Page 70 of True Bastard
Morpheus hissed, “Get the fuck out of my club.”
Chapter Forty
Kyllian
None of the brothers moved as the stranger gathered up the broken man and walked out of the clubhouse. Even when we all heard the front door shut, I stayed put, a knot of dread tightening in my gut. My own two feet felt cemented to the floor, a prisoner of my own reckless tongue.
I knew the fucking rules. I was an observer, a shadow in this place, not someone who dared to utter a single syllable out of turn. My blood pulsed in my veins, a frantic drumbeat of self-recrimination.
I should have bitten my tongue, but even I fucking knew that neither man would relent. I was only trying to move this along, whatever the hell it was. A power play? A test to see who had the bigger dick?
I didn’t know, and quite frankly, I didn’t care. I was so tired of club politics. I’d had a belly full, and I wanted no more of it. For years I endured the threats, the degradation, the fear of it all just because I was a woman. A thing men used for their own gratification. Enough was enough. If Morpheus wanted to pitch a fucking fit, yell and scream at me for speaking out of turn, then he shouldn’t have invited me into his inner sanctum.
“I’m not going to apologize.”
“Never thought you would.”
“Then why is everyone looking at me like I’m about to have my ass handed to me?”
“Kitten, the only one in this club who will hand you your ass is Firestride. I want to know what made you think of Frankie’s Diner?”
I shrugged. “Worked there for all of two seconds. I remembered Frankie telling me his place was neutral territory. That all clubs were welcome.”
“Kitten thinks fast, brother,” Wanderer said, winking at me. “She’s right. Frankie’s will be the perfect place to make the exchange.”
As the tension in the room thickened, I felt everyone’s eyes on me, weighing every word and gesture. Wanderer’s casual wink did little to ease the anxiety rolling in my chest, but I refused to let it show. The conversation shifted, but beneath the surface, I could sense the anticipation building—everyone was readying themselves for whatever came next.
“That’s if Montana holds up his end of the bargain,” Cobalt muttered.
“He better,” Morpheus sneered as he looked at Inferno. “Where is the dead bastard?”
“Out with Cerberus and Firestride collecting debts. Should be back later today.”
“No one says a fucking word when he returns. I mean it. I want to confront the bastard myself,” Morpheus ordered, then leaned back in his seat and said, “In the meantime, we have company coming tomorrow. Kitten, I want you to play hostess.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the first old lady of this club, and you know the rules.”
“Just because I know them doesn’t mean I play by them.”
“No.” Morpheus chuckled. “You sure as hell don’t, and it’s a good thing the Brotherhood makes its own rules, but I still want you front and center, anyway. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Depends on the brothers.”
“What’s that mean?” Vortex asked.
I shrugged, my gaze flicking from Vortex to Morpheus. “It means some of you don’t play well with others, much less when the ladies have more bite than bark. If things get out of hand, don’t expect me to play peacekeeper.” I crossed my arms, a hint of challenge in my voice. “I’ll do my best, but you know how quickly things can turn around here. By company, I’m assuming you mean another club. I don’t know how the Brotherhood hosted visiting clubs in the past, but the rule of thumb is, the hosting club provides everything from food to entertainment.”
“That’s easy enough.” Cobalt grinned.
“You need more whores,” I said.
“How many more?” Wanderer asked.
“At least ten more,” I stated, then added, “And more alcohol. With these gatherings, the brothers will go through the alcohol faster than the whores. What club is visiting?”
“Disturbed,” Morpheus clearly stated, resting his forearms on the table, his eyes watching my every move. I knew he was testing me. To see what I knew. What I would reveal. I wasn’t stupid. I knew they all knew who I was. What my background entailed. Though none of them ever brought it up. Which was disconcerting, but I would not let any of them intimidate me. If they wanted to know what I knew, then I would tell them.
