I was not a fan of lockdowns. Having everyone crammed in close quarters for days was not my idea of a good time, but the thought of having Wren and Wyatt there actually had me looking forward to it. I was ready to get the meet over with so I could help them get settled. I hated leaving them back at the house, but I trusted Clutch to make sure they got here with everything they needed. When I pulled into the lot, the club was already rumbling with activity. The families were coming in, unloading their cars as they prepared for the days ahead. Along with them, the brothers from the Forsaken Saints had turned up even earlier than expected. But that was a good thing – meant they were eager. We were all ready for the shit with the King Pythons to end, once and for all.
When I walked in, the bar was packed. The brothers were all gathered around talking, waiting for Cotton to call church. I glanced around the room, watching the women scurry around the room making sure all the guys had what they needed. Cassidy was at the bar with Dive, the Forsaken’s Sergeant of Arms, and they both looked pretty fucking cozy sitting there talking. I shook my head and thought Cotton would have a field day if he caught sight of them. But then again, Cass was smart – she knew Cotton would be pissed to see her talking to him. Dive was a good guy as far as I could tell, but I wasn’t going near whatever shit-show Cass was starting. Scanning the room, I spotted Guardrail was sitting at one of the tables in the back, so I headed over to ask him about Allie.
Before I had a chance to speak, he said, “She’s rattled, but she’s doing fine.”
“And the construction company?” I asked.
“We put the fire out before it got out of control. It’ll take a little work, but we’ll be back up and running in a few days,” he explained.
“Why Allie?”
“Doesn’t matter. Going after her like that was a big fucking mistake,” he growled. “I’ll kill those motherfuckers with my bare hands for even thinking about touching her.”
The bar instantly fell quiet when Cotton walked in. With a slight nod towards the back door, he let everyone know it was time for church. Just as he was turning to leave, he spotted Dive and Cass. He glared at them for a long moment, making Dive’s eyebