Page 111 of Bullet
Shutting the door, I turn to my dresser, pulling on sweats and a T-shirt. It takes so much effort and wears me out that I don’t bother to try to put my cut on. I grab it instead, kissing Harlee before I leave.
“I’ll be down the hall if you need me, Angel.”
She doesn’t say a word as I kiss whatever part of her head I can reach.
I take the slow walk down to church. Hades is standing at the door waiting for me.
“Couldn’t get it on?” he asks, the cut sitting in my hand.
“It hurt like a bitch to get the shirt on, man. I don’t know if I would have made it if I tried,” I admit.
He nods once, moving away from the door to my side. He grabs the cut, putting it on me as if I were a child he was dressing. I hate how weak it makes me feel, but I appreciate the assist, nonetheless.
“Thanks, man.”
“Anytime, brother.”
He walks back to the door, waiting for me to walk inside. Usually I stand, but this time there is a chair waiting for me.
“Take a seat, Bullet. No need for you to die on us,” Reaper orders me.
“Can we not joke about that? I’d rather my daughter not face utter devastation,” Honk mutters.
“How about we get to why we are all here?” Hades grumbles as he leans against the wall next to the door.
“We will need to have a club meeting with the entire club. Things are changing and not for the good. We need to be more careful with what we do,” Reaper says.
“Show them,” Colt demands Trigger.
After a moment, a news feed is projected on the wall.
Earlier today, mayoral candidate William Dansworth was set to give a speech at a rally organized on his behalf when chaos ensued. Three are hurt, but no fatalities are reported as of yet. The shooter hasn’t been caught, but William believes he knows who did it.”
The screen cuts to William outside the local hospital.
“Mr. Dansworth, can you tell us what you think happened?”
He nods, looking solemn. “When I was a teen, I was foolish. I attempted to join an MC because I thought they could give me the family I had been searching for. I didn’t make it, which I now see as a blessing. After one of my close friends was murdered, they kicked me from the club, telling me it was my fault. I have lived with that guilt for many years. I won’t stand for it anymore. While there is no proof, I am certain the MC is who did this. They were in the crowd today watching me speak. I believe they wanted to silence me for the knowledge I have of their club. They will stop at nothing to take me down, so even in my death, know that it was them. The Lotus MC.”
The reporter gives him a sad look as she turns back toward the cameras.
“We stand here outside of the hospital waiting on news from the victims. Back to you in the studio.”
The clip stops.
“This was from yesterday, right after the rally. This morning’s is a bit different,” Trigger says, loading up another clip.
“We are back with breaking news from the shooting at the mayoral candidate rally yesterday. Julie, what have you got for us?”
The image switches back to Julie, the same woman who reported on the story in the first clip.
“I stood here last night and watched as the suspects were released from jail.”
Her voiceover continues as it shows all of us leaving the jail.
“I asked William Dansworth what he had to say about them being released. His statement is, and I quote, ‘The police in this town have been corrupt for too long. That is another wrong I plan to right when in office. No one is above the law.’ There have also been reports that Dansworth’s daughter has disappeared, but Dansworth only said, ‘Young women will make foolish mistakes. I cannot blame her. I hope she comes back to me before she gets in trouble, but I need to let her make her own mistakes.’ I have not been able to contact Adalyn for a comment on the situation. Back to you in the studio.”
So he is basing his whole campaign on this. On us.
