Page 28 of Ruin
Keeping the border guarded also keeps our town safe because we don’t need people sneaking in on our side either. It’s both side’s responsibility to keep people out. It’s part of the deal, and we work together to do it. I can understand how us fucking up has pissed them off, but I don’t know where the hell we’re gonna get guys from.
“Where the fuck are we supposed to find them?” I ask. “This town doesn’t have shit for people.”
“Prez says he knows a guy in New York who may be able to hook us up, but we gotta pay them. And if we’re gonna pay—”
“We gotta do more runs to make up for it,” Kaison says with a sigh.
“It doesn’t work like that. We have a deal with them,” I argue. “We’re allowed so much product. If we want more, we need to renegotiate.”
“Yeah,” Rhino says. “Exactly.”
He doesn’t sound happy about any of this. Who the fuck would be? But I still feel like I’m missing something.
“So, what then?” I ask. Someone better tell me what the fuck is going on—and soon.
“Prez says we need to find a way to make big cash fast,” Grizz says.
“Meaning?” I push, knowing someone’s about to say something I don’t want to hear.
“Firearms,” my brother says.
“Fuck that,” I spit out. “We don’t do that.”
“No, we don’t,” Grizz says. “But it’s not listed under the prohibited items in our deal either.”
“So, let me get this straight. We have to do more deals with them for shit we don’t deal in, just to make more money to pay people to watch our side of the border to make them happy? Wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier for them to put their own people on it?”
“They don’t wanna do that,” Rhino says. “Won’t say why, but they aren’t budging, according to Prez. This is what needs to happen, no other option.”
“Fuck what they want. What about what we want?”
Everyone stares at me. No one answers.
Fuck all of them.
My head is fucking killing me. I need a vacation. No, I need a whole new life.
After being filled in on what’s going on, Prez had me get on top of the financial shit. Since it’s my job, I didn’t have a choice. Besides, numbers usually make me feel better. They’re simple and I know what to expect from them. So I took everything I needed and locked myself away in one of the empty roomsand got busy figuring shit out while the rest of the guys fucked around.
Prez said he needed numbers before he can talk to his guy in New York. He needs something to barter with so they can work out an agreement. I don’t like bringing in people from the outside. They don’t know our town, they don’t care about our town, and they’re probably pieces of shit who are gonna pull the wool over our eyes and make plans to get over the border. They’ll find all our weaknesses. That’s what happens when you let people in. You show them your vulnerabilities and they take advantage.
It’s a bad fucking idea. But I don’t have any say because I’m not in charge.
I remember how the club was run when I was younger. Though, I wanted nothing to do with the club—something that had to do with my father loving it and nothing else—I appreciated the camaraderie. I liked that they could figure shit out even when they seemed to hate each other some days.Yes, the occasional fist was thrown. I saw guys pull knives on others. The guys had it out. Shed some blood. But then they were getting a drink together and laughing about it.
It’s not like that now. That’s not how this club works. Now, what Prez says goes. Sure, he pretends to take our thoughts into consideration but he doesn’t. It’s all a show. I have no idea what the fuck his plan was coming in here the way he did, but I don’t think he has our best interest, as individuals or as a club, in mind. He never should have been allowed to take the positionjust because he was the old Prez’s son. That’s a stupid rule that we should abolish. All Coyote cares about is himself.
It’s almost like he’s trying to ruin the club to get back at his father. Chisel loved the club and was the Prez for years. He took care of the club. He was fair. He made sure the guys were taken care of. He was rough around the edges, as were most of our fathers, and there was more violence, but they got shit done.
Coyote was never around when his father was alive, and only came in once his father died. It’s bullshit. But out of respect for Chisel we patched him in and gave him the title.
So far, he’s caused nothing but problems.
By the time I make it home, it’s late and I’m tired as fuck. I go through my normal routine. Into the bathroom. Shower. Clothes in the wash. Sweep and mop the floor. The outside world does not belong in my house, so I make sure to get rid of it. Once I settle in bed, my phone buzzes, and I see Jeremy’s name.
Not in the mood to deal with him, so I open the text to tell him that. Only, he isn’t asking me to hang out. Surprise.
Jeremy: Thanks for the other day. For finding my kid.
