Page 63 of Eden's Joker

“Thank you,” I say.

But by then he’s already gone, and the door locked. And I once again have no idea what to think.

He pulls me this way and that, makes me feel like I’m on a flimsy boat stuck in a terrible ocean storm, one I can’t possibly survive. And then he does something like this. Gives me a library to lose myself in. Which is exactly what I always wanted.

34

Joker

Last night, after I locked Eden in the house, I had to spend the rest of the night down at the Saloon, assuring everyone that the plan was still as on track as ever, while trying to gauge who was still on my side. Enough of them seemed to be. Come the morning, I got tired of listening to my own lies. At what point exactly I stopped believing them is debatable. But it might’ve started around the time she made me eat all that pie.

This morning in the graveyard, she said a bunch of things I’ve already spent the night thinking. And some things I never want to think about.

That’s why I locked her in the house again and left.

Sarge and the ten guys I know are still loyal to me will make sure no one touches her. And the additionalten I left to guard the town will make sure no one finds it. The rest are riding with me to Roaring Brook.

And whatever battle comes.

She wasn’t wrong when she said the Devils will stop at nothing to get her back. And destroy me and my brothers. Better bring the fight to them.

And make sure Scorpio, Razor, and the rest of the guys I have defending Roaring Brook stand a fighting chance.

It’s a long and drab ride to that sorry ass town. Nothing but dusty plains and jagged hills and sad old roads no one uses anymore. We didn’t stop for more than a couple of minutes here and there, and it’s still almost midnight once we finally reach the huge, fortified wall I built around the place. I’m glad to see it still standing. More glad than I’ve been for anything lately. Except maybe having Eden come on my fingers. But that’s not something I’m gonna think about. I hope she’s enjoying the books. Not something I’m gonna think about either.

“Didn’t expect to see you so soon,” Razor says as we’re dismounting in the courtyard. “Did something change?”

Scorpio is watching us from the shadows cast by the wall. I can’t see his face, but I can still tell he hasn’t forgotten our heart-to-heart from the other day. Or forgiven me for forcing it.

“I’ve done some more thinking, and decided we need a change of plan,” I say and head for the largestbuilding in town, which was once a hotel. I doubt many people stayed here. This town was as dead as Justice when we found it, and a lot less lovingly taken care of. “Time for a Family Meeting. Round up the other execs.”

Some MCs call it Church, I call it a Family Meeting. Used to be, I found that funny, seeing as none of us have any families. Now it just seems as sad as those roads I rode down to get here. The ones today and all the other ones that led me to this place. Literally and figuratively. And when my thoughts start turning figurative, I know I’m in trouble.

“Ice has been calling and texting me,” I say once everyone’s gathered in the hotel’s dining room. “And I haven’t been answering. But maybe it’s time I do.”

We’re in the dining room of the hotel and it smells like a pigsty. Most of the rooms in this town do. We don’t have any women here to do the cleaning and such and it really shows.

“And tell him what?” Scorpio asks. “Last I saw, Eden was not so much our prisoner as lady of the manor up in Justice. Or has that changed?”

I almost tell him it hasn’t. No idea why.

“Point is, the Devils are riding here, because they think she’s here,” I say. “Those piece of shit traitors, the Forsaken Outlaws, are leading them straight here.”

“We know all this,” Manic says, eyeing me like he thinks I’ve lost my mind. “We could’ve held them back. There was no need for you to ride here.”

“I just love everyone second-guessing me lately,” I say with no love whatsoever in my voice. “But I got us this far and now I’d like to get us the rest of the way. If you don’t mind.”

Getting defensive. Never a good idea.

“I’m just saying,” Manic mumbles, then goes quiet as I cast him a dark look.

“Instead of waiting for the Devils to come to us, we’re gonna go to them,” I announce.

We cleared out all the tables in this room a long time ago and the chairs are arranged in a circle, but only one of the three overhead lights is working, meaning I can’t see most of the guys in here very clearly. That’s just as well. The tense silence that falls tells me all I need to know about how they view this new plan.

“Then we use Eden as bait to lure what’s left of them into the ravines surrounding Justice and finish them off.”

None of this is that far out from what we’d planned originally. The big chunk missing is where they only get pictures of a broken, bruised and destroyed Eden, and not the real thing. But right now, I don’t see how I’m gonna be able to convince them to go along with this new part of the plan. Maybe if I spend some time away from her, I’ll get back on track with the original plan. That’s still the hope, anyway.

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