Page 8 of Savior

Comedian dropped to his knees. “You wanna put me down, son? Do it. If you think it’ll make you feel better, pull the goddamn trigger! Just know that I would never sic a bunch of deranged bikers on you and Lauren. You think I ain’t hurtin’ here? Grey was my best friend—”

“Your fucking calling card was on the casket. Explain that,” Mikey ground out through clenched teeth, pressing the barrel against Comedian’s forehead.

“What are you saying, Mikey?” I stared up at him, acutely aware that he was no longer a little boy, convinced I was giving birth to an alien. The lines on his face were more pronounced, his accusations more damning.

The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach threatened to capsize what little of me still remained.

It had been right in front of my face the entire time, but I’d refused to see it, never imagining that the man who’d been so gentle with me after the attack was capable of destroying my family.

He kept his eyes on Comedian. “Tell her. Tell her what you did.”

Comedian jerked his chin up and looked at me. “I didn’t kill him—”

Bear shoved past Zane and put himself in front of me. “You got two seconds to tell me what the fuck is goin’ on, kid” he snarled at Mikey. “From where I’m standin’ it looks like you’re holdin’ a gun on one of my brothers. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Mikey ran his tongue over his teeth with a grin. “From where you’re standing? Bear, sweetie, might be time for you to invest in a pair of glasses. Maybe if you’d had some, you would’ve seen that this piece of shit rolled over on the club. Now that I’m in charge, I’ll be taking care of it for you. Okay, pumpkin?”

Bear’s body went taut, but he remained where he was, clearly holding himself back. Whether it was out of respect for Jamie or me was anyone’s guess.

“In charge? How the fuck do you figure that… sweetie?”

Mikey cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. “I was named Pres about…” he looked down at his watch. “An hour ago. So, from where I’m standing, I call the motherfuckin’ shots.”

Still on his knees in front of us, Comedian lowered his head, shoulders shaking with laughter. “Jesus Christ, I needed a laugh. Kid’s got better jokes than me.”

He wiped at his streaming eyes and got to his feet, ignoring the gun trained on his head. “You ever consider that I might’ve been set up when you saw my card or was the idea of sendin’ me to the Reaper just too good to pass up?”

“You aren’t important enough to be set up, old man. Oh, and one more thing. If anyone here has a problem with me taking over, speak the fuck up now,” Mikey demanded.

“I do. I’m the VP—” Bear began, only to be cut off.

“No… Comedian’s the VP,” Mikey said slowly.

Comedian chuckled again. “Nah, son. I’m the SGT at Arms. Bear’s the VP, well, actin’ Pres now.”

“That’s right.” Bear said in a low voice. “So, I actually call the motherfuckin’ shots. Any changes within the club have to be approved by the officers. Seeing as to how every ranking officer was here, whatever the fuck was decided in the graveyard don’t mean shit—”

“Was this why you came here?” I asked, and the laughter around the yard stopped immediately. “You didn’t come to pay your respects, but to take over the club?”

Mikey holstered his weapon, shaking his head. “No, Celia. Just listen to me. I’ve got a plan to go after these guys—”

“You ever ridden in a club?” Bear asked. When he didn’t get a response, he sneered, “That’s what I thought. You badges are all the same… assumin’ you’re above everyone else, or that you know more. Why don’t you leave the big boy stuff to the grown-ups, okay?”

Mikey licked the flakes of ice from his lower lip with a smirk. “Big boys? Is that what you call yourselves? Jesus Christ, no wonder you couldn’t defeat the Sons. You gonna hop on your Power Wheels motorcycle and take out the bad guys?”

He held up his thumbs and drove his forefingers into Bear’s chest with a snarky, “Pew, pew! Pew, pew!”

Bear grinned and grasped Mikey’s shirt in his fist before dragging him into the yard. “Seems no one ever taught you respect, kid. I’m gonna remedy that right the fuck now.”

“You got him, Bear,” Rick called out. “Just take his legs out from under him!”

I flinched when Comedian touched my shoulder, extending my hands out in front of my body as I backed away. “Don’t touch me—”

“Celia—”

“Don’t—he trusted you.” I looked to where Bear and Mike were circling each other like boxers in a ring. Dakota’s mouth hung open in shock as she watched grown men fight over Jamie’s club like starving dogs being thrown a steak.

Take a good look around you, baby girl. This is the last of your father’s legacy going up in flames.

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