Page 64 of Break Out

On top of that, I’d been too lax with this chapter. Some neighbors had complained to the code enforcement department about the state of the clubhouse. The last president had gone the cheap route for the building. Two single wide trailers were on the property and they were connected by a ramshackle roof. The walls were nothing but screens.

It was embarrassing.

Maybe Tie was right. We should cut our losses and eat the lost dues coming in every month. It wouldn’t take much to convince Warden and Jackhammer to move to another city.

If we went that route, I’d see far less of Simone.

It also left things open for Corrupt Chrome to gain more ground, which would bring them more money and it stood to reason that they would funnel that money toward their efforts to fuck with us in other cities. Augusta first, if I were running that club.

This was a complete clusterfuck.

I had to confront this head-on, and to do that, I’d need other brothers to come to town. I could bring the whole Augusta chapter down here, but that wasn’t ideal either. With a sigh, I ran my hand through my hair. Atlanta could spare a few brothers for this, and possibly Raleigh as well, but none of them would be eager to make such long rides on the heels of Bike Week.

A few of them had narrowly escaped being arrested earlier in the month.

Tough shit. They’d have to suck it up and pitch in for this.

“I’m sorry about Mom,” Simone said, as she settled in the armchair adjacent to the couch where I sat.

I stretched a leg out and locked eyes with her. “Come over here.”

“What’s wrong with where I am?”

“It’s not close enough for me to put my arms around you.”

Her lips pursed, but I didn’t miss the way her head reared back a fraction of an inch. She rose and sat between my legs, resting her back on my chest.

I wrapped one arm around her waist and slid my other hand down her arm until I found her hand and laced our fingers together. “Don’t apologize about Jackie. Hell, I’d be more concerned if she didn’t bust my balls.”

She chuckled and twisted her head to look at me. “Oh, she wasn’t busting your balls. She’s just overprotective of me.”

“And she should be.”

“Not like this, I don’t know how you kept your cool.”

I squeezed her hand. “Her questions were all valid. The situation between us is tenuous and the moment someone puts it together, you’re going to be in danger.”

“Here we go again,” she breathed. After a beat, she shifted more of her weight on to me and rested her head against my shoulder to make eye contact. “Who exactly is going to put me in danger when they realize we’re a thing?”

“A thing?”

She tossed a hand out. “I don’t know what else to call this. So, who are the bad guys here?”

“You don’t—”

She sat up and twisted her body toward me. “Oh no, you’re about to say ‘You don’t need to know’ or I don’t need to worry about it, or some variation on that theme. But you’re wrong. Knowing who and what I’m up against is good strategy, Steel.”

I took a breath and held it. “This isn’t about strategy.”

She dipped her chin. “Bullshit. I’m better off knowing if the threat is from a street gang or some rival MC, so which is it? Or is it both?”

“It’s a rival MC, but depending on things, there could be a street gang involved too.”

“Sweet.”

I choked on a chuckle. “That is not sweet, Simone.”

She smiled, reminding me how much I loved seeing her eyes light with her grin. “It’s sweet because it’ll keep me on my toes. Might have to tussle with a biker one day and deal with a gang member the next.”

---