Page 52 of Doozer

“Trouble may not need you. Hell, she may not need anyone. But she sure as shit loves you. That’s easy to see. And I don’t know what she’s going through in the least bit, but I’d bet the club, she’d be able to face it better if you were there to remind her how strong she is.”

“Thanks, Prez. I don’t know what to say.”

“This isn’t a vacation. Just a layover on a business trip. Got it?”

“Loud and clear,” I replied.

“Good, ’cause there’s one more thing you need to take care of before you go and you aren’t gonna like it.”

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Kitty’s just brought me up to speed with this land deal your father’s involved with.”

“Yeah, I already talked to him about it. He offered me a job. It’s nothing. Just family drama bullshit. I told him to fuck off.”

“Yeah, well it seemsyourfamily drama has now becomeourfamily drama.”

“How so?”

“Do you know who your father’s doing business with?”

I frowned. “All I know is he got Judge Snodgrass to greenlight a project with some company called Mayflower something or other—”

“A land development deal,” Minus said.

“Yeah,” I confirmed.

“Do you happen to know where that land is located?”

“Dad never mentioned it, so why would I care where the land is located?” I bit out.

“You’d care if you knew that Judge Snodgrass is attempting to claim imminent domain on the land the Burning Saints currently call the Sanctuary.”

“What the fuck?”

“And that’s not all, junior. If what Kitty’s shown me is correct, the Mayflower Development Corporation is backed entirely by the Beast.”

“How often is Kitty wrong?” I asked, my heart dropping.

“Never. Which is why I need you to squash this shit.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” I asked.

“He’s your father,” Minus said. “You need to give it to him straight for his own protection as well as the club’s. I don’t know why he’s in bed with the Beast, or how much he knows about them, but if you can’t convince him to pull the plug on this deal, I’m gonna have to get involved.”

Minus didn’t have to say anything more.

“I’ll take care of this tonight,” I said.

“Good. Now go borrow someone else’s suit and help Elwood in the painting booth before he fucks up another order.”

I gave Minus a nod and did as I was told.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Doozer

ISAT OUTSIDE my parents’ house and revved my bike’s engine as loud as I could. My father came rushing out of the house scowling, followed by mother. Her hands covering her ears.

---