Page 13 of Savage Angels

I cock an eyebrow at him.

“Is everything okay?” Judge asks.

“You need to make sure this place stays safe while we’re gone. We can’t let them strike at us and win in one of our compounds. It’ll weaken us.”

“Understood, VP.” Judge nods.

“Good man.” I clap him on the shoulder before walking into the clubhouse.

Bear is talking to a group of the Chicago chapter’s members. He gives me a chin lift, says something to them I can’t hear, and saunters over to me.

“Are they ready for whatever’s coming?”

“I’ll have them fighting like hellhounds by the time this is over.” Bear adjusts his jeans.

“Still losing weight?”

He grins. “Yeah.” Bear waves a hand in the air, dismissing the conversation about his weight loss. “Most of the chapter here knows how to handle themselves. They’ve been at odds with local gangs for a long time. They probably know more about guns and death than most chapters.”

“Who are their main competitors?”

“The real question is, who isn’t?” He crosses his arms. “There’s a lot of gang activity in Chicago. We’re lucky we established a chapter here years ago. As far as MCs go, we are the largest, but there are lots of turf wars happening between the street gangs.”

“Makes you glad we live in a small town, doesn’t it?”

“Sure does.” Bear nods emphatically.

As I walk away to prepare for the upcoming conflict, I can’t help but think about Addy, my woman, who is waiting for me back in Tourmaline. I hope to God she is safe through all this, and we will come out the other side unscathed.

“Jonas,” Bear’s voice pulls me back to the present. “Help me talk to the boys and see who needs a gun and what they like to use.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I try to keep my thoughts of Addy at bay as we gather our crew, preparing them for the war that is coming.

“Listen up!” Bear bellows, his voice commanding the attention of every man in the room. “You need to be prepared for what’s coming. If you need firepower or want a second piece, come see me or Jonas.”

Onyx stands. “Some of you already own a gun, but our brothers from Tourmaline have acquired clean firepower, so get yourselves another piece, whether you think you need it or not.” Onyx nods at Bear and me and sits back down.

Standing back, I watch Bear chat with the other men, asking questions and trying his best to give them answers to their worries. He has always been good with people, and it makes him a good road captain. He makes sure everyone is comfortable and having a good time.

Focusing on the task ahead, I pull out my cell phone and look for a quiet corner of the clubhouse. Dane asked me to gather intel on the Abruzzi family and their allies. It’s been interesting researching the mob families in Chicago. For all their infighting, they stand united against the street gangs and anyone else who tries to muscle in on their business. The days of Al Capone are long gone, but they still abide by a set of rules. The most interesting one is if you kill the head of a family, you can’t assume their title. You will never be their leader.

The MC here has close ties to a local gang called the Shadow Syndicate. They don’t refer to themselves as a gang but as a nation. It’s their members I’m using to keep tabs on the different mafia members. I told them to contact me if the Abruzzis were on the move or involved in unusual activity. I have no texts or missed calls on my cell phone, so I guess no news is good news.

Onyx joins me and sits opposite. He nods at my phone. “Is everything okay?”

“Appears so.”

Onyx casts a glance around his clubhouse. “It’s not our first time dealing with the mob or a gang who needs to be pulled into line. Chicago is a hard city.”

“If you’re feeling disrespected—”

Onyx holds up a hand. “Not at all. We are one club. If they go after one of us, they go after all of us, and we will strike back, but when the dust settles and you all go home, what does my chapter get out of it?”

“What do you want?”

Onyx frowns, leans back in his chair, and says, “We’re slowly pulling out of businesses that make us a lot of money.”

“Drugs and guns,” I state flatly.

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