Page 53 of Ordinary Girl

I watch her leave with Cady, watch her straddle Cady’s bike, cling onto the grab rail as they speed out of the compound. I missed seeing her by minutes, and I’m pissed at that. We haven’t spoken since last night. Since we did what we did, and I need to see her. Speak to her. She’s all I can fucking think about, and I’m not used to this shit.

“Where are they off to?” I ask Kit. He’s giving Skip’s bike the once over, several cloths flung over his shoulder, smudges of engine oil on his face.

“No idea. They practically came running out of the clubhouse, jumped on Cady’s bike and sped out of here.”

Disappointment floods through me, and I take a deep breath, what the fuck is wrong with me?

“Hey, Joel!” I look over at the clubhouse, at Skip standing in the doorway jerking his head back to beckon me over. “I need a word… Kit?”

“Yes, boss?”

“Meeting in half an hour. Get everyone rounded up.”

I head toward Skip, I need to focus now. “What’s up?”

“My office.”

Once inside, Skip closes the door and I lean back against the wall, arms crossed.

“Emil Renard,” Skip starts, pacing the floor, his hands in his pockets. “We’ve got a bit more information, from Rik.”

“Anything useful?”

Skip stops pacing. “Turns out Emil Renard wasn’t always quite so high up in the organized crime world. Word has it he was on the other end of that shit, to begin with. Owed a lot of dangerous people a lot of money, and Christ knows what he did to pay it all off, but he managed it, and now he’s running the fucking Balke family. But that’s about all we know. All Rik and his contacts can come up with, so far. Seems like Renard’s kept himself pretty much off the radar, until now. But we need eyes on him, Joel. Eyes on Sofia’s old house. We need to watch him. We need to know if he’s got some kind of problem with us.”

“Why? What the fuck have we done to him? We’d never even heard of the guy until yesterday.”

“Well, we know about him now.”

“Is he moving in on our territory? Is that it? Is he here to set up something for the Balke family?”

“We don’t know. That’s why we need to watch him. I’m also calling in some of the other Viking chapters, in case we need back up. We need to be focused here, Joel. Okay? We still need eyes on the Hawks, we can’t let our guard down. We all need to be focused.”

“Okay.”

“’Cause I don’t think your head’s been in the right place for a while now. You want to tell me why?”

Huh?Myhead hasn’t been in the right place? Is he fucking kidding me? “My head’s fine, Skip. I’m focused.”

Skip’s eyes narrow. “You sure about that?”

“I’m sure.”

He lets a beat pass. “Good. Go help Kit round everyone up, let’s get this meeting started.”

Once back outside, I take a minute to catch my breath, and I know that all this shit with Ana, I need to take a step back. I should leave it alone, for so many reasons. She’s too fragile, and I’m too fucked up to be that man. I’m done…

I know what I’m doing. Something I should’ve done a long time ago, and the fact it’s taken this long, that’s my fault. It’s all on me. I left it too late, and the consequences of that are something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. But I’m dealing with it. With them. And some people may question the way I’m going about this, but it’s the only way I know how. It’s my way, and it will work, I’ll make sure of that. I’m here to take back what belongs to me. I’m here to fight for what’s mine, but I’m under no illusion it’s going to be easy. That’s why I need help. And the people I’ve chosen to give me that help… if they knew the truth, the reason why I chose them, they may not see things so favorably. Which is why I’m keeping them in the dark for as long as it takes because, if truth be told, I’m using them. That’s a much more accurate way of describing things. They’re a means to an end, nothing more. For everything to work out I’d needed them to trust me, first and foremost, and it was hard, making them think I trustedthemwhen they’re as much to blame for what happened as the Viking Bandits. They both played their part. Both fucked with my world: my life, and both need to pay. But, for now, I’m playing a longer game. Slow and steady. I’m making sure I know all I need to know before I strike, although, in reality, I’ve already started. And I’m well aware that they could all come for me, once it’s done: once they find out the truth, but I’m ready for that. I have people, so they’d be wise to believe me when I tell them how powerful I really am: people who do shit thatI have no appetite getting involved in, personally. I have more men than anyone dare think about, a network of people stretching through several continents, all ready at a moment’s notice to do whatever I ask them to. The power I have is immense. So I’m not worried about anyone coming for me. Those clubs, they won’t exist when this is over. When I have what I want; what I came here for, they’ll be done. All of them…

Twenty-Two

Ana

“Told you he’d sign off on it.” Cady sets the menu down on the table and sits back in her chair. “Easy!”

“I have to admit, I didn’t think things would move so fast.”

We only went looking at properties two days ago, finding the perfect one on the main drag into town, just a few minutes away from the compound. A small but pretty little store that was once a florists. It sits on the same street as the Viking-owned tattoo and piercing studio, and I’m beginning to think this club owns far too much of this town. Does nobody see that? It’s a whole other world I’m living in, and I’m still not used to it. I don’t think I ever will be.

---