He’s young—younger than me. The only reason he’s managed to make our circle is because he’s Sledge’s unofficially adopted son, and he’s been a Death Dealer since he was fourteen after running away from his foster family.
“What about your girl?” Rush asks, suddenly looking at me with an I’m-calling-you-out attitude. “She been contacting anyone?”
I really don’t like the accusatory tone in his voice. He’s too cocky with me, acting as though we’re on the same playing field.
We’re not even in the same league.
“She hasn’t made the first call since she’s been here. I’d know it if she had.”
The music thumping outside the doors is almost muted, and it’s not because they aren’t blasting the speakers. It’s because this room is almost soundproofed, assuring we have confidentiality in here.
“You sure?” Rush challenges, cocking an eyebrow at me in a way that has me clenching my fists.
If he wasn’t Sledge’s son… Ah, fuck it.
I stand and he stands at the same time, both of our chairs scraping the floor. We’ve never really gotten along, but he’s never provoked me like this.
“This is my point,” he says, gesturing toward me. “You’ve gotten attached to the girl, because you’re standing here, ready to fight me for insinuating she might be the leak.”
Pop breaks the tension with a riotous outbreak of laughter, and suddenly most of the others are joining in.
“Drex isn’t attached to the damn girl,” Pop says. “Even if he was attached, do you honestly think he’d let her roam freely and speak to whomever? He’s had his eyes on her or his dick inside her the entire time.”
His humor fades toward the end, and Rush drops back down to his chair, chastened. I don’t need my pops fighting my battles for me, but apparently he knew I was about to kick Rush’s ass.
Pop eyes me, letting me know he wants my temper under control. If we were alone, Rush would be a bloody mess on the floor right now.
“The point is, we have a leak somewhere. Find out where. And get your girl some ink,” Pop says, surprising me. “Heard about the scuffle you had in front of the feds tonight. If you don’t want people touching your shit, then you need to have it marked.”
I groan while dropping my head back, but I nod instead of explaining myself.
“We’ll draw up a plan of action, and I’ll see to more discretion within the club here from now on,” I announce, getting the main discussion back on the table.
“Fight!” The exclamation of that word manages to penetrate the almost soundproof room, because several people scream it at once.
Pop looks at me then at the rest of the table, before rolling his eyes and standing up when the chant outside the doors grows louder and louder.
“It’s like a group of fucking kids. You can’t leave them alone for long.”
Sledge laughs at Pop’s comment while standing, and I pretend not to see the way Sledge slaps Rush across the back of the head on his way by. Maybe people wouldn’t act like kids if the old shits didn’t treat everyone like kids.
Pop yanks open the door. I follow behind him and Sledge just in time to see Axle land a fist against Jessie’s side, sending the big ape flailing to the ground.
Axle is half the bulk of Jessie; however, he’s ten times as lethal. But Axle never fights unless he’s passed the point of pissed off or someone has touched him. What the hell?
“Let’s try this again,” Axle growls. “Admit you’re a slimy, raping motherfucker, and I might not continue to kick your ass like it’s my sole purpose in life.”
My blood chills in my veins. Axle has severe issues with guy’s forcing themselves on girls. It’s one of the many reasons he rides with me. It’s why he pledged loyalty to me a long time ago, but he refuses to work directly under my father since Pop doesn’t stop his guys from being a stereotype.
“Who the hell did he touch?” Sledge asks, a growl in his voice.
He looks toward Liza immediately, but she shrugs, averting her eyes from mine the second they accidentally find my gaze. That’s when my pulse rattles around in my ears, and I feel heat climbing up my limbs when Liza’s eyes then move toward my closed door at the top of the stairs.
I almost feel like I’m coming out of my skin as I stalk toward Jessie, who is pulling himself off the floor, calling Axle a string of names that don’t even make a damn bit of sense.
Before he can charge Axle, I grab him back by the scruff of his neck, and toss him to the floor like he’s a weak shit instead of a raging bull. He turns, rage seething from him, but the second his eyes reach mine, fear instantly flicks across his features.