Page 2 of Hatter

“Cheshire, I said no strippers.” I glared at him, my eyes narrowing into slits as I emphasized each word.

“Come on, Hatter. It’s just a bit of fun,” Cheshire retorted, his trademark grin never faltering. He leaned back against the worn chair across from my desk, seemingly unfazed by the intensity of our discussion.

“Cheshire, this event isn’t about fun. We’re raising funds for the local kids’ hospital. A bunch of naked girls shaking their asses doesn’t fit in that picture.” My voice was hard and unyielding, leaving no room for compromise.

“Fine, fine.” Cheshire held up his hands in mock surrender. “No strippers. But we need some kind of entertainment. How about a live band?”

“Band’s fine,” I conceded, rubbing my temples as I felt the beginnings of a headache forming. These club events always gave me migraines, but it was my job to make sure they went smoothly. While we mostly kept to ourselves, at least twice a year we tried to do something for the community.

“All right then.” Cheshire stood and leaned over the desk, bracing his hands on top. “I’ll organize the band and take care of all the other arrangements.”

“Make sure you do.” I stared at him, ensuring my message sank in. “We can’t afford any screwups with this one.”

“Trust me, boss.” Cheshire winked. “Everything will be perfect.”

“See to it.” My tone brooked no argument. As the president of the Underland MC, it was my responsibility to make sure my club stayed out of trouble and maintained a good image in Warren. The town had been good to us, and it was important to give back. All right, so it hadn’t been all sunshine and roses. Not at first. When we’d built this place and moved in, everyone had thought we were criminals and treated us accordingly. We’d worked hard to prove we were trustworthy and wouldn’t destroy Warren.

When we’d first decided to start this club, it had taken weeks to narrow down where we might want to live. It just so happened, the small town of Warren, Tennessee, had the perfect plot of land for sale. Far enough from big cities, we still felt like we were relaxing in the country, but close enough to anything we’d need, like a grocery store or pharmacy.

Absolem had used his inheritance to buy the land, put up a fence, and build a clubhouse. With the exception of times we wanted to make sure we didn’t have people popping up, we’d leave the gates open. It wasn’t like we had anything to hide. Each of us had a room here, and a few more to spare. In addition to the men who’d created this place with me, we’d gathered a few other lost souls along the way, each one floundering after being discharged from the military, just like us. Tweedle had been the first. He’d come home so badly broken I hadn’t known if he’d make it. More than once, I’d worried he might decide to put a bullet in his brain. Thankfully, being around the club had helped him heal, even if he still had a long way to go. Knave and Mock had been next, joining almost at the same time. And Carpenter had been the last.

“All right.” Cheshire clapped his hands together, finally taking things seriously. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Damn right.” I nodded. “And let’s remember why we’re doing this. It’s not just a party. It’s for those kids.”

“Understood.” Cheshire saluted me, his grin returned to his face as he turned to leave. “I won’t let you down.”

“See that you don’t,” I warned, watching him stride out of the room. “Or you’ll be scrubbing toilets with a toothbrush for a month.”

“Promises, promises.” Cheshire laughed from the doorway. “I’ll get on it, Hatter. You can count on me.”

“Good,” I called after him, “because if this event goes south, it isn’t just the club that’ll suffer. The whole damn town will feel it too.”

The event might be adults only, but we’d charge a fee to enter the compound for the night. Everyone would kick back with drinks, food, and music. By the time we closed it down, I hoped we’d have a decent chunk of change to help those kids.

“Understood.” Cheshire nodded once more before disappearing into the hallway. I could only hope he’d take my words to heart.

“All right.” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “Let’s get this done.”

The door slammed open, and in walked March, his eyes blazing with urgency. He was all muscle and grit, an imposing figure who had seen more than his fair share of shit. For that matter, we all had.

“Boss,” he said, getting straight to the point. “We’ve got trouble.”

“Spit it out,” I demanded, my pulse racing as worry gnawed at me. This was the last thing the club needed right now. We kept our noses clean, paid taxes, and did our best to not draw attention to ourselves. So what the hell could have happened?

“Rumblings from North Carolina.” March’s voice was low, serious. “A rival MC’s been sniffing around our territory. Looks like they’re planning something. And these assholes aren’t like us. They’re into some nasty shit. If they get their hooks in Warren, this place won’t be the same.”

“Fuck,” I muttered, my mind racing. “How close are they?”

“Too damn close.” March growled. “They’ve been spotted just outside town, and it isn’t a coincidence they picked here.”

“All right,” I said, my brain shifting into high gear. “We need a plan. We can’t let them jeopardize what we got going on here, especially not now.”

“Agreed.” March nodded. “I’ve already put our boys on alert, but we need to be ready for anything.”

“Good,” I said, my thoughts swirling like a tornado. “I want you to gather intel, find out everything you can about their movements, intentions, whatever. The more we know, the better prepared we’ll be.”

“Roger that.” March saluted, his face set like stone. Some old habits were harder to get rid of than others. “I won’t let them get the drop on us.”

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