“Don’t lay that guilt trip on me. I’m not a kid anymore, it doesn’t work.”
“Okay, but remember that you and me are all we have. You have my blood in you. We’re all we got.” She sniffled. “Please? I want my son with me at my wedding. Can you just think about it?”
Axe clenched his jaw. Whenever his mom wanted him to do something, she’d start the ‘family blood’ shit, and if that didn’t work, she’d throw in some sniffles and tears. That got to him every time. He should’ve just told her to fuck off, that she’d been a selfish, shitty mom and he was done, but he never did. He’d freeze her out for a time, but he’d never cut ties with her completely. He couldn’t do it.
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” he gritted. “Will you let me get off the fuckin’ phone now?”
She chortled and blew her nose. “Thank you, honey. You’ve made me so happy. I thought it’d be nice if you, me, and Stephen go out to dinner before the wedding. I want you to meet him.”
“No way. You got me thinking about coming to your hook-up. Don’t push it. You know it isn’t gonna last, anyway.”
“This time, it’s different.”
“I’ve heard that five times before. Whatever. Do you know where Uncle Max has been? I’ve been trying to get a hold of him for a couple of weeks.”
“I saw him the other day. He told me he has to go out of town on some business, but he’d be back in time for my wedding.”
“What business?”
“He didn’t say. Why?”
“I need to talk to him. Gotta go.”
“I know. I’ll see you at the wedding in two weeks. Bye, dear.”
He grunted then hung up. Fuck! If I go to the sham wedding, at least I can talk to Uncle Max. The more Axe thought about his uncle being where Baylee was, the more convinced he was that the man was involved. Axe had done the math, and his uncle was in Denver around the same time Baylee’s mother was killed.
* * *
Hawk received the confirmation from their brothers down south: the Skull Crushers were dealing meth in Insurgents’ territory. Steel had told Hawk they were starting shit on his turf in Puebla, and he and his brothers were preparing for a war.
“We think there’s only three of them. It’s like they’re scouting the area to see how far they can go,” Banger said.
“They didn’t get far last night. I threw them outta Dream House then me, Rags, and Jax beat the shit out of ‘em.” Rock put his fist in the air as his brothers congratulated him and the other two for keeping scum out of the gentleman’s club the Insurgents owned.
“They need to be taught respect,” Banger said, his blue eyes blocks of ice.
The other members nodded and sounded their agreement.
“We need to show them to stay the fuck outta Insurgents’ territory. These fuckers are the tip of the iceberg. We gotta stop it now. I’m sending Jerry, Axe, Puck, PJ, Rags, and Chas to confront them tonight. Make sure they can never do this shit again.”
After church, the brothers shuffled out to the great room to eat the barbecue buffet Banger had brought in from the club’s restaurant.
“How’s it goin’ with the sexy architect?” Chas asked.
“Fine, but some fucker is doing some bad shit to her. I’m trying to find out who the fuck he is. No way I’m letting him hurt my woman,” Axe explained.
The minute he said “my woman,” he regretted it; Chas, Jerry, and Jax stared at him, then laughed.
“Fuck, never thought I’d see the day when the mighty pussy-chaser would fall. Welcome to the club, brother,” Jax said.
Axe brooded as they teased him.
“What happened to you tellin’ Chas and Jax they were fucking stupid to take old ladies? You’ve worn the stud title too long. Now us single brothers can take over.” Jerry poked Axe in the ribs.
Axe glared at him. “At least I’m hot after a woman I can have. You’re so fucked up over Kylie that you can’t even talk right when she’s in the room.”
“You’re fucked. No way,” Jerry protested.
Axe tilted his head back and glanced at the others. “Am I crazy, or does he get a boner every time Kylie’s around?”
They all laughed. Jerry slammed his shot glass on the bar, shattering it.
Jax patted his back. “Lighten up, dude. We’re having fun fuckin’ with you, but you must know you’re asking for a whole lot of trouble if you get your dick anywhere near Kylie.”
“Banger will kill your ass,” Chas said.
Jerry wiped the blood oozing from his cut finger. “Kylie’s hot, but she’s too innocent. I like women who know what the fuck they’re doin’.”