Page 44 of Acid

We laugh. “Call the prospects and tell them to come here and do clean up instead. We will meet Rage at the club when he’s done here.”

“You’re going to leave him alone with the prospects?” Hawk asks as he puts his cell to his ear to ring one of the prospects.

“Yeah, why?” Ghost shrugs.

“Jesus, the poor lads will shit themselves,” he states. He pauses, listening to his cell. “Yeah Happ, get all your asses over here and help with the clean-up. Rage is still there collecting for his hobby, but that should make it easy for you to bag up,” Hawk states before placing his cell back in his pocket.

“Anyone else in the mood for steak after seeing that?” Beast asks as we leave.

“No Hannibal, we fucking don’t.” I laugh.

We’reall sat around the table, waiting for Rage to join us before Ghost begins church. Eventually he comes in, freshly showered and dressed in clean clothes. “Sorry. Had to burn my clothes.” He shrugs. I can imagine how covered in blood he was.

Ghost wastes no time. He leans his forearms on the table, looking pissed off. Hell, we all are. “Eugene didn’t just reach out. He showed us how easy it is to get to our family, how easy it is for him to take from us, to fucking destroy us,” Ghost seethes. “I want nothing more than to go hunt him down and shoot that motherfucker right between his eyes, but I won’t because he is a smart man. he will expect us to retaliate and go in all guns blazing. He demands respect, just like Jared says. We need to play him like we are playing chess and stay one step ahead.”

“Send me to meet with him,” Spider states.

“No fucking way,” I protest.

Spider looks to me. “It’s my fucking fault that he’s doing this, it’s my fault Rhea’s kid got taken, and it will be my fucking fault for anything else he does,” Spider argues.

“He will shoot you before you can even open your mouth to speak.” Ghost growls. “You ain’t going anywhere fucking near him,” he orders.

“Listen to Pres,” I warn Spider, knowing what he’s like in fighting battles on his own. “I fucking mean it, because if you get yourself fucking killed, it will destroy my sister, then I will have to fucking kill you all over again for upsetting her,” I threaten.

Spider smirks. He knows I fucking would, as well. “I will arrange a meet. I’ll make it public, somewhere neutral, and we shall see what it is Eugene wants, or in the least deems fucking acceptable compensation for the loss of his kid.” Ghost sighs. “Although if it was me, and it was Enzo that was gone, I wouldn’t take anything less than death. I’d want them all to fucking pay.” Ghost pauses for a moment as he sits back in his chair, his thumb and index finger pinching his bottom lip. “Cash, get the amounts down for what we make in gun sales. Have the figures written down. We’ll meet with Eugene and give him a proposition, one that will be too tempting to refuse,” Ghost suggests.

“Not being funny Pres, but we hand over our gun sales and contacts to him, that is a lot of fucking money this club will lose out on,” Cash informs him.

Ghost looks at him and nods. “I know, but for the sake of everyone being alive, the kids going unharmed and safe, I would give him the shirt off my fucking back if he demanded it. We still have other avenues, and we still have the legal businesses. Plus, the new tattoo studio which will eventually bring in more money,” he points out. “Unless anyone else comes up with another idea, I don’t think we’ve got much choice.”

“What are we telling them?” Hawk asks, gesturing his head to the bar on the other side of the door.

Ghost sighs and rubs his face. “That’s where I’m fucking torn. I want to make this club business, and I want to keep them out of it. However, after today Eugene has made it pretty fucking clear that he will drag them into it, if he has to. I want them protected, and I want them cautious.”

Cash smirks. “I don’t think you need to worry about Star. She can handle her own.”

Ghost huffs out a laugh. “And that’s what terrifies me.” He pauses. “Fuck it, get Queenie to take the kids outside to play for a while. Let’s sit them down and tell them what’s happening right now and get it fucking over with,” he says. Standing, he slams the gavel down, calling an end to the meeting.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

RHEA

“Mom, get off me,”Oliver protests as I check his face, arms, and legs one more time.

“I’m just making sure that you’re okay.” I tell him, kissing his cheeks again.

He scrunches his face up in protest and tries to shove me off. “Mom! Cool it! I’m fine. You’re embarrassing me in front of the club,” he moans.

“Hey Olly, come and help me look after the little ones in the play area outside for a minute,” Queenie says as she takes the pram with both Enzo and Maisy in.

The guys all enter the bar area with serious looks on their faces.

“Uh-oh. This doesn’t look good,” Star mutters beside me. They stand there waiting for Queenie to leave with the kids and as soon as the door shuts behind her, Star speaks out, jumping in before they can. “So what, or who, are a threat to us this time? And I will speak for all of us when I say we are not locking down. Just give us all a gun to carry for our own safety until you kill whoever is the threat,” she sighs with exasperation.

“Woman, shut up and listen,” Ghost growls.

Star raises her perfect brow at him. He’s going to pay for that later. “My apologies, do continue, Casper.” She smiles.

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