Page 37 of Protector

I turned back to Comedian. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how this looks, right? Wasn’t too long ago that Hawk rolled over on us.”

His jaw clenched, but he nodded. “Ain’t ever laid a hand on your Ol’ Lady, Pres. Ain’t ever gonna turn on the club. It was a mistake keepin’ what happened from you—”

The list of shit I couldn’t fix only seemed to grow longer, and I damn sure wasn’t going to go out surrounded by family, but fate had presented one opportunity that I sure as fuck planned on taking.

I tightened my posture as I walked over to stand in front of him. “A mistake that’s gonna cost ya, I’m afraid. Bear, relieve him of his kutte.”

Comedian’s nostrils flared as he stripped it off and tossed it to Bear. “Do you know what she said as she bled out on the bathroom floor? She apologized and said it shouldn’t have been us dealin’ with her. As if she was something that needed to be dealt with—nothin’ more than garbage. She could’ve asked for anything at that moment, and I would’ve given it to her.”

I squared my shoulders and cracked my neck just as Bear’s fist struck Comedian’s mouth. “Think it’s time for you to shut the fuck up.”

He straightened and wiped the blood from his mouth with a grin. “So, that’s it? I’m out?”

I wanted to knock his teeth down his throat. He’d been there for my wife, and I hadn’t. It should’ve been me.

He’d known how bad it was and kept it from me while pissing away the opportunity to be a father to a kid I would’ve laid down my life for.

Life had been kind to Comedian.

Where was the justice in that?

“No,” I finally responded, surprising even Bear. “Told you years ago that if your Ol’ Lady couldn’t keep my girl’s name out of her mouth, I’d knock you back down to prospect. Well, guess what, asshole? I wasn’t lyin’.”

His eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “Fair’s fair.”

“You can earn your patch, same as the other prospects. Oh, and your boy ain’t ever gonna wear a kutte. I’ve cleaned up after him once, and I ain’t doin’ it again.”

Comedian spat blood onto the concrete. “What’s he supposed to do then?”

I clenched and unclenched my fist. “According to his mama, he wants to go into law enforcement.” Before he could interject, I added, “Let him. You never know when it might benefit the club.”

He gave me a blood-stained grin in response.

If I had it my way, the club would never once need to lean on Mikey. But my way had led to this.

To death.

To destruction.

It ended tonight.

“Make sure he and his Ol’ Lady are on board,” I directed. “Bear, you’re in charge.”

If I wanted, I could’ve forced him to pass Betsy around the club as punishment, but knowing her, she would’ve enjoyed it.

Mikey was going to be okay; I’d made sure of it. That had to be enough.

I sucked in lungfuls of air when I stepped outside, grateful for the rare chill left behind from the late afternoon thunderstorm. The clubhouse sat right on the border, in the middle of Big Bend; the park I’d always thought of when someone mentioned the Wild West.

When I was a kid, I’d imagined myself patrolling the river-carved canyons on horseback, searching for bad guys to wrangle up. As an adult, I knew that there were no good guys left in these parts. We were all villains, searching for a place to hide.

The cooler weather reminded me of the night Katydid had come into the world. I’d held Celia’s hands as she panted through each contraction. The minute the pain let up, she’d dozed off against my arm, completely unaware of the sweat that ran down her face.

Just like the night she’d lost our baby.

The tears I’d been holding back now fell in rapid succession; causing my entire body to jerk as I fought against the sharp pain in my chest.

I staggered around the back of the clubhouse and toward the river, knowing it wouldn’t be long before they came looking for me. The muddy brown water of the Rio Grande flowed just feet below me.

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