to let this play out. He put this deal together years ago so maybe he can convince him.”

 

“Yeah… but Todd has changed lately. He’s gotten more… hard ass, I guess you could say. Especially in the last couple of years. He was never as approachable as you are, but now he’s a lot worse.”

 

“Yeah. You’re not the only one that has noticed that either.”

 

“So what are you going to do?”

 

“Nothing. Nothing I can do without making it worse. He gave me another task to do tomorrow. Will wants in. I have to run the checks on him.”

 

“Will? He’s my brother!”

 

“I know. And nobody expects any trouble, but it’s what we do. And it’s part of my responsibility. If I shirk that to force myself in on Todd’s deal, that’s going to look bad. The club will think I don’t trust him, and that will be bad for club.”

 

“Do you trust him?”

 

“He can go off without thinking sometimes, but I don’t think he will do anything to harm the club. And sometimes he’s right. Like hitting the cartel. If we had done that when he first wanted to, Fish and Bell might still be alive.”

 

“You don’t know that,” she said softly.

 

“I know. But it has been quiet since.”

 

“It has, and I’m glad, but are you sure it is because you hit the cartel?”

 

“What other reason could there be?”

 

“I don’t know. I just remember how it was, and I can’t see the cartel backing off like that. It makes me nervous.”

 

“What would you say if I said it made me nervous too?”

 

“I would say you are thinking straight. But you didn’t exactly answer the question.”

 

“I know,” he said then smiled. “I think that is because I don’t know for sure myself. I want to trust him… but he has been making some bad decisions lately. But don’t worry. I’ve got this. If he crosses the line, the club will vote him out.”

 

“Okay. Listen, while we’re back here, can you do something for me?” she asked with a smile.

 

“Sure, what?”

 

She didn’t say anything but tapped her lips with a finger, mimicking his gesture from the night before.

 

Jules grinned. “I think I can do that,” he said as he moved in and took her lips.

 

The kiss started out chaste, much like the one they had shared in the bar earlier, but it didn’t stay that way. As the kiss progressed, it became deeper as their mouths opened so their tongues could dance. Finally they parted, a slow separation, punctuated with sighs as Jules touched his head to hers.

 

“That was nice,” she whispered as she offered her lips again, lips he took with a sweet and gentle kiss.

 

“Yes,” he agreed just as softly as he held his head to hers.

 

“We have to get back.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I will see you tonight?” she asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Good. I’m worried about you, and the club. Without Forsaken 99 I’m afraid Vallecito will go back to the way it was… with the drug and violence. But I don’t want to trade one problem for another. What Todd said worries me. If Forsaken 99 turns into a bunch of hoods…”

 

“Don’t worry… I won’t let that happen.”

 

She pulled him to her and held him tight. “I hope you can.”

 

“Shhh… I can. Todd was just pissed off. He’ll cool down. And if he doesn’t… he can’t do anything without a vote from the board. It’ll be okay… and I won’t let anything happen to Will,” he added for good measure in case that is what she was worried about.

 

She stepped out his embrace. “I know. Let’s go before someone comes looking for us.”

 

Jules smiled. “Yeah… what will people think? I have my reputation of purity to uphold.”

 

Rachel grinned and slapped him playfully on the arm as she opened the door.