Page 14 of In It for the Long Ride

“Would it make you feel better if I stayed and watched the two of you pay for the patch I wear?”

“Mom. Mom, please…” Nikki begged, as I returned to my message and hit send.

Just as I did, Sue knocked the phone out of my hand and landed a slap to the side of my face.

The sting exploded across the side of my face and knocked my composure right out of me.

“Do you want her to be traded like Easy’s wife? That woman will end up sold like livestock and guess what, Sue? There ain't shit me or anybody can do about it. Everyone around me is going to end up in jail, or worse yet, in the fucking ground. Is that what you want for her? For your girl? Damn it, Sue. Go!” I roared, until Nikki grabbed her mother and started shoving her toward the door.

I kicked the kitchen chair and sent it spinning and flipping into the living room.

“Fuck!” I barked, gripping two handfuls of hair.

I gripped until tension lit up my scalp and forced myself to slowly let go and exhale.

I moved to the counter and fiddled with the knob on the radio until a random song started to fuzzily tune in. I didn’t give a shit that it wasn’t clear, I just wanted to avoid the silence.

I had to stay focused, so I kept myself moving. I searched the entire house from top to bottom, throwing shit around like it was some kind of prison shakedown. Everything of interest was laid on the kitchen table. When I finished, I had what was left of the quarter ounce of pot I’d bought off Easy. Seventy thousand dollars in cash. Two Rugers, a pump-action twelve-gauge, two AR pistols, and a long body AR. I had enough ammo to hold the county at bay for a night or two piled into a duffle bag on the chair. Setting neatly in front of all of that were two bar-shapedpills I’d discovered in Nikki’s room. I assumed it to be Xanax, but I wasn’t a pharmaceutical expert.

Whatever it was, I doubted there was a prescription for it, so it had to go.

Just as I was reaching for them, the door popped open and Easy sauntered inside, leading a procession of brothers with him. He saluted me with his chin and jerked a chair away from the table to promptly plant his ass in. He was already wearing sunglasses, despite the fact that there were still stars littering the sky and the rooster hadn’t found time to crow yet. Banshee and Demon were standing just inside the doorway. They were staring at the chaos like it was the first time they’d ever seen anything like it.

“The fucks wrong with you two, you ain’t never seen nobody clean house?” I grunted.

“Cle– This is cleaning house?” Demon asked, while staring at the scattered pile of fingernail polish containers and scratch tickets that were spread in front of Sue’s recliner.

Easy quietly choked back laughter.

“Fuckin’ kids,” he apologetically sighed, while staring at me.

I nodded; it was true. Demon and some of them other new guys had a lot to learn where criminality was concerned.

“The fuck is going on? Why are you cleaning house, brother?” Easy sniffed, flipping his glasses up to rest on top of his head.

“Well, I’m gonna tell ya. But, I’ll only do it after you’ve all agreed that no one will act on what I say, and no one will repeat it to anyone who isn’t standing in this room.” I’d made up my mind.

“What about the rest of the club?” Demon chirped.

I dropped my head and rubbed the stubble on my face. Mark was an original disciple. He had more rights to know what I knew, than I did. And yet, I knew in my heart he would solve things in the quickest, and worst way possible. He’d send Makwith a message that neither Demetri, nor Chicago would ever forget. He’d kill Crystal and Oak both, to hell with the blow back.

“I said what I said.” I cleared my throat and stared Easy dead in the eyes.

The stare-down spanned for damn near an entire minute, before he slowly shifted his head up and down, agreeing to my terms. I knew he would, he had only recently recovered from the bullet wound Mark had gifted him.

“Good, let’s get it over with then.” I grabbed the bottom of my shirt, hauled it over my head and threw it to the floor. I undid my belt with a quickness that left most of them staring at me gaped jawed. Once I was in my underwear and making grabby hands at Easy, gesturing for him to now give me his clothes, they caught on. Well, two of them.

“Jesus Fucking Christ,” Easy breathed.

“Are you fucking serious, right now?” Demon spat.

I raised my finger to my lips and maintained eye contact with Demon.

“I swear to fuck,” he seethed.

His jaw set and his eyes turned dangerously cold as he stripped and bared himself, proving he had no wire or recording devices on his person.

Banshee looked confused, but slowly did the same.

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