Page 10 of Broken Cracks

No. She wouldn’t. I felt her heartbeat. The tears. The story. All of that had to be real. I look down at the wooden table we’ve sat at so many late nights and early mornings, strategizing as a club and making moves.

Psych, what if she’s not telling you the truth?

I contemplate and on the outside, it’s still waters, but they run deep, my mind running like a freight train, except it’s about to go off the rails.

You promised you would cover her. Are you a man of your word?I look around at the crew as the memories haunt me; their faces all resemble melting clocks. It’s the only way for me to block out the rage building, but I can’t help but release the pressure, otherwise I’m gonna burst a pipe. I slam my fists on the table, making it jump.

"But I promised her we'd keep her safe,” I bellow.

"I get it, bro; I can understand what you feel for her, but right now it's about choosing to go to war with the Cardez Cartel, for losing their coke and snatching up the boss's side piece. It's nothing personal, I'm just looking out for the best interest of the club.” Slash rakes a frustrated hand through his hair, but red is all I can see and my head’s twisted up. “I'm open to suggestions. Just show me a play,” he adds grimly.

I turn to look at my other brothers for support. I can’t feel anything but dead air. Everyone’s looking at me like I’m stupid when Sledge and Slash literally did the same fucking thing I did. Both of their girls were hands-off too when they first met them. Now, I’m the fucking club target?

Slash cuts through my inner tangents. “If you can't show me a solid play, then we'd be committing suicide." Slash is right, but I don’t wanna hear it.

"Brother, after you pointed out that soldier that was coming onto her, I get it. You seeing that and not acting on it would've basically been like you snatching her innocence yourself. You give me a solid play, and I'll back you,” Sledge adds his own two cents worth in.

I open my palm to Sledge in thanks. “Right. You see where I’m at.”

"The play here is simple, boys." Bull comes in hard and heavy as I glare at him, daring him to say it. My head is pounding and it’s not over.

Snatch walks in, shouting over to Slash."We're good to go!"

"Nice! Let's get 'er done," he remarks.

Bull puts a stronghold on the situation, and I don’t have any clues what either of them are talking about. I’m stuck in my own mental prison figuring out if I made the right call, and what I can do.

"What's so nice?"

"We're getting there. Be patient, boomer." Slash’s expression is measured, but Bull’s animosity is enveloping the room like a massive dark cloud. If I can feel it, I sense the whole room can. Bull and Slash got beef, and if it doesn’t get resolved, it’s going to pop off between them. Bull and Slash ran alongside one another, so it must be hard for Bull taking commands from a patch with no vote-in. I gotta hand it to Slash, we are in the middle of putting out fires and he’s showing glimpses of his father rubbing off on him.

The gavel hits the table hard, and the real church session begins.

“We’re going to ride out tonight, we have to hit hard and fast. Finish this shit,” Slash directs, scanning his eyes around the club. Nobody flinches, down to ride.

Bull shakes his head as his jaw flexes. “Like hell we are, Slash. That’s a fucked-up decision. We’re hot and it’s best to lay low.”

“I disagree, Bull. The outlaws know the Sheriff is watching. They chased us past the Outlaws clubhouse, remember?”

“So, what’s your point?” he states in a cutting tone, rubbing over his scarred hand.

“It means they won’t chance moving the shipment. Now’s the time to hit them and get our shipment back.” Slash is hyped, but Bull ain’t going for it.

"Heh, that's a stupid and immature move, something I would expect from a patch,” he states with a sour face. “The Sheriff is sitting on the fucking place and you wanna go in guns blazing? The smarter play here is to use Cardez's side piece as leverage. Think about it, it's the perfect bargaining chip to get him to erase the MC's drug debt." Bull’s eyes sparkle with deception.

I’m not afraid of Bull, or anybody else for that matter, and I look the old bastard dead in the eye in a slow, calm monotone. “If we do that, Cardez will kill her.” I’m losing the battle within, and the gates of my inner demons have swung open as I crack my knuckles, counting down from ten in my head.

"That's her problem, if she wanted to stay alive, that little bitch shouldn't have run." Bull shrugs his wide shoulders.

I can’t see anything; he’s hit the detonator switch and I shoot up out of my chair as it flies out beneath me while I crawl over the table, knocking glasses of water to lunge at Bull’s open throat.

“Psych!Man, relax!” Slash yells as he lunges with an outstretched arm; my pressure pipes are blown, and sweat is pouring from me now.

I’m back in my father’s house with the log of wood. He’s going to fucking die. It’s zero to one hundred with me, nothing in between. Sledge slides around behind, but I don’t see him tugging me back from the other side as the guys jump back from their seats; some of the newer prospects and newly-appointed patches haven’t seen this level from me. I give zero fucks. He crossed a hard line. I don’t get to his neck, but he has to move from his seat.

Bull stands with his mouth curved and a diabolical smirk covering it.

“Bull, you’re a fucking animal!”Sledge screams as I growl, rubbing my head with the urge to kill. I stand up with Slash and Sledge, both talking me down in either ear. Both understand the violence I live with inside.

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