This shit is about more than riding around looking tough, they need to know how to deal with victims of abuse along with some other training that we have in place. There’s no grand standing and no fighting for supremacy, this is the Hellions deal plain and simple anyone don’t like that can walk now. We’ve been doing this shit for a couple years now and we pretty much have shit on lock, we can always use new blood and we’re always open to ideas. But nothing goes down on one of our cases without coming through me. When there’re too many chiefs and not enough Indians shit gets FUBAR.”
I noticed Flash and Jared to a lesser extent flexing but that shit didn’t faze me one bit. I wasn’t about to fuck around with this shit and get an innocent killed. When we ran an Op it was combed over in minuet detail from beginning to end, no room for fuck ups. From the time we hit the ground running everything was in place.
There was no last minute calls saying I can’t make it something came up. Or any of the other bullshit slackers got away with in the ‘real world’. Each man had a part to play that was essential to things going as smoothly as possible and there was one more thing I needed to remind my colleagues of lest they forget. Remember, we’re doing this for the children and for those victims out there who need us. It’s not about us it’s always about them.
Now are you guys still interested?”
They mulled shit over and we hashed things out. In the end we were all agreed that it was something we could work with together and all that was left was to organize training for the men who were gonna be onboard. I was still gonna keep me eyes on these guys and their crews because I didn’t know them like that, but so far during the preliminary backgrounds I’d ran on the charter members there hadn’t been any red flags.
With that shit over I could turn my attentions to enjoying the day. Jake’s women had put out a spread of monumental proportions which was needed when the rest of the guests started showing up. I was having a time of it keeping my eye on my guys and making sure they weren’t getting into shit. Just because I’d just made a deal with these guys didn’t mean that some knucklehead wouldn’t say or do the wrong thing. It was par for the course when dealing with this ilk.
Lily was gabbing away in what appeared to be the women’s designated area so she was fine for now. Lil bit hadn’t shown up yet and the guys were talking about a game of shirts and skins. Everyone except Deke that is, if there wasn’t a bat or pigskin involved he wasn’t interested. I figured I could relax since everyone seemed to be getting along well.
I grabbed a beer and went to the table closest to the entrance to wait for my little girl. I know she loves shit like this, and between her and the others kids milling around I had no doubt Jake’s place would be shit in ten seconds flat. Better him than me. I was beginning to grin at the thought when I caught movement out the corner of my eye.
I turned around in time to see Deke throwing some guy into the side of the house. I was running before I knew I’d even stood. “Deke what the fuck?” I had to speed up before he reached the guy again which he was about to do. “Deke, drop him.”
“No, he has to apologize.”
“I don’t have to do no such thing, who are you anyway? This has nothing to do with you.” I didn’t know what the fuck, but I did notice Jake’s tenant standing there close to tears and wringing her hands.
“Deke, put him the fuck down now.” he shook him like a rag doll before dropping him like a sack. “What the fuck are you thinking? We talked about this shit.”
“You didn’t hear what he said to her.” I could see him tensing to charge again. Meanwhile the asshole would not shut the fuck up and the woman was out and out crying now. Fuck me can’t I have just one day?
“What happened?” Deke puffed up before he looked at me square in the eye. “He said he shouldn’t have to dole out money for the kid, that it wasn’t his fault that she’d gone ahead and had the imbecile after he told her not to.”
“How would you know what I said to my wife if you weren’t eavesdropping on our conversation? Anything to do with my family has nothing to do with you.” Before I could deal with the asshole Deke made a step towards the woman. “You’re still his wife?”
“No his ex.” The asshole reached towards her and Deke pulled her out of his reach. “Don’t fucking touch her.” What the fuck was going on here anyway? He said something to her I don’t know what and she walked off and headed back to the other side. So far it didn’t seem like anyone else had witnessed this little showdown and I’d like to keep it that way if only the asshole would put a sock in it.