Page 6 of Trick

“As good as can be expected.”

“That’s vague,” Blackjack mutters, but Howler says nothing.

Does he think I deserve the pushback I’m getting?

I can’t tell what he’s thinking, and I hate how hard my president is to read. Did I always struggle? Or is it that my brothers are closed off from me, hiding because they are suspect of my motives?

“How’re things with Heidi?” Howler asks.

This question is safer ground. “She’s done a hell of a job with Sophia. My daughter is happy and healthy. I owe her everything.”

Neither of them contradict my words. Heidi gave up her life for the last year to take care of a child that isn’t hers, even though we failed her.

My greatest regret is that after Crow died, we didn’t do enough. She pulled away from the club, her grief morphing into anger and blame. We shouldn’t have let her go. We owed our brother so much better. And Heidi? She was once a key part of this family, and we let her down.

“Your living arrangement’s working?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

Where the hell is this going?

“What’s the long-term plan here?”

I frown, not sure what he means. “Long-term plan?”

“At some point, Heidi is going to want her life back, Trick, and you’re going to have a baby to take care of. Do you have any plans for how you’re gonna manage that alongside your duties in the club?”

I haven’t thought further ahead than the day I’m existing in, but I haven’t considered Heidi might want to leave us. The thought has my fingers curling into fists under the table.

“I don’t know,” I admit. There’s no point lying about it.

“Maybe just something to keep in mind,” Howler says.

I nod, though I don’t have a solution other than to make her stay. “Sure.”

“How are things between you and the guys? Are you keeping your head down?”

I grimace. “I’m not going to do anything that might jeopardise my place here,” I assure them both. “I don’t deserve a second chance, but I’m grateful to have it. I’m not going to push for a third one.”

Silence follows my pledge and concern swirls in my gut that Howler’s next move might be to strip me of my kutte entirely.

My breath feels lodged in my chest as he leans back in his seat, his fingers drumming lightly on the tabletop. Howler is a young president, but he’s a fucking good one. I’ve always found him fair and decent, so whatever he decides, I’ll take.

When he set up the Manchester chapter, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to serve under him, and I’ve been at his side for so long that I saw him as more than a friend. Howler is blood to me—Blackjack too—and it guts me to know I’ve broken that bond between us.

“Rage is still struggling with me.” I wince.

“You hurt his girl,” Blackjack says with a shrug of his shoulders. “I love you, brother, but if you’d done that to Elyse, I would’ve buried you.”

He’s right, and although I don’t know Rage well, I know guys like him. He wants his moment, and right now Prez and Blackjack are preventing that from happening. Sometimes, brothers just have to settle things the old-fashioned way—with fists.

“I know. I’m not looking for him to go easy on me, and I deserve his hate, but if we’re ever gonna get past this, he needs to feel like he’s had justice.”

Howler’s gaze locks onto mine like a heat-seeking missile. “Go on.”

I don’t pause before I speak, knowing if I do, he’ll think I don’t want it. “I’ll take a club beatdown.”

His eyes are hard and unyielding as he tries to assess why I would do this. “Why?”

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