Page 245 of The Tempted

I was a twisted son of a bitch.

I walked around the bed to my nightstand and opened the drawer, lifted my gun and stared at it like it was a foreign object. I made sure it was loaded before tucking it into the back of my jeans. I moved to close the drawer and my eyes zeroed in on the orange prescription bottle.

Not today.

I slammed the draw shut as another knock sounded on the door. I moved quickly so whoever was on the other end wouldn’t wake Reina. Pulling open the door I came face to face with Blackie

“We need to talk,” he announced.

I brought my finger to my lips, silencing him as I glanced over my shoulder, looking at the woman in my bed one last time, fighting the urge to wake her and lose myself in her again. I stepped outside the bedroom and closed the door behind me.

Blackie’s eyes narrowed as they traveled the length of me.

“Not going to do this with you, Blackie. I suggest you quit while you’re ahead,” I threatened.

He held his hands up in mock defeat, his bloodshot eyes dull as they glared into mine.

“Got bigger fish than that,” he said, tipping his chin toward the door. “Jimmy called,” he sneered. “It’s show time motherfucker. Get your saddle ready.”

I grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him away from the hallway, not wanting to risk Reina waking and overhearing anything.

“Downstairs,” I growled.

He mumbled something inaudible but did as he was told and I followed him down the stairs into the common room.

“He called you?” I questioned.

“Tried calling you but your phone was off,” he accused, pausing for a beat as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “He wants to meet today,” he added.

I took a sip of my coffee, placed the cup down on the bar and pierced him with a look.

“Not today,” I said, leaving no room for argument.

He took a seat at the bar, leaning back against the stool as he crossed his arms against his chest.

“That’s not an option and you know that. He’s on the heels of his visit with Vic. We reschedule now and that’s giving him a chance to think. You don’t want him thinking, you don’t want him guessing or questioning why we’re suddenly in the drug business. If this shit is going to work, we need to move when we’re told to move and he’s pushing. You heard Vic with your own ears, he told Jimmy we’ve always been trying to move shit but Vic’s been a road block. Now that he’s playing the desperation card and crying poverty, it’s okay for us to supply their organization with the drugs, just as long as Grace keeps her house,” he stated, shaking his head. “He wants the meeting today; we need to oblige. So do you man, you take today because you need to and I’ll set the meet with Jimmy.”

Blackie knew the significance of today, been with me long enough to know this day was mine, the only day I’m not president of the Satan’s Knights. It’s a day when the rest of the world fades away and all that is left is my son.

I didn’t like him going into this shit with Jimmy without me. It was my duty to bring this bastard to his knees. And here Blackie was, sweeping in and cleaning up after me as he always did. But he was right, it was unethical to keep Jimmy waiting and a major mistake giving him an opportunity to second guess forming an alliance with us.

“Are you sure?” I questioned. “You’ve stayed out of any dealings I’ve had with Pastore, you don’t have Jimmy pegged which leaves you vulnerable. You like being one step ahead of everyone, like knowing what a person’s gonna do before he does it. You don’t have that advantage with Gold. He’s a sick fuck disguised as an eccentric joke,” I reminded him.

“I might not have him where I want him but there’s one advantage I have over him, over you, over everyone in this goddamn club. I know drugs, Man. I know their worth and their consequence. I know how to make them desirable and I know how to make them your enemy. I will have Jimmy Gold high on my promise before he or his streets are high on the product,” he said, his voice full of conviction.

There was a fire in his eyes, something rare for a man who walked through life like he was lost. Nailing Jimmy to the cross gave Blackie purpose.

I pushed my coffee aside and leaned over the bar to meet his gaze. “Keep it simple. Be safe, brother,” I chastised. “Need you breathing, remember that,” I added.

He shrugged his shoulders as if to say what he was about to do was no sweat off his back.

“Piece of cake,” he claimed.

I nodded and hoped like hell he was right.

“I’ve got someplace I need to be,” I said after a beat, lifting my eyes back to his.

“What about that?” he asked, tipping his chin toward the stairs.

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