Page 36 of Property of Chaos

He tilts his head, attempting to read the cover.

I twist it away, concealing my woman’s secrets beneath my arm.

“You know you make me not trust you when you do shit like that.” My VP sighs, tugging out a seat near the head of the table.

As though on cue, Circus leads Darko and Highway into the room. The road captain, secretary, and tail gunner take their respective spots at the table, terse silence hanging thick in the air.

Darko sets his iPad on the table, then lifts his flip knife from his pocket to fidget with the blade. “What did we miss?” His shrewd gaze shifts from me to Jinx.

Whereas any of the other men wouldn’t think to ask the question—foul moods between brothers being nothing unusual around here—Darko effortlessly catches the vibe of the room with a sick hunger for conflict.

I lifted the kid off the streets after he bit some guy’s ear off.

It’s fair to say he thirsts for blood.

“You didn’t miss anything.” Jinx glances at the book beneath my arm as I slide it free and close the pages. “I’m sure Chaos will share anything relevant to the club once church is in session.”

Fang’s booming laugh precedes the sergeant at arms entering the square room with Loki and Crow. The final three committee members take their seats, Crow closing the door behind him before he does, canceling most of the noise from the heart of the clubhouse.

“Ready?” I tip my chin at Darko.

He pockets his knife and wakes the iPad. “Sure.” As secretary, it’s his job to take minutes.

Truth be told, he got the job because he’s three times as fast on the fucking thing as any of us, and none of us wanted the role. Yet again, his youth serves us well. At twenty years old, he may as well have been born with the fucking thing in his hand. I’m only nine years his senior, but even I feel like a fucking grandpa compared to him when it comes to learning new tricks with technology.

“Order of business for the day is exactly that—the business.” I slide the journal under my leg and recline in my seat. “We got word this morning that the bank approved our loan.”

“Fuck yeah.” Fang thrusts his hands in the air. “Housewarming party.”

“Fuck me.” Jinx buries his face in his hand. “I’ve got a hangover just thinking about it.”

Circus grins, silver crown shining.

“And as of ten minutes ago, the final council report came through.” I retrieve my phone from the tabletop and open the mail app. “The only issue we face is limits on development of the land. It’s zoned rural, so we’d be restricted should we want to subdivide it or put multiple houses on the property. But given that we’re moving to the fucking place to get away from people, I can’t see us wanting to go down that road. Regardless.” I set my phone down and hold out my hands. “It’s a decision for all of us to make, not just me. So, the first order is voting on if this news is a deal-breaker or if we go ahead with buying the place.”

“How much do we lose if we back out of the deal?” Highway asks.

“A few thousand in conveyancing fees and what we’ve paid for reports,” Crow says.

Several heads nod around the table.

“All those in favor?” I raise my hand.

Seven more follow.

“Unanimous,” Darko states, tapping away at the tablet.

“I’ve only got one question,” Fang grins. “When can we move in?”

“Possession has been agreed for a week from now.”

A murmur sweeps the room.

“It doesn’t mean we need to rush the transition,” I assure them. “The lease runs out on this place in three months. We’ve got a shit ton of wiggle room to get things right, which leadsme to my next point.” I tap the side of my phone on the table. “The house is suitable for accommodation for single officers, but there’s not much else on the land for when we have parties or guests.”

“You just said we can’t build houses,” Jinx points out.

“I know.” I set the device down and flex my hand. “Which is why I propose we build a concrete floor barn.”

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