Page 69 of Condemned Soul

“Squeal.” He nods his head and stares at the jazzy-patterned gift bag that I got on the table in confusion.

“Jess told me the rules around here were slack. I thought I’d bring ya a little somethin’. Look at it as a care package.” I wink, watching him shake his head as he pulls out a bottle of lotion and the porn magazines I stopped off to get him on my way here.

“I figured it may come in handy, ain’t like there’s much else to do in a place like this.”

“And what’s the hot sauce for?” He chuckles to himself.

“Prison food sucks, I thought it might make it a little more excitin’, just don’t get that shit mixed up with the lotion. I did it at a party once and, believe me, there ain’t no fun in that.” Prez laughs like he thinks I’m joking, then packing his gifts back into the bag he smiles at me, gratefully.

“Oh, and before I forget, this is from Monica.” I slide him a piece of paper the club’s lawyer insisted I bring with me when she found out I was coming.

“She’s pissed that you’re refusin’ to take her calls and that woman can be scary.”

“What is it?” he asks, without bothering to unfold the paper.

“She says it’s what ya should be askin’ for, not for us, but for yourself.” I don’t need to say what the risks are gonna be once he gets outta this place. Up to now, this visit has been lighthearted and I wanna keep it that way.

“I’ll bear it in mind,” he assures me, tucking the paper into his pocket and relaxing back in his chair.

“So, tell me what’s goin’ on, how is everyone?” he asks as if he’s writing some kinda fuckin’ postcard.

“Everyone’s in turmoil. Ella’s constantly cryin’, Dylan’s askin’ where ya are. Maddy and Alex are workin’ themselves into the ground to try and find a way outta this and Jessie… don’t even get me started. The rest of us… We miss ya,” I admit, starting to let it sink in that Prez may never come back to the compound.

“You remember that time when you were gonna have yourself locked away on a murder charge?” he asks me, with a furrowed brow and that clever look he gets in his eye.

“I remember.” I nod, thinking about Alex and how there was no way I was gonna let her go to prison for killing Hawker.

“Then you understand what I’m doin’ here. You understand better than anyone because you did it for your brother too. I don’t fear what will happen to me because I know I’m doin’ the right thing. Just like the time you were prepared to do the right thing by your old lady.”

“I get it, but it doesn’t make it any easier. You built our club, Prez, it’s yours.”

“And I’m damn proud of it too. I’m proud of the men it made, and the lives it changed.” He looks me up and down. “It’ll continue to do that without me.” His words put a fuckin’ wedge in my throat that I can’t swallow down. “You and your brother came to me all those years ago, chasin’ mayhem and havin’ no direction. Look at ya both, now.”

“And you took us in, never put up with our shit and straightened us out. I told you when you gave us that chance that I’d owe ya one and?—”

“You owe me nothin’.” Prez cuts me off and smiles. “Seein’ who you’ve both become is all the thanks I need.”

“You ain’t comin’ out of this, are ya?” I shake my head, realizing that this is Jimmer Carson I’m talkin’ to, a man who sticks to his guns.

“No, I’m doin’ what I have to do, and you’re gonna leave here and do somethin’ real important for me.”

“Name it.” I look at him real seriously.

“Just keep bein’ your annoyin’ self. Remind everyone not to take life too seriously, and make ‘em laugh when shit gets tough because the club needs that.”

“You got it.” I pull together a smile for him. “You just make sure you read over those terms Monica suggested, she’s smart and I don’t want this to be the last time I see you, old man.”

The smile he makes back at me puts a shiver over my skin, one that makes this situation we’re in seem very fuckin’ real.

“What you’re doin’ here?—”

“What I’m doin’ is makin’ sure everythin’ we built for ain’t for nothin’. Right now, everyone’s hopeful that there's another way around this, but pretty soon that hope is gonna run out and that’s when you're gonna have to be on your game. This is good for the club, you remind ‘em of that.”

“How can havin’ you locked up and in danger be good for the club?” I shake my head back at him.

“Because the club will be safe, this offers us security and I won’t have it any other way. You need to help everyone accept that. And when you’re tellin’ stories to my grandkids about me, make sure ya censor ‘em.” He chuckles.

“You should know by now that I don’t censor a damn thing.” I snigger back at him.

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