Page 121 of The Good Girl

“Then I came here and realized there are good brothers here. Some of you just lost your way.” The room quiets more.

“Hannibal is going to be your new president. I’m sure those who don’t know him have heard of his reputation. I dare you to fuck with him.”

“I won’t be letting shit fly, so if you don’t want to get this club back to where it should be, then leave now. There’s the door. Nobody will stop you, but this is the only shot you get. If you stay, you’re agreeing to me being your president. You’re agreeing to abide by my rules and do as I ask to make this club formidable once more,” Hannibal warns them.

“How come you’re making an outsider president?” someone calls from the back of the room.

“Because I don’t think any of you are up to the job.”

“And you think you’re the right person to make that decision?” Someone snorts but shuts up when they realize nobody is joining in.

“I honestly don’t give a shit what any of you think, but I’ll remind you just this once. I’m the President of the Mother Chapter of Raven Souls. Either learn respect, or I’m burning this club to the ground. I do not give a fuck. I owe you nothing.”

“The fact he’s giving this club a second chance is more than you deserve, but by all means, piss the boss off. See how that works out for you.” Hannibal laughs, a cold, cruel sound that has people stepping back.

“We hear you, Havoc.” Elmo steps forward. “There is a lot of shit you don’t know. Shit I’ve only just found out about. I’ll tell you everything later, but you need to know that Khan was a traitor to us all. He didn’t deserve to wear the Raven Souls patch. Every word out of his mouth was a fucking lie. I’ve been investigating him since Havoc was last here.”

Shuffling and surprise in the crowd now.

“Khan was embezzling money from the club. I found an offshore account in his name with just over a million dollars in it. I’ve also found direct ties to him and at least half of the missing girls.”

“Oh shit,” someone curses. I hear a couple of women crying, but I ignore it. The openly angry faces now look shell-shocked.

“Driller was working directly with Khan. I don’t know if he knew about the money. It seems unlikely because he’d have demanded a share of his own. But money was never Driller’s motivation. He’s a bully and a narcissist.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lola flinch.

“He is the loose end right now. He is considered an enemy of the club. If any of you offer him safe harbor, you’ll answer to Hannibal. And if there is anything left of you, you’ll answer to me.”

“What about Lola? She’s carrying his kid. He’ll come back for her.”

Hannibal squeezes Lola’s shoulders. “Lola is mine.” His hand slides down to cover her belly. “This baby is mine. If Driller comes for either of them, I’ll gut him like a fish before I show him how I got my name.”

Nobody argues. It looks like they do have some common sense between them, after all.

“I’ll pick who I want on the cabinet at a later date. I need to talk to you all first and see who I think will work best where. The only exception is Byte. I’m making you my VP. You know this club, the brothers, and the town. You get the delightful job of being my voice of reason.” He grins at Byte, who nods.

“If that’s what you need. I’ve stood by for too long and watched as Khan took the club I loved and turned it into something I barely recognize. If Hannibal says he can bring us back to glory, I’ll happily stand beside him.”

“Good.” I turn to Hannibal and clap him on the shoulder. “Good luck, brother. Remember, I’m only a phone call away.”

My eyes drop to the woman in his grip. “Lola.”

She looks up at me. Her expression is pained.

“We’re never going to be friends, not after what you did. But I can let bygones be bygones if you treat Hannibal better than you did me.”

Her eyes flood with tears, but she doesn’t answer.

“Don’t worry about me, Havoc. Lola knows exactly what I’ll do to her if she crosses me.”

I swallow down my retort. Hannibal might be a psycho in his own right, but I have enough faith in him that he won’t push things too far. Besides, Lola’s alternative is Driller, and he won’t settle for mind games. He beat her black and blue for the fun of it.

I turn, wanting to get home to Nevaeh. Dice is coming home today, and something tells me she might smother him if I don’t rein her in. I say my goodbyes and leave. Hoops, who was waiting with the bikes, joins me as I pull out. It’s a cautionary move. Until Driller is found, I don’t want anyone riding alone.

We ride straight through, not stopping until we reach the gates of the compound. Kieran, who now goes by Powers thanks to his stint as a spy, opens them for us, waving us through. I stop and wait for him to close the gate behind us.

I lift my visor and wait for him to approach. “You settling in okay?”

“Nevaeh got me set up and made sure I knew where everything was.”

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