Page 136 of Frisco

He gave a firm nod, stepping back with Crow’s guy.

After that, it was time to clear the air. I was prepared for some digging to happen tonight.

Six feet down.

“Let’s have church.”

Everyone filed into the main warehouse after me. Crow’s guys stood to one side while mine went to the other. Roadie and Corvette lined the doors. Boise took my right side. I saw Claudia lurking in the background, but since this wasn’t actual church for us, I let her stay. Machete moved from her side, stepping in line with our other guys.

He raised his chin up, asking me, his eyes steady, “What are you doing, Boss?”

I motioned to Crow’s guys. “Your president called us here, for your charter. We were told there were members of your charter that we couldn’t trust. I was supposed to move in, take over, and suss out the guys who bled Red Demon and those who don’t. Now I’ve got the beginning of a war against the cartel happening under my watch, right here, and they tried taking my woman. Who knows. Maybe they got to Shelly and might get her in the end, but what I do know is that the fuck I want to be here when I should be on the road, riding to save my woman and her friends, and then after that, moving forward against the Estrada Cartel. Want to know what I’m doing instead? I’m here dealing with your charter’s politics. Who doesn’t bleed Red here? Let’s deal with this shit now. I got no time for politics.”

They were all quiet.

My guys looked resigned.

Crow stood in the back, and a lot of his guys kept sending him looks.

“Jesus, Crow. Your guys are giving you the call to step up for them. You are their current acting president. What do you have to say?”

He took a breath, also looking resigned, and stepped forward from the crowd. “You’re kinda blowing up my spot.”

“I don’t have time to deal with it. Estrada came to your charter, not where Prez was. Yours. I want to know why and I want to know why my woman and her people were targeted. Start talking or we’re doing shit the hard way.”

His eyes narrowed. “You want to run that by me? What ‘hard way’?”

I shook my head. “I don’t have time for this, but I’m sure as shit not going to ride into another fight and worry about who's got my back. We cut your group out and magically, we were able to get two of their hostages back. Doubt that’s a fucking coincidence.”

One of the other guys spoke up, “Our president called you in?”

“Yeah. I mean it, guys. Start talking or we’re cutting all of you and starting new. I do not give one shit what that might mean moving forward. Every second we’re not on the road, is a second my other brothers are going into a fight without us at their backs. START. FUCKING. TALKING!”

“It’s Crow.”

“Rash!”

“I’m sorry, but it is.” Rash stepped forward, looking tired. “You’re my cousin, but it’s you. Some of the guys know, some don’t. You set up Prez. He went to prison covering your ass, he just didn’t know it was you. But I do.”

“Rash, I swear to God–” Crow launched himself at him, but he was caught by some of his own men.

Rash didn’t jump back. He didn’t react. He just seemed tired, that same resigned look coming from him too. He jerked his chin toward Crow. “It’s him. He was selling to minors, which is against club policy. He roped in about five others in the club. When it fell apart, they planted evidence on Prez, who was getting suspicious. I got proof of it all.”

“You’re goddamn fucking lying!”

Rash barely blinked, just shaking his head. “I heard you. You called Marco Estrada. I heard you the first time, and after that, I made sure to hear all the other times. You told him about the vote. He showed up when he did because you also told him the national VP was coming our way. He came in, sussed everything out, and left. You told him who Ghost’s woman was, and that she had friends that they were going to Fallen Crest to meet. You gave him the location. You gave him the time. You told him everything, but when they fucked up, you also fucked up. You gave them too much, and a man like that, Marco Estrada, he’s a snake. He’s always going to turn on you. Mark my words.”

“You’re the snake.” Crow was glowering, but one by one his men were starting to distance themselves from him.

“I got it all on tape. Like I said, it was luck when I caught the first call. I was pissing outside and you hadn’t closed the window. Dumb luck on my part, but the rest, yeah. I made sure to put something on your phone. Got all your calls recorded. Some of that shit no one needs to hear.”

That was enough. That was all I needed to hear. I stepped forward. “You got the proof here?”

He nodded, closing his eyes a moment, his shoulders slumping. He reached into his pocket, brought his phone out, and after a second of fiddling on the screen, Crow’s voice sounded out. “Yeah. They did a vote. The whole club is leaving. They’re deserting you. All of them. But those of us loyal, Señor Estrada, we weren’t given the proper chance to voice our feelings on the matter. I guarantee you that there’s more than just me who don’t want to stop working for you. I promise you that.”

Marco’s voice was next, eerily calm. “You like the money, but I need more proof than your word before I make a move.”

“YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHI–”

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