Page 49 of Falling Hard

Chapter 15

Hammer

As I inhaled my cigarette, I looked at Ryder. “Are you sure you’re up to your own chapter?” I didn’t usually give a man a second chance to back out of a promotion, but because I was heading inside, I wouldn’t be able to monitor or be there for Ryder.

Rusty and I were looking at going in soon, though Leah, who launders our money, was willing to put up the bail. She said it was in her interest to have me out on bail than between bars, but the bail should be set at nearly half a million for both of us, and the club didn’t have that sort of cash to spare.

When it came to money, the club was barely surviving, and we couldn’t launder any more of our money through the properties without it ticking off the police.

“Told you I’m ready for it,” Ryder said. He was the only biker I knew who didn’t smoke, so I butted my cigarette out of respect for his nonsmoking habit.

Rusty, who had weighed in on the decision we were making for the club, leaned forward on the chair. Placing Ryder in charge of the southern chapters meant he would be holding a semi-separate mother chapter.

Rusty’s phone rang, and he muttered one word that sparked my interest. Lynx.

“Yeah, Lynx?” Rusty spoke roughly into the phone. “You found out who is behind it?” Rusty’s gaze found mine, and we both knew what had to happen next. “You’ve got our permission to do what needs to be done, Lynx.”

I gritted my teeth because that meant I was losing Lynx. Fucking worse timing considering I was heading behind bars. I needed a man like Lynx looking after the club.

Rusty’s plan of Lynx looking after Libby had backfired.

However, Maiden and I had an understanding. He was to stay the fuck away from my daughter. I was not ready for him to be a fixture in my daughter’s life, but I knew I was putting off something that was bound to happen. My phone rang and flashed with Maiden’s name. He must have got to the estate.

Fucking Emmie for taking off like that.

I barked a hello into the phone.

“Prez, I found her.” His voice was tight. “She is at the estate.”

“Good. Look after her until we get Kurt.”

“I need to tell you something.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“I’m fucking your daughter.” Then the beeping tone followed.

“The fucking bastard!” I roared and pointed at Rusty. “Fucking call Lynx, and tell him to kill Maiden.”

“He’s already on the road.” Rusty smirked. “Let me guess, the plan of Maiden and Emmie has worked.”

“The bastard is fucking my daughter!”

Rusty and Ryder shared a laugh. I sure as fuck didn’t see anything funny. “I want the bastard dead! He had the nerve to call me and tell me he was fucking her!”

Ryder and Rusty laughed harder.

“Come on, brother, think of this as a good thing. Maiden won’t let anyone hurt her while we are inside.” Rusty’s laughter dried up. “He is taking your chair, so you can’t kill him.”

Maiden knew he was getting the president patch. Perhaps the power had gone to his head, or he was making a statement to Emmie. Fuck it all. I wasn’t letting him keep my daughter. I wanted him to look after her, not fuck her.

“So it’s settled then. Ryder is taking over the southern chapters.”

Rusty and Ryder entered a conversation on what was to happen next while I tuned out and thought of Maiden with my daughter. I hated every second of it.

My phone ringing on the table brought me back to the here and now. I didn’t know how long I was sitting there dwelling on a future involving Maiden as a possible son-in-law—because he will be marrying her.

“What, Critter?” I barked into the phone.

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