Page 35 of Tarnished

“Bringing you all to the table today because Joey, Alejandro, and I came up with a plan regarding the remaining Bradley family members.” I looked over at him. While the main players had been taken out, there were still a couple running around that could easily rebuild everything. They were underground and hiding a little too fucking well. Alejandro couldn’t find them, and I knew the Cartel leader’s patience was wearing extremely thin.

Sam looked at Vern. “You’ll be going underground with Emmanuel,” Sam informed him. Vern grunted, looking a bit pensive. I guessed it now made sense why Alejandro wanted Vern here. “Emmanuel is a good guy. Quiet but he gets the job done. He’ll be a good partner for you.”

“Wasn’t good enough to keep Tank from being kidnapped,” Gin snapped at Sam, his muscles tensing.

Vern sighed, frowning at Gin. Sam arched a brow at our treasurer. “He was good enough to get Beck and Clarke to safety as Tank requested,” he emphasized. “They were greatly outnumbered, and he managed to make sure Beck and Clarke were safe, got back home, and didn’t see a single bit of the carnage. He understands the missions he’s given, and he executes them perfectly.”

“He’s right,” I told Gin quietly. “I told him not to save me if it meant Beck and Clarke might not make it.”

Gin clenched his jaw. “And you all trust him?” Gin demanded. He looked at me, valuing my opinion. “You trust him to watch Vern’s back? He may be from another club, but he’s fucking family. None of us want to see what happened to you happen to someone else, Tank.”

I nodded once. “I trust him. I would be fighting this if I didn’t,” I promised him.

Gin sighed before leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He nodded once at River and Sam, not looking happy about it but giving in nonetheless. I clapped a hand to his shoulder before digging back into my breakfast.

“Emmanuel will be here in three days,” River informed Vern. Vern nodded once, his face unreadable. “Alejandro will have a plan for you by then, and he’ll lay out everything for the two of you.”

“How underground am I going?” Vern asked.

“No outside communication until the job is done,” River told him.

Vern clenched his jaw, and my hand tightened around the fork I was holding. Vern had become something like a real brother to me since I’d been rescued. We’d grown close since he walked into my hospital room, bringing Clarke and Beck food. And now, my brother was about to go completely radio silent.

“If we need help?” Vern asked.

“Alejandro has informed us he’ll have a plan in place for that,” Sam told him. “We won’t leave you without help, brother. You know that. But these assholes have to be wiped out. You have military training that none of us have—not to your extent.” Holden did, but Vern had been a SEAL. He was deadly and could shut his emotions off like a fucking light switch. Holden had been an infantryman, and while that was still deadly as fuck, he didn’t have the extra training Vern did.

Vern nodded once before pushing back from the table, agitation suddenly riding every move he made. “We done here?”

River nodded and slammed his gavel on the table. Vern left the room, and a moment later, I heard the clubhouse doors slam. River sighed. “I don’t want to send him,” River told us. “But he’s our only option if we want to do this safely and correctly the first time around. My hands are tied.”

“We know,” Holden quietly spoke up. “But you’re right—he’s the best option. And Tank, Clarke, and Beck deserve to have this wiped away. Vern will come around.”

I finished off my food before standing from the table. “Let me go talk to him.”

Sam and River nodded at me. I headed out of the chapel. Clarke was washing dishes in the kitchen when I stepped in. She looked over at me as she passed Beck a plate to dry. “Is Vern okay?”

I shrugged and handed her my plate. “I don’t know, little one. He was just informed he’s going underground and radio silent in three days to take out the rest of the Bradley family.”

Her eyes filled with worry for him. Fuck, she was such a caretaker. I loved that about her. “Do you think he’ll be okay?” she softly asked.

I nodded. “He’ll be okay, little one. He was in the military—SEAL. He knows what he’s doing. But I know he never wanted to do shit like this again. I’m going to go talk to him, and then we can have cuddles after, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay,” she said quietly. “He can join us to watch a movie, if he wants.”

I smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Alright, little one.”

I headed out of the kitchen and went outside. Vern was sitting on the ground, his back leaning against the side of the clubhouse. He had a blunt between his lips. I grunted as I settled beside him, and he passed me the blunt silently so I could take a hit.

“I’d go if I could,” I told him quietly.

He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, Tank,” he muttered. “You’re still trying to get all your strength back, and Beck and Clarke need you here. They can’t handle you being silent on them again. They were fucking wrecks, even if Beck did his best to wear a mask around all of us.” He leaned his head back against the building. “Just didn’t want to ever do this shit again. Not sure if my PTSD can handle it.” He looked at me. “Doesn’t take shit to trigger it all again.”

I nodded. “Trust me, I fucking know.” I brought my knees up, resting my arms on them, my hands dangling in front of me. “Clarke is worried about you leaving.”

He chuckled and shook his head, raising the blunt to his lips again. “Your girl worries too much.”

I snorted. “Tell me about it.” I bumped his shoulder with mine. “I know you’re sort of being forced to go, but I appreciate you doing this,” I told him quietly. “It means a fucking lot. Beck and Clarke need this.”

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