Whiskey made his way downstairs, the place was still deserted, but a couple of people had wandered back, and the booze was flowing. Blade was behind the bar, as usual, serving up the drinks and talking with the people at the bar. Blade was one of the old-timers in the Club having come down when Link took over as President.
The old President, Stony, had decided that the Defiance chapter would be filled with young blood and that was why he voted Tuck into his position when he decided to step down. Blade decided that us young fucks needed a little guidance, so he stayed behind to help out, and truth be told, the man had become invaluable to them. He was the ear that always listened and the old soul that knew a thing or two, so he could offer just enough advice to help you make your own mind up. The man was like a father to all of them.
Shit, Whiskey was getting all girly mushy. He was glad that the guys couldn’t hear the thoughts that had been going through his head in the last couple of day, they would never let him live it down. He was changing, and although he liked the changes, he was sure some of the guys would have problems with them, because the Club wouldn’t be his first and only responsibility anymore, Addison was going to take center stage. He just hoped he could keep her there.
“What’s weighing on you so hard young blood,” Blade asked?
“Ghosts from the past old man. What do you got behind that bar that will help with the exorcism?”
“Damn son, from the looks of it, those ghosts won’t disappear with any spirits I have. Just remember to stay away from the drink you're named after, nobody needs the crazy that liquor causes in your brain,” Blade laughed
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Whiskey laughed. Whiskey knew it, too. He couldn’t drink the booze he was named after because he did go a little crazy or a lot crazy, depending on who you talked to or who had witnessed the phenomenon. He wasn’t a mean drunk, but one shot of his nemesis and all bets were off. It was like a match lighting a stick of dynamite in his blood.
“How about just a beer?”
“Now, that I can get yah.” As Blade made his way to the cooler, Talon came up and sat next to him.
“How’s Addy?”
“You don’t need to worry about Addison, Tal, I have her now, and that is all you need to know.” Whiskey felt a little sorry for his tone, but Talon had kept shit from him too, and he was still a little raw from finding that out.
“Listen, I get that you're pissed, if I were in your situation, I’d be pissed too. Maybe I should have told you, but at the time I was sixteen years old and both my brothers had just up and left me. Link told me to keep my mouth shut and to continue with our plan. I didn’t agree with him, but damn, Whisk, he was the closest thing I had to a father until Tuck came along. I knew the shit he was saying about Addy wasn’t true, but I didn’t want to rock the boat, and truth be told, I was pissed at both of you.”
“Yeah man, I get that, but shit, dude, she was pregnant with my kid, you could have said something.”
“I know you don’t want to hear this, and I won’t beat a dead horse, but, shit man, would it have made a difference? You’re not the same person you were back then, you’ve changed.”
Blade brought both of them a beer and for a long while they sat there not saying a thing. Tal was right. After he drank the rest of his beer, Talon stood up and clamped his hand on Whiskey’s shoulder.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad your back and are helping Addy out. You were so mad back then you never saw what the rest of us did. You and Addy are made for each other,” with those words, he walked away.
Whiskey thought about his younger brother, man they had done him wrong. Left him with no family and hardly looked back or thought about what it might have done to him. Talon was a good brother, both in the Club and by blood, but if Whiskey had to think about it, this wasn’t the life for him. He was too soft-hearted, always had been. Talon never got off on the adrenaline high like him and Link. He was cautious and smart, or at least he had been as a kid. The truth was, Whiskey didn’t know much about the man.
Talon kept his shit close to the vest. He couldn’t remember a time when they talked about anything more than superficial matters or Club business. Talon was the Clubs information specialist, he had more computers and programs then Whiskey had ever seen in his life, and he made those puppies purr. He was proud of him. Shit, had he ever once told him that? Damn, these come to Jesus moments were really getting on his nerves. He needed to pull his head out of his ass and get to work. Getting up, he slapped his hand on the bar to get Blades attention, nodding to the Old man in thanks.
Walking down the hall, he stopped at Tuck's office and knocked. Tuck’s bellowed yeah came shortly after. Whiskey wasn’t surprised to find Link in the office with Tuck. This room was where they conducted most of their business outside of Church. Whiskey really didn’t want to deal with Link, but his brother needed to know what was going on and that Whiskey would no longer tolerate his treatment of Addison. Once a Brother claimed a woman as their Old Lady, she was to be respected, and Link better get on board, PDQ. Whiskey didn’t start with that, though, he had a few other things on his mind.
