Page 61 of Fighting a Riot

“What?” Blood demanded.

He shrugged. “It might be him. It might not. Either way, it isn’t cool that I accused him like I did or that I punched him.”

Turk scoffed. “Can you ever make up your mind?”

Yak smiled. “Nope. Helps to keep everyone guessing.”

Volt cleared his throat. “When you return that phone, do us all a favor. Ask her why it was unlocked and how she lost it. When they aren’t on stage, or busy putting on make-up, all those dancers are glued to their phones. That shit doesn’t make sense to me either.”

“You got it, Prez.”

Desiree’s eyes widened as she turned her face and shook her head. She made eye contact with him again. “I stopped locking my phone this week because it’s the only thing that keeps my two-year-old quiet.”

Yak nodded. “Well, you should start locking it again with everything that’s going on here.”

She sighed. “Yeah. I’m sorry, Yak. I swear I had no idea my phone was missing until I went apeshit looking for it in here. Lucy went to tell you even though I was convinced it had to be inside my boho bag in the dressing room. Hell, I didn’t want her to tell you, because it would just be a waste of your time.”

Or she could be working with Ghost.

Even as that thought hit him, it seemed easy. Too easy.

He hadn’t shared with any of the dancers about finding Ghost in the parking lot. To his surprise, none of the dancers knew there had been any gunfire.

Then again, as loud as Punc played the music, there could be a full-scale riot outside and nobody would be any the wiser.

Yak aimed a patient smile at Desiree. “Helping you –or any of you ladies– is never a waste of my time. Or Turk’s. Got it?”

The dancers gave him a mixed chorus of “Got it.”

He nodded. “Good. Now dance your hearts out. I’m not so sure things are going to pick up tonight.”

Three hours later, Tundra knocked on the door jamb. “We walked all the dancers to their cars. I’m out of here, Yak.”

He lifted his chin. “Thanks. And, again, I’m sorry for flying off the handle.”

Tundra shook his head. “All’s forgiven. Hell, I can see where you were coming from now…”

Yak’s head turned an inch as he realized Tundra had trailed off in hesitation. “What is it?”

After a twist of his lips, he said, “It’s just strange. Before church, Prime wanted to switch shifts with me today. Be here tonight, then have Monday off. I told him I’d think about it, then after church he cornered me and said he’d changed his mind.”

“Okay.”

Tundra shook his head. “It’s just, the moment there’s no more surveillance, he doesn’t want to work. It’s… almost like he expected something bad to happen now that other brothers wouldn’t be watching the lot.”

Yak shrugged. “Maybe, but he told me it was probably for the best. Business hasn’t been as good since we had such a heavy presence.”

“Yeah. Guess this shit makes everybody a little on edge, right?”

“Yeah,” Yak muttered.

He hated this shit. For the past decade, he had nothing but complete trust in his brothers. Now he didn’t trust any of the newest members. That made him feel like scum. Still, other clubs had new members patch-in, only to turn rogue on the brothers. Nothing said it couldn’t happen to their chapter.

Being the doubting Thomas thoroughly sucked.

Thursday afternoon, Yak stood at his kitchen sink sipping a cup of coffee and watching Nora get out of Trixie’s Camaro. He couldn’t hear what Trixie said, but he suspected she didn’t like Nora getting out of the car on her own. His guess was that she had her first chemo treatment.

He should intervene, keep Trixie from giving Nora too much grief.

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