Beautiful Outlaw(74)

A few grumbles come from the boys, but I put a stop to that shit right away. “If you have a problem with the color of my brother’s skin then take off your cutt and hit the fuckin’ door. Tin-Man’s my VP, and he’s gonna get the respect he deserves.”

The room quiets down, not one brother walking out the door. “Now, we got a problem with Cash. I know Tin and Rollo filled y’all in, but I need you all to understand I’m not pussy footing around. This time, the old man has gone too far. When I find him, I’m gonna take his ass out.”

“What the fuck did he do that justifies us killing him? I’ll respect your place as our President, but I ain’t voting to take one of my brothers out on your say alone.” Comes from one of the boys that voted against me.

“The bastard went after my woman. Not sure how he found out, but he discovered she was running from some shit in her past. He brought that shit to our front door,” I say, doing my best not to jump over the table and knock the fucker’s teeth down his throat.

“Cash needs to go down. If not, he’ll never stop trying to get the gavel back,” Homer says, then looks to Topper. “I know you didn’t want shit to go this way, but Cash fucked up going after Bowie’s Old Lady. If we don’t put a stop to this shit right now, he could move on to our families next.”

I wait for his response, hoping he sides with me. Topper may not hold an office in the club, but he holds a lot of power with the boys. He’s our oldest active member. He’s worn a cutt longer than any other man here, and the brothers respect the hell out of him for that fact alone. Either way, with or without his agreement, I’m going after Cash. Still, I hope I have him by my side.

Topper leans back in his chair, before he replies. “I’ve been here for a long damn time. Now, I’ve seen three generations of Bailey’s hold the gavel. I kept waiting for Cash to be the man that Tobias raised him to be.”

Hearing him talk about Grandpa causes a spark to light inside me. I know my grandfather would be rolling in his grave if he could see what a piece of shit his son turned out to be. “Cash is never gonna be the man Grandpa was.”

He nods in agreement. “I know he isn’t. Just still can’t wrap my head around putting a bullet in the head of my friend’s only child.”

I lean forward, placing my hands flat against the top of the table. “Well, you better get used to the idea, because I’m gonna be the one putting it there.”





Lock-Down


Shay

I’m looking out the window, when Bowie walks into the room. Tin-Man steps in behind him and motions for Nina and Rachel to follow. “Come on, Mamá. You and Priss can sleep in my room.”

Before leaving, Nina comes over and gives me a hug. “Everything will be all right. My boys will make sure of it.”

I merely nod then watch her and Priss follow Tin-Man from the room. As soon as they’re gone, Bowie looks to Tag who’s stretched out on the bed. “Go on out and grab something to eat; the Old Ladies laid out a spread on the bar. When you’re done, find yourself a spot to sleep. Don’t go too far, though. I might need you later on.”

Tag gets up from the bed, cutting his eyes to me. “If you need anything, just let me know.” With a quick tilt of his chin to Bowie, he exits the room.

I stay quiet until the door shuts then asks, “What’s going on? I know Marcus is here or on his way here, but what does that have to do with your dad?”

“That’s club business, not yours.”

I tried to talk to him before we left the house, but he wasn’t in the mood to discuss anything. Now, I think I’ve waited long enough. I’m gonna keep on until he gives me the answers I need. “I understand that you can’t tell me some things, but you have to tell me something. Anything. I can’t be kept in the dark. The not knowing is killing me, Bowie.”

“I took the gavel from Cash; he’s looking for a little revenge,” He says as he walks to me and pulls me into his body.

Sometimes I feel as if he talks in code. “I don’t even understand what that means. What gavel?”

He lifts a hand to tap the patch on his cut. For the first time, I notice the word vice is missing. “I took his patch.”

“You’re President of the club now?”

He doesn’t answer, just simply nods. Bowie doesn’t talk a lot about the club, but he says enough that I know his dad has been president of the Savage Outlaws since his grandpa died. “What does that mean for your dad?”

“It means he’s shit out of luck. He could’ve kept his cutt, been part of the club, but he blew that shit. Now, he’s a dead man.”