“Any new information? Do we know who took Crank and Cathy?”
“Yeah, it was the Vultures, Crank confirmed it before he passed out. He also confirmed that Addy was just a means to an end. They wanted the property because of its proximity to us and the caves. He overheard them talking, and someone had the place all mapped out,” Link growled.
“Fuck man, how the hell did they even get them? Crank alone could take down an army, and Cathy’s dogs are trained, highly trained. I just don’t get it.
“I don’t know about the dogs, but Crank and Cathy were celebrating their anniversary. They had thought that Peyton had sent them a bottle of champagne so they both drank it but it was drugged,” Link said.
“Peyton would never do that, hell, she loves Cathy. She even left her business and her dogs in her care when she went to live with Bas. That does make any sense,” Whiskey argued.
“Fuck, man, I know that, I’m just telling you what happened. After they drank the champagne, they both passed out. Crank woke up in the caves, but whatever they drugged him with made him slow. They had them all of one fucking day.”
“What about the surveillance we set up around the property, why didn’t that pick anything up? Hell, man, we spent weeks locking that place down.”
“Crank asked me to take it down he had something planned that he didn’t want to be caught on tape, I’m not going to get into it, but I had Jinx do it two days ago,” Tuck was the one that answered.
“Shit, fuck, this whole thing sucks. How’s Cathy doing?”
“Not great, she’s been in surgery now for a few hours, the fuckers messed her up. Crank is still in the infirmary; I had Doc knock his ass out, he’s in no shape to be running around right now. Brass and Tank are at the hospital waiting for any word on Cathy’s condition. I know we won’t be able to keep Crank down, so I’m sticking around until the big ape wakes up, and then I’ll take him to the hospital myself. I let the boys know the Club is open for a party, but a mild one, limited to Club people. I want the Vultures to think it’s business as usual until we find out where they’re holed up. Then we will take them down like the bitches they are.”
Whiskey could see the pain in Tuck’s eyes, he and Crank were close, probably closer than any of the Brothers. Having this happen to him and his woman had to be weighing heavily on their Prez. The bitch of it was, Whiskey would only add to his problems.
“Damn straight, Prez. I wanted to get an update and tell you I talked to Addison. She is on board and will talk to you in the morning.” Looking right at Link he said, “But I want to make one thing very clear, Addison is my Old Lady now, and that means she is to be treated as such. Any Brother that doesn’t, will have to abide by Club rules, got me?” Link wasn’t the one that answered, Tuck was.
“No Brother in my Club would ever disrespect an Old Lady. I get that you two have some shit you need to work out, but get it under control. We are going to fucking war, and I can’t have you two fuckers at each other’s throats. Link, you are the VP of this Club, get on board or get the fuck out. I’m not going to say that shit, again. Addy is here to stay and is a part of our family, deal with it.”
Link didn’t comment, just got up and walked out the door. Damn, looked like he was going to throw a temper tantrum just like he always did when he didn’t get his way. The fucker couldn’t handle it if he didn’t get his way. The thought caused a small smile to crease Whisk’s lips.
“Listen up asshole, I don’t know what you did to convince Addy to follow through with this, and I won’t ask, but if you hurt her again, I won’t stand on the sidelines and let that shit fly this time. I need your head in the game, things are going to get bad. We have the Vultures, and that FBI prick breathing down our necks. I can’t have two Officers at each other’s throats over some stupid ass shit. Understand?”
“Loud and clear, Prez. Just to let you know, I have no plans on hurting or letting Addy or this Club down, in any way.”
“Glad to hear it. Be ready to ride in the morning. I want every patched member out and about to find where these fuckers are holed up. I don’t care how many rocks we have to turn over to find them.”
“Understood, I’ll be ready.”
Whiskey didn’t know what to do with himself. He could either go back to the bar and drink himself into oblivion or go upstairs and torture himself. Neither seemed like a good idea at the moment, so he made his way to the infirmary. His Brother was hurting, and his woman was in the hospital. Addison wasn’t directly to blame, but she had a part in everything that had happened, making it his responsibility. He thought nothing he could say or do would make what happened right, but he could support Crank.