Page 105 of Dagger

Plus, I had a feeling I knew who the prez after Cash would be.

Kai, the oldest son of the youngest son.

He had the right temperament. He was family-oriented, smart, and fair. But most of all, he was born to be prez. The club was in his blood and bones, and it was the one place he felt he belonged.

The legacy would be in safe hands with Kai.

And I didn’t care that Bandit was likely rolling in his grave at the idea.

But first, we needed to ensure we had a club to give him.

We had to keep the legacy safe for him and future generations, or what was the point?

A loud roar went up from the brothers the second we entered the bar.

It was a packed house. Brothers stood, lining the walls because there wasn’t a spare seat left in the room. The early morning sun shone through the windows, picking out the light and casting shadows in the corners. The smell of coffee filled the air, and laughter, hoots, and hollers filled the ether, conveying a sense of impatience within the four walls.

My boys wanted some action.

They fuckin’ lived for it.

We filed up to the makeshift stage, where three tables had been placed side by side to make one long one. Coffee cups sat waiting for us, no doubt put there by Billy just before we entered if the steam floating up from them was any indication to go by.

The officers sat, their stares glued to me as I stood front and center to address my brethren.

“Brothers,” I began, holding my hand up in a silent command to settle the fuck down.

When silence eventually fell, I continued, “At approximately eleven hundred hours, the Feds will move in on Robert Henderson’s operation by freezing his bank accounts. Barrington, the owner of the bank, will not be available to take his calls, neither will his lawyer, nor his business manager, seeing as they’ve all turned rat on him to save their own asses. I think we can safely assume, boys, it’s the beginning of the end.”

I couldn’t help laughing as the men stood and began howling to the moon. They were fuckin’ crazy, and I wouldn't have them any other way.

I held my hand up again, waiting for silence to fall once more before I continued.

“First on the agenda is the fact that it’s more than likely we’re gonna get caught in the fallout of what’s about to go down. We’re here today ‘cause we need to be prepared for it.”

Mutters of agreement floated through the room.

“You need to assess your families’ safety and decide a way forward. If you feel they’re compromised, send ‘em on vacation for a week. You can bring ‘em into the club, but it’s likely they’ll attack us, so make sure you think it through.”

“Do you think the Sinners will go after our families?’ someone called out.

I rubbed my beard thoughtfully. “Up to now, they’ve only gone after the officers’ families ‘cause Bear’s issue with the club is personal. Back in the day, I had beef with Thrash and beat his ass on more than one occasion. I also killed Bear’s granddaddy when the sick fuck snatched Abe’s old lady. To go after all our loved ones would be a big operation and use up a lotta manpower they haven’t got, so, no, I don’t think it’s on their agenda, but I’d rather you’re safe than sorry when it comes to your wives and kids. Think about what it would be like if the Sinners did nab any of them.”

“We can look after ourselves,” a man yelled.

“Amen to that,” somebody concurred.

“I don’t doubt it, boys,” I fired back. “You’re all here ‘cause you’re the best of the best, and you’ve proven to be more than capable of protecting yourselves and this club. But we all know the best way to make us scramble would be to hit us where it hurts and take out what’s most precious to us.”

More murmurs of assent went up.

I turned my head and jerked my chin at Abe.

He stood and came to stand beside me. “If your families wanna go to the beach or the mountains, we can arrange it. Virginia’s also a good option ‘cause Hendrix’s clubhouse is a big ol’ hotel situated on the Potomac River, and it’s safe. We can cover flights and sub you some cake to give ‘em if you need it. Just make sure to come and see me after the meeting.” He turned and went back to his seat.

I nodded to Atlas and Cash, who stood and walked around the table, passing me as I followed in Abe’s direction and slid my ass into my chair. Sitting back, I folded my arms across my chest and waited.

“Right then, boys,” Atlas boomed as he perched his ass on the edge of the desk. “It’s time to put all our trainin’ into action.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward Kit, who remained sitting at the table. “After Breaker’s little trip down EOD memory lane the other day, he’s winning our ‘shoot the Sinner’ competition, but never fear, Atlas is here, and I’ll encourage any man who reckons he can overtake him.” Atlas waited for the hoots and hollers from the men to die down before continuing. “Now, I may or may not have laid my grubby mitts on a couple of M2 .50-calibers, who wants first dibs?”

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