Chapter Nine
Michigan
Letting Annie go didn’t feel right. I made Easy take her home because I knew if I got her on the back of my bike, I wouldn’t drop her off. We’d just ride until the bike ran out of gas and then I’d fill it up and we’d ride some more. Maybe we’d wind up in Montana and I’d hire on as a hand on some ranch while Annie waited tables in a local cafe. We’d send for Easy when we were settled in.
“It’s going to work out fine,” Easy says for about the fiftieth time and pushes another beer at me. It’s going to take something stronger than beer to get me through the next couple of days. It’s been a week. The only thing we’ve heard from Annie is that she’s still got our gift but doesn’t know how to get it back to us. Easy and I take that to mean she doesn’t know how to get away from her old man.
“What’s going to work out?” Judge, our club president asks. He’s snuck up on us at the granary.
“Our deal with Annie,” Easy replies and pulls out another beer from the cooler for Judge. He twists off the cap and drains half the dark brew.
“You guys interested in a trip to Minneapolis? The situation with the Viper Crew is coming to a head. I need someone to go and check them out.”
I nod and Easy answers for me. “Sure. Just want us to evaluate them or do you want us to run them through a test?”
“Evaluate to see if they’re worth a test. At this point all we know is that they’re barely old enough to vote and hold almost no power. Only reason I would even consider bringing them in under the Death Lords’ protection is because I knew Rabid’s old man.” Judge scratches his head. “My hope is that you think they’re fucking hotheads who are two steps away from a jail cell. If they’re even halfway decent, I have to seriously consider bringing them in.”
“We got this,” Easy says and winks at me. The hairs on my neck stand up because whatever he’s got in mind is trouble. “But maybe your old lady can help us out.”
“No,” I interrupt.
“Why not?”
“Because we don’t want to involve anyone else.” It’s bad enough he got his grandma to make up a story to get Annie over to our place. Now he wants the old lady of our club’s president to lie to some preacher so we can fuck his daughter?
Judge slides onto a stool next to me. “What’s going on?”
“Annie’s father is Pastor Bloom. From what I’ve gleaned, he’s got his thumb on her pretty heavily. She works as the church secretary and lives in the house. She hasn’t said that he’d kick her out, but I think it’s fair to say that's a reasonable outcome,” Easy says.
“How long’s she been church secretary?” Judge asks. His question surprises me.
“Since she was eighteen, I gather,” Easy answers.
Judge nods silently and then turns to me. “What’s your damage, brother? Annie just a temporary sweet butt?”
I rise up, fists clenched. “Fuck no. Don’t call her that.”
At my outburst, he merely raises his eyebrows while Easy reaches over the bar top and draws me back. It takes me a couple deep breaths to calm down.
“Sorry,” I mumble and drop back onto my stool.
“How long you been patched in?” Judge asks. It’s a not a real question because Judge knows exactly how long I’ve been a member, same as he knows when we got our tattoos of the flaming skulls, how many bones are buried at the quarry and probably the last time all of us got laid.
“Five years and you tapped me as enforcer two years ago.”
He nods. “That’s right. You’re a loyal brother. You’ve done the wet work, bled for the club, so helping you get a little cover for your woman is pretty low on the totem of the things that the club will do for you.” Judge drains the remainder of his beer and then stands, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “The Death Lords are your family. It’s not weakness or using to lean on your family from time to time. Text me what you want Pippa to do.”
Easy waits for Judge to leave before leaning across the counter. “When are you going to start trusting me?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I scowl. “’Course I trust you.”
“Really? Because you don’t act like it.” He straightens to his full six-foot four-inch frame and folds his arms. His face is hard and I know from past experience that he’s pissed. “If you trusted me, you would be working together with me instead of fighting me every step of the way. Is it that you don’t want Annie?”