Page 137 of Stone

“I say we hand the weed off,” I suggested. “It makes us no money, and it’s more trouble than it’s worth. If we’d have done it two years ago, like I said we should, we wouldn’t be here now.”

“The vote went against ya,” Pop muttered.

“That vote was bullshit, and you know it,” I retorted. “It got denied by three slips. All your cronies who wouldn’t welcome change and modernization if it sucked their balls.”

“Nothin’ wrong with tradition, Son,” Dad challenged.

“You’re right,” I snapped. “Tradition’s a wonderful thing, but not in business, when the rest of the world’s evolving, and we’restill stuck where we were twenty years ago, talkin’ about the good old days. There’s more at stake now. The Sinners don’t live by the same moral codes we do. Women and kids aren’t off-limits to them. They don’t give a fuck about how they get what they want.”

Dad’s face twisted into a snarl. “They touch our property, and they die. No debate. No Church. No vote.”

“Agreed,” I muttered. “But in the meantime, I’m calling for the lockdown of the ol’ ladies and kids over at HQ two point oh. I’d like for the originals to head over, too. There’s safety in numbers; shit’s gettin’ hot, and I, for one, don’t want fire to rain down on Adele or the boys. Made a vow to protect her, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

Dad gave a nod. “Vote on movin’ all operations over to John’s place. All in favor, raise your hands.”

All hands went up, except two.

“Vote passed,” Bandit confirmed. “Pack your bags, boys, were goin’ on a little vacay. That was all I called Church for, but is there any other business?”

Silence.

Pop smashed the gavel onto the table again. “Church dismissed.”

Chairs scraped across wooden planks as we stood and headed to the door. Just as Abe reached for the handle, it swung open to reveal our new prospect standing in the hallway.

“Stone. Abe. Parkin’ lot. Dell’s askin’ for ya both.”

Abe shot me a look, before stomping out of Church and heading down the corridor. Mind whirring, I sped after him at pace until we burst into the bar and through the doors.

My feet faltered at the sight before me.

Adele was screeching nine-to-the-dozen at Tex, while Elise stood, bouncing a crying Xander on her hip.

Something slid through my chest, and my throat burned.

Seeing her like that, with my son, threw me for a loop. The tender way she looked at him before her green eyes clashed with mine settled something inside me, which had been out of whack since the day I left for deployment.

It was beautiful.

“Jesus,” Abe breathed from next to me.

Adele caught sight of us, and I saw her shoulders slump. “I can’t find Iris,” she called out. “She was meant to meet me and Xander at Main Street and bring us back here, but she didn’t show. I called your house, but there was no reply. She’s disappeared.”

Darkness slithered through my gut.

Iris was the most reliable person I knew. If she said she’d be somewhere, she’d show and wouldn’t be a minute late.

“What time was she supposed to meet ya?” I barked.

Dell wrung her hands. “Noon.”

Abe cursed from beside me. “Hour and twenty minutes ago. I’ll check the house.”

“No,” I muttered, summoning the prospect with a chin lift. “Give Tiny your key. He’ll go.”

“What if she’s hurt?” Abe rasped.

I turned and rested a hand on both his shoulders. “Brother. Tiny was a medic. If your ol’ lady’s hurt, he’ll call 911, and we can be there in ten minutes.”

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