Page 88 of Tempting Fate

When all he receives is a blank stare from Brutus, Slash hits me with a what-the-fuck-should-I-do look. I purse my lips, silently giving him permission to act as he pleases, which Slash grabs with both hands. Swiping at the mud and gravel stuck to his jeans, my best friend adds. “Not sure why you didn’t give me time to speak before layin’ into me, but while it’s true we didn’t catch them, we did confirm that it was the Bishops, not the Maddison’s in the van… of course, we can’t get close enough to take them out just yet. They’re locked down as well.”

At the mention of our rival MC, Brutus’ attention flits between the doors to the clubhouse, the brothers standing with me, and the open gates behind us before he snidely declares in a too-loud voice, “So what you mean is that you actually learnt fuck all… guess I should head off to do my own lookin’. Useless bunch’a pricks.”

“Not done,” Slash interjects. Fingers digging into Brutus’ cut to keep him in place when he tries to duck around him, our SAA finishes his rundown. “We chased them through the back streets and halfway across the city until they doubled back to their clubhouse. Almost had ’em, once we worked out where they were headed, except a bunch of cop cruisers pulled outta the side street on the straight to the Bishops’ gates and cut us off. Lights and sirens, the whole works. Gave the Bishops time to let their contingent in, lock down their yard, and start shootin’ at us.”

“They protected the Bishops?” Angelis asks as he exits the main clubhouse with his phone in his hand. He slings an arm over his oldest son’s shoulder. “And then watched them open fire in public without callin’ for backup?”

“Yep.” Slash grimaces under the weight of his dad’s scrutiny. “But that wasn’t the weirdest thing… once their yard was locked up tight, the cruisers turned off their lights and sped off. They didn’t come at us or engage with the Bishops, even though they were still shootin’.”

“Fuck.” I scrub my hands down the shaved side of my skull. Exchanging a look of disbelief with Angelis, I state in a tight tone, “He’s got some balls on him.”

“Yeah,” Angelis agrees. He beckons Gabriel forward. “Obviously, Joseph Kingsley is embedded with the Bishops deeper than we first thought.”

“Definitely,” Gabriel offers decisively. “It’s one thing to use his power to raid our compound. It’s downright dodgy how he flaunts his connection to the Maddison clan. Even the way he openly intimidates Cherub is pushing the point. But it’s a whole ’nother kettle of fish to use his position to facilitate a violent abduction and openly deploy the state’s police force to protect his co-conspirators—another MC.”

“Seems like a whole heap’a bullshit to me,” Brutus offers. He knocks Slash’s steadying hand away and rails on me. “You set him up to feed us this bullshit—you’re tryna send us on a wild-goose chase to take the heat off yourself.”

“You can’t be serious?” I bare my teeth in a feral growl. “You’ve lost your fuckin’ mind.”

“I’m deadly serious, you pompous little prick.”

“Why don’t you go and have a lie down?” Angelis intervenes before I can take my bunched up fists and use them to decorate Brutus’ face with my real feelings. “I’ll get someone to wake you when it’s clear to head to the hospital—’ He holds his phone up for Brutus to see. “—Crystal said Fret has been taken straight into surgery, and it’ll be a few hours before we know anything more. You’ve got plenty of time.”

“Ain’t sleepin’ while that motherfucker still wears the VP patch.”

I motion him forward with both hands. “You want it, come and get it.”

“Either call a vote or piss off inside,” Angelis barks. When Brutus scoffs, he adds. “You try to make one more unilateral decision without bringin’ the options to church, I’ll call a vote on the presidency.”

At their Secretary/Treasurer’s blunt ultimatum, the rest of the Shamrocks lapse into stunned silence. I can feel the tension ramping up as everyone waits for Brutus’ reaction to Angelis’ challenge. Focus locked on my president, ready for him to lash out, I watch closely as he grinds his teeth and shoots a narrow-eyed look past me to the brothers he’s supposed to lead.

Whatever he sees makes him take another step backward. “Look... my little Cherub has been hurt. Fret was shot. Found out Venom gave my boy drugs for years, and my club has been overrun by cops. Think I’m entitled to a few minutes of rage and a little scepticism.”

“Really?” I quirk my lips into a grin to disguise my disgust as I sweep my arm around to gesture at the destruction his temper tantrum wrought. “You’re callin’ this a few minutes of rage and a little scepticism?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Fuckin’ bullshit... but keep lyin’ to yourself and us.” My grin widens as Brutus’ frown deepens. “’Cause the only person you’re foolin’ right now is yourself. Same goes for your refusal to accept that you were led up shit creek by the Maddisons about me givin’ Sander anythin’ stronger than weed—ya know, the same plant we grow and harvest ourselves. Pretty sure you’ve shared a joint or two over the years with him as well.”

Brutus blinks. For a second, it seems as if confusion fills the harsh lines of his face, then he shakes himself free of it. He snickers without mirth. “You wanna talk about fools, VP? I know you’re full of shit. You can fool them—” He pointedly flicks his gaze toward the Shamrocks behind me. “—into thinkin’ I’m the problem, but we both know it’s you.”

“Like I said, the only one tryna fool anyone around here is you.” For the second time, I offer him a shark-like grin that’s filled with contempt. “’Course, you might see things differently once you’ve had your nap, old man.”

When Brutus offers no further argument, I dismiss him with a mocking wave, then I pointedly give him my back to huddle with Slash, Angelis, and Gabriel. My attention is splintered between the three men as they try to puzzle out how and why the Maddison clan and the police have teamed up with the only enemy MC we have in these parts, and the malevolence I can feel coming from Brutus behind me. Once I hear the main doors to the clubhouse slam shut, my shoulders slump, and I allow myself to draw in a steadying breath.

The rest of the Shamrocks talk amongst themselves.

“This has to be about more than little Cherub,” Gabriel declares. “What do you think, Angelis?”

The older blond man glances away.

Slash shrugs at his father’s reaction.

Gabriel’s eyebrows draw together.

Christopher “Angelis” Hudson is as close as anyone can get to Brutus—which isn’t saying much since he’s pushed everyone away over the years. While Toker’s dad has toed the line when it comes to club orders, there’s been an obvious disconnect between them that’s turned into a void in their personal lives. Getting Angelis’ take is important, yet it seems as if he’s going to clam up like my father did yesterday. Flooded with uncertainty, I remain silent while I battle to control the dread that’s turned my gut to stone.

So many secrets.

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