Page 59 of Bounty
“No, you’re staying your fucking ass right here,” Cash said. “We have some assholes to take care of.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” For the first time since we arrived, I tuned in enough to hear Striker. Or, maybe, he hadn’t spoken until now. “What assholes and where the fuck are we seeing to them?”
Daria touched me. “May I…is it okay if I go with them?”
“Your entire family can go,” I said gently.
The last of my anger and dislike toward her died. I intended to push them to reveal the truth of Effie’s father. For health reasons if nothing else. Besides, genealogy kits flooded the market. If Effie recovered, what if she decided to discover if she was one of the motherfuckers who carried Neanderthal DNA? What then? She had the chance to find out how her parents had lied to her in a variety of ways.
Stumbling upon the truth would be worse than her parents sitting her down and confessing.
Josh went to lift Effie into his arms, but I inserted myself in between him and the bar, and swept her up myself.
Unperturbed, Josh turned and headed out the door. I followed without question. Outside, many of the Dwellers remained. They were smoking and milling about. More than a few surrounded the van. However, they fell silent when they spotted me carrying Effie. The sudden gravity on their faces and the nods of acknowledgement surprised me, but I didn’t feel so alone since I hadn’t seen Dad and Drifter once we left the warehouse.
At the end of the block, Josh stopped at a black Escalade ESV. Ophelia scrambled into the cargo space. Josh nodded to me. Sighing, I laid Effie down and rested her head on Ophelia’s lap.
“Need an escort, McCall?” a Death Dweller called. “Or you got this?”
“I can handle it,” Josh answered, smiling at Cassie, then holding the door open as she climbed into the front passenger seat. “Thanks, though.”
It took everything in me to stay calm and help Daria into the SUV, watch Lennon get in behind her, accept his son’s pat on the back before he followed his parents inside, and step back.
“Go inside and have a drink,” Josh said through the open window once he settled into the driver’s seat. “Just trust us. We won’t allow anything to happen to her. Right now, you have club business. Follow Cash’s orders. He’s a fucking jerk, but he’s smart and he’s good at what he does.”
“Come on, Slice.” Stretch’s voice surprised me. “The sooner we settle everything, the sooner you can get to Effie.”
He was right. Taking balls in hand, I flattened my palm against the SUV and knocked on it, then stepped out of the way.Josh reversed the short distance to the intersection, halted, then swerved forward and sped off.
Back inside, Striker greeted me with a punch. “Motherfucker, I told you I didn’t want no fucking heat. Not only do the Sinners know you’re hiding here, but I’m pretty fucking sure the cops are going to start breathing down our necks.”
Most members of Red Rum’s Austin chapter glared at me. Cash, Stretch, and the Death Dwellers glared at Striker.
“You got something to fucking say?” he snarled, glowering from Cash to Stretch.
“Yeah, fuckhead, I have a lot to say,” Cash said, “but, lucky you, I don’t have time.”
“I could fucking shoot you,” Striker roared. “I’m the president.”
“Maybe, but you’re notourpresident,” Cash retorted. “Thank Christ. I would’ve left this motherfucker so far behind given your lack of loyalty and brotherhood.”
“Enough, Cash,” I inserted. He couldn’t insult my fucking club. “You can’t disrespect my club. This is how we operate. We pay our dues to National, but each chapter earns their own money, unless Riker gives an order like he did to me. We don’t bring our problems to other chapters.”
“The motherfucking national president brought the goddamn problem toyou,” Cash sneered. “Therefore, it should be an organizational problem. What the fuck is wrong with you assholes?”
“I take it you don’t have any place to see to your enemies?” Stretch asked with a smidgeon of hope. “A basement? An attic? A dungeon?”
“My chapter has a small room and our mother chapter has an underground room,” I said.
“Are we fucking atyourchapter or the mother chapter, Slice?” Cash demanded.
“We don’t make those fucking types of enemies here,” Striker yelled. “We try not to off motherfuckers too often because we’re such a small chapter, but when we do, we don’t bring ‘em on our fucking turf.” He pointed a finger at me. “This stupid motherfucker botched the fucking interception.Hemade the enemy. Only reason Riker tried to smooth things over was because of Drifter.” He glanced around. “Where is that motherfucker anyway?”
“At the warehouse with Goose and a few Dwellers,” Cash said. “Cleaning shit up. Thank fuck it’s a Sunday.”
“This is my club,” Striker roared. “Your interference is done. My law goes. I’m the leader.”
“Then lead,” Cash said. “Tell me what to do with the bodies. Tell me what to do with those bozos that need icing. If you wanted this goddamn problem to be local, advise your brother to have the local presidents give his fucking orders to their members.Thenit’s local.”
