“Every time you piss me off, I’ll add another year to your wait. Moon told you that you could join when you’re nineteen, but if you mess up, you’ll be old and grey before you get your ass through the door.”
Sissy’s hands clenched, but her mouth snapped shut. Turning around, she went into Knox’s office and slammed the door.
“Someone please remind me she’s a kid.” Shade’s sarcasm had the brothers eyeing him cautiously.
“We’re responsible for her behavior. It’s because of us that her mother is dead.” Lucky hated to believe the girl who had just left the room was as nasty-tempered as her deceased relatives.
“You mean me, not us. I was the one who pulled the trigger that killed her mother.” Remorse had never been Shade’s strongest personality trait.
“I was the one who gave the okay. We would have all died if that fire alarm hadn’t gone off. Another five minutes and Shade and Lily would have been burned alive. When I okayed the hit, Georgia’s brother already had custody of her children. I didn’t plan on Lewis getting himself killed, too.”
“Sissy’s behavior isn’t a result of her circumstances; it’s born and bred. Georgia and Lewis were both bullies and sick fuckers. Sissy attacks Willa the same way her mother did.” Shade’s reasoning angered Lucky.
“I don’t believe that. You’re not a result of your upbringing.”
“I’m an aberration.”
“I have to agree with that,” Lucky mocked.
“Will someone tell me when Moon got the right to decide who joins the club?” Knox stared at the brothers around him, breaking up the budding argument.
“Club doesn’t have to keep any promises an original member doesn’t make. Moon didn’t have a problem deceiving the girl. After what’s she’s put Willa through, none of us do.”
“If Willa couldn’t control Sissy, what makes you think Diamond will handle her any better?” Knox questioned.
“Because Diamond isn’t responsible for her uncle’s death, and you’ll be around. Right now, her goal is to become a member. As long as she wants that, she’ll somewhat behave.”
Knox shook his head. “Teenagers expect immediate gratification. She’ll get tired of waiting.”
Lucky couldn’t blame him for his concern. The brother didn’t want his wife exposed to the same treatment from Sissy that Willa had tolerated.
“Diamond is also related to Sex Piston,” Lucky clued him in. “Her sister isn’t going to let Diamond be mistreated.”
“Sex Piston will sic Killyama on her ass.” Knox chuckled.
“That’s what Lucky’s counting on. We can’t touch the girl; however, Killyama will have no hesitation about knocking some respect into her.” Shade’s usually impassive face broke into an evil grin.
“That bitch will wring her fucking neck if she pisses her off.” Viper joined in on the laughter.
Lucky barely held back his own amusement. The Last Riders hated to deal with the biker bitches. If Sissy made the mistake of getting in their faces like she had with everyone else, the girl would be confronted by a group of women who wouldn’t let her age and circumstances affect them. They would beat the shit out of her, which is what he hated to admit he had wanted to do when Sissy had lunged for Willa. He had wanted to drop her on her ass. The only thing that held him back was the presence of the Wests and the social worker.
“Knox, can I borrow your office? I need to make a few calls.” Lucky’s mind was turning to the numerous phone calls he needed to make to resume becoming a pastor and collect the references that would keep Flora at bay until he could marry Willa.
“Help yourself.” Knox waved his hand toward his private office.
“You really going to go through with it?”
Lucky had thought Shade would be pleased with his decision; instead, he was looking grimmer by the second.
“Yeah.”
“How are you going to convince those straight-assed deacons to give you the church back?”
“That’s the easy part. They won’t turn me down, because I found out their secrets when I was their pastor. I just have to remind them that, as long as I’m no longer their pastor, I feel no obligation to keep them. If I have my job back, I would feel bound by my position to make sure their transgressions remain private.”
“The golden rule: scratch my balls, or I’ll cut off your dick.”
“Exactly. I’ll see you later at the clubhouse.”
Lucky went into Knox’s office, motioning for Sissy to go back out front then shutting the door behind her. He expected a bigger challenge at regaining his job as pastor, but none of the deacons gave him any trouble, relieved they wouldn’t have to listen to another on-call pastor. Only one broached the subject of The Last Riders.
“Your association with them may make regaining your position difficult,” Angus Berry brought forth the fears of the other deacons.
“I understand and will be moving back into the church. My future wife and I are looking forward to serving the community.”
“You’re getting married?” Lucky could imagine Angus’s furry grey brows lifted in surprise.