BOZ
PULLING MY bike into the clearing, I see Hoss and a few of his boys still straddling their rides. I cut the engine and slide off, then wait for Smoke and Brew to do the same. As we walk toward them, Hoss and his crew climb from their bikes and meet us in the middle. Judging by the look on their faces, they’re no happier to be here than I am.
“I don’t see my girl,” Hoss states the obvious.
Shaking my head, I tell him like it is. “I told you, man. She’s mine now.”
“You piece of shit!” he roars, stepping closer. “I should take your ass out now.”
My boys move up, but I raise a hand to keep them in place. “If you did that, I don’t think your little princess would be too happy.”
He puffs his chest out, looking like he’s about to blow at any moment. “Fine, let’s get to business.”
“Crank was behind the shipment getting lost.” Taking in a deep breath, I tell him all I know, including the shit Cherry told us.
He shrugs his shoulders and smirks. “We’ve already been over all this, and I’ve already told you, my club didn’t have anything to do with the mess you’re in. I’m not sure why we are rehashing this shit yet again.”
He’s playing big man now, but I’m not gonna put up with his mouth or his fucking attitude. “You’re forgetting, Hoss… Even with all these confessions, there was still mention of someone wearing one of your cuts.”
“I’m not forgetting shit.” His eyes cut to the man next to him before they come back to me. “If you find out it’s our lost brother, let me know.”
I nod, trying to think of what to say next. We need to talk about retribution. There has to be some sort of payback for taking his daughter, if we do find out that his club had nothing to do with any of this. Hell, even if we just kidnapped Addy, the club would still have to pay.
“If we find out that your club wasn’t involved, not even an ex-member, we’re willing to give you twenty-five percent of our take on the shipment.” The words taste bitter coming out of my mouth, but I force myself to say them anyway.
I didn’t want to give them shit, but that wasn’t an option. Twenty-five percent is what Brew, Smoke, and I agreed upon. It’ll definitely cut into the plans I had for the money, but it will be a hell of a lot cheaper than the cost of a war with the Revenge crew.
“What if you don’t get your hands on the guns?” Hoss asks, another smirk on his face.
It takes every bit of willpower I have not to knock his fucking teeth down his throat. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“No, we won’t,” he says, with a shake of his head. “We get this shit straight now, or we’ll have war on our hands.”
Fuck! I’m not scared of this son of a bitch or his boys, but my club can’t afford another war. It was worth taking the chance when I thought he had a hand in taking the shipment. Now, not so damn much. There’s no turning back the clock, though, so I gotta figure this shit out.
“Fine,” I growl out, anger filling my voice. “If we don’t get the shipment back, you’ll get ten-K out of my own fucking pocket.”
“Done.” He looks at me for a second then lifts his chin. “There’ll be no war.”
I nod my agreement, forcing myself not to look relieved. “Until we know for sure what’s going on, no one can know we came to an agreement.”
“What are you saying, Boz?” he asks, but I can tell by the harsh tone of his voice, he already knows the answer.
“We have to make it look good. No meets after this one, no shared whores for a bit, and the girls need to stay put.”
“So you expect me to just leave Trix and Addy at your club forever?” he asks with a chuckle. “Sorry, but that shit’s not happening.”
I fist my hands, keeping myself from punching him is his smiling mouth. “We have until the end of the month before the shipment is supposed to be up north. If we don’t have it by then, none of this shit is gonna matter anyhow. You can come get Addy as soon as we find it, or when our time is up. As far as Trix goes, you know my thoughts on that.”
Turning to his boys he orders them back. “Get on your bikes.”
Realizing he wants to talk to me alone, I motion my head for Brew and Smoke to do the same. As soon as they’re out of earshot, I ask, “What do you want, Hoss?”
“How’s Trix?” he asks, his hands fisting at his side.
“You talk to her all the damn time. How do you think she is?” I ask, stepping closer to him. “In fact, you talked to her yesterday.”
He stares me straight in the eyes, fire burning in his blue orbs. “I want her home.”
I know he does. The bastard has been on my ass every damn day to let her go. Not to mention his constant calls to her, getting on her about staying with me. I know she’s his girl, but he’s gonna have to figure out really fucking fast that she’s my woman now.
“She already is,” I reply, staring right back at him. “Didn’t you figure that out when she refused to try to run away? She wants to be with me just as bad as I want her to stay.”
“You know this shit’s not right, Boz. You should’ve never put your filthy fucking hands on my little girl!” he says in a strained whisper.
“That right there’s your problem, man,” I tell him with a shake of my head. “She’s not a little girl anymore. Trix is a woman. She’s my woman.”
“Fuck,” he mumbles before taking a step back. “I can’t just let you have her.”
“You’re not. She gave herself to me,” I tell him, hoping like hell he understands. “The minute she smiled at me, she was mine.”
He’s quiet for a long moment before coming forward and saying, “When this shit is over, I’m gonna come for her. If she doesn’t want to stay, you’re gonna let her leave.”
Taking a step closer, until we are nearly nose to nose, I counter, “And if she doesn’t want to go, you’re gonna leave her ass alone.”
His eyes narrow as he nods. “It’s up to her.”
“Yeah, it is,” I say, nodding my head.
“If this shit hadn’t of started with you stealing my baby, I would have been happy as hell to see Trix on your arm. I always wanted her to find someone that could keep her safe, and I know you can. All I’ve ever wanted is for her to be happy. If that’s with you, I’ll be proud to know she wears your brand,” he says in a whisper, before raising his voice again. “I’m proud of what you’ve done with the Grim Bastards, and I can’t wait to see what you can do with that club in another couple of years.”
Considering my dad was a piece of shit, there haven’t been many people to say they were proud of me. I sure in the hell never thought to hear those words coming out of Hoss’ mouth, not after all the shit that’s gone down between our two clubs. It feels good, but nothing feels better than knowing he accepts me with Trix, even if he is having a hard time with it.
“Thank you, Hoss.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, his fist comes out and lands right on my chin.
I stagger back on my heels, but right myself quickly, then shout over my shoulder at Smoke and Brew, “Hold.”
“That’s for kidnapping my girl.” With that, he turns and walks away.
Using the back of my hand, I wipe the blood from my lip and let out a loud chuckle. Smiling, I turn to my boys and walk over to my bike. Cocking a brow, I say, “Now, I know where my girl got her fire.”