Page 51 of Raze

“How did your day with Wrath go?” she whispers once the music cranks up and everyone gets back to business. She knows things have been tense between us, she just doesn’t know why, and I’m starting to think it’s time I told her about Eden.

“It was good, we got the run planned out which was the main thing.”

“You know, I’m gonna hate it when you go away, can’t you send them all without you.” She does that real cute thing I love when she slides both her hands into the back pocket of my jeans.

“Now, that ain’t exactly leadin’ by example is it?” I raise an eyebrow at her. It's thoughtful that she went to all this effort for me and I’m grateful for it, but what I really wanna do is have her all to myself.

“Yo, Boss, ya see this?” Ruckus calls out as Saul’s sister steps towards me carrying a massive cake and when the whole club start to sing happy birthday, some more enthusiastically than others, I see the huge beam on Peyton’s face and it makes it impossible for me not to smile with her.

“Happy birthday, Boss.” Griller slaps my shoulder as he passes me on the way to see one of the girls. He’s got himself a new eyepatch now instead of the bandage and the boys keep threatening to start calling him Popeye.

“You know, this ain’t the usual thing that goes down around here,” I tell Peyton as I look around the room at the bright streamers and balloons it’s been decorated with.

“Well, you said you wanted to change the place. Get the brothers closer, like the other charters. This is what families do, and I didn’t have to twist anyone's arm to be here,” she tells me with a clever smirk. “Trust him to lower the tone of it.” She looks over my shoulder to where Griller’s got his cock out and is guiding Trinity's head up and down his shaft.

“Baby steps, darlin’ this is still a Dirty Soul club house.” I laugh as I take her hand and drag her toward the bar so we can mingle.

“Axel, good to see ya, when did ya get out?” I’m surprised to see one of the members from our Vegas charters here.

“Three months ago, I’m doing a little traveling before I head back to the strip,” he informs me. “Ruckus called and said you were having a party and I thought it would be a good excuse to show my face.” I was locked up with Axel in South Boise and we had each other’s back. Of course, he was in for a lot longer than I was due to that short fuse of his. He ended up doing eight years extra time for crimes committed while incarcerated.

“You stayin’ outta trouble these days?” I check, thinking it’d be a damn shame if he were to head back inside. Despite his flaws, Axel is a loyal brother and an asset to this club.

“I ain’t going back there now, not now I’ve been reminded what freedom tastes like,” he assures me looking over at the girl who’s dancing on the table. “The place got dull without ya anyway.” He winks and when I see the shock on Peyton’s face I realize there's a whole lot more about me she has to learn other than the fact I have a sister.

“Peyton.” She gets called away by Saul’s sister. “Can I tear you from your man’s side for a few minutes? I wanna introduce you to some people.” I nod my approval when she looks up for it, and she smiles as she gets dragged away with that shocked expression still on her face.

“Sorry, brother, I didn’t mean to–”

“Don’t worry, ain’t nothing she wouldn’t have found out soon enough.” I shake my head and light myself a smoke.

“I heard you had an old lady, didn’t expect her to be so young.” I don’t like the way his eyes follow her and he must take that hint from the look he sees on my face because he quickly focuses back on me.

“Yeah, well neither did I. In fact, I didn’t plan on having anyone at all.”

“Anyone got any news on Cliff? I hear his boy came home.”

“Aaron ain’t a boy anymore, he’s a man now, and he’s got one helluva vendetta toward his father.” I look over to where Wrath and Ruckus are talking. The two of them were best friends back when they were younger and it looks to me as if they’ve kept that brotherhood bond despite their distance.

“Yeah, I heard about that, apparently soon as Cliff gave him his cut, he went nomad? You know why?”

“Yeah, I know why.” I keep my eyes on him and try to simmer down my rage.

“So, no news, on Cliff?” He reminds me of his original question.

“Nah, he’s being sensible and keeping low, Wrath ain’t the only one who wants him dead and he knows it.”

“I’m not surprised after what he did to you. And what went down with Davey, well that was just…” He shakes his head.

“We got Davey’s boy here too.” I tip the neck of my bottle toward Rocco, “I’m seeing a good future for him, he’s keen,” I tell him.

“Shame his brother didn’t get put away in Boise, brothers look out for each other in there, he’d never have gone out the way he did.”

“Two lives lost over one man's lies, and that's just the start of it. The longer I'm here the more I’m learning about how deep Cliff’s corruption went. I still don’t think Burlusconi is convinced he can trust us.” I try real hard not to sound downbeat, but this job is way harder than I imagined it to be.

“Raze, you're one of the most trustworthy men I know, if anyone can convince him, it’s you. Now I came here for a party and I wanna know which of these pretty ladies wearing bikinis has got the biggest mouth on her.” He grips himself through the front of his jeans and shakes it.

“Sorry, can’t help ya on that.” I laugh at him.

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