Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 111416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 557(@200wpm)___ 446(@250wpm)___ 371(@300wpm)
Sort of.
“Don’t like this,” Zak finally said.
“I get that.”
“Actually hate it.”
Fletch waited.
“But—”
“No! The fuck if this bullshit’s happenin’!” shouted Diesel. “No fuckin’ way.”
“Last I checked you wore the president’s patch, Z. Did that change?” Jamison asked.
The second Diesel surged up from his seat again, everyone froze once more. “That didn’t fuckin’ change an’ you know it, Axhole.”
“You do a lot of talking for someone without that authority,” Cross added, having to get his own jab in.
For fuck’s sake. Neither of them were helping.
Diesel’s dark eyes swung from Cross to Jamison and back. “Remember those tiny tin shields you pigs wear don’t protect your fuckin’ back.”
Jamison blew Diesel an exaggerated kiss.
Goddamn it.
They needed to wrap this shit up before things went south. So south they all landed in hell.
Diesel jabbed a finger at Jamison. “Better hope Bella never leaves your ass. ‘Cause the day she does…”
“That a threat?”
“A promise.”
Jamison shrugged. “You know where I live.”
“Christ! Enough!” Zak shouted, finally losing his patience. “Both of you… All of you… Shut the fuck up!” He twisted toward Hawk. “You trust me as your prez?”
“Of fuckin’ course,” his VP answered without hesitation.
He turned to Diesel. “You trust me as your prez?”
“Trust you as my brother. A real brother. Not like that pansy-ass over there who chose his fuckin’ badge over blood.”
“Been sittin’ in this seat for almost twenty years. There’s a reason for that,” Zak reminded them.
“Can’t make this decision on your own, brother,” Hawk told him. “Gotta go to a vote. ‘Specially if you’re gonna let the enemy infiltrate us.”
“Like a fuckin’ STD,” Diesel added.
“If enough of the membership votes it down, then we’ll tell ‘em to fuck off an’ find another way. But in the meantime, the Demons might keep marchin’ north with their pockets full of a fuckin’ drug that could devastate our community.”
“We ain’t responsible for our community. Axhole is.”
“We also got a responsibility to Shadow Valley. Without our community our businesses die an’ we don’t make any scratch. Without scratch, our coffers go dry. We don’t got a full coffer, we end up sufferin’, too. Could be a trickle-down effect.”
Fletch was pleased Jamison’s brother was not only level-headed but wasn’t dumb, either. That could be their saving grace.
“Then we handle those dumb motherfuckers in our own way,” Diesel said.
“Like you did the Warriors?” Fletch asked.
The club’s enforcer turned dark eyes toward him. “Don’t got a fuckin’ clue what happened to them. Why the fuck you makin’ me repeat myself?”
“You can deny it all you want but we both have a clue about what happened to them. I’d bet your Shadows do, too. You really want us to dig for that elusive clue?”
Diesel appeared to have a lot to say, but he managed to keep his mouth shut by smashing his lips together.
He might be smarter than what he looked.
Might be. The jury was still out on that.
“Gonna say it again,” Hawk started, “if this is what you want, Z, could use them to our fuckin’ advantage by lettin’ them deal with the Demons. We just need to set the terms, not them.”
Zak considered his VP for a hot minute before dropping his gaze to stare at his wedding band. He was once again spinning it when he lifted his gaze to Fletch. “All right. Here’s the deal… One, enough of our brothers gotta vote in favor of this idea. Gotta be a majority. Two, you turn a blind eye to anythin’ you see or hear when it comes to the DAMC.”
Fletch couldn’t do shit about the vote but… “Number two would be part of the deal.”
“Want that in writin’.”
“You’re going to have to take our word for it. For… reasons,” reasons he couldn’t disclose, “we can’t put that in writing.”
“Then no deal,” Zak announced with a shrug.
Shit. Fletch quickly pivoted. “To me, a handshake would be just as binding as a contract.”
Diesel tipped his head down and only lifted his dark eyes. A scowl twisted his mouth, but Fletch figured that was his normal expression. Grumpy and growly.
He seemed like a lot of fucking fun.
“Can’t promise the vote’ll go your way. Gonna lay out what you told us an’ let my brothers come to their own decision. Ain’t gonna make the effort to convince them. They gotta be comfortable with what they decide for themselves an’ their families. Not only their own families, but our club family as a whole.” Zak jabbed his index finger into the table in front of him. “‘Cause this club’s our life an’ while we wanna protect it, we got our fuckin’ limits.”
“An’ lettin’ pigs live amongst us is a hard limit,” Hawk said. “Cross knows it. Axel’s only got a special pass ‘cause of the blood that runs in his, his ol’ lady’s and his kids’ veins. But that pass could be revoked at any time.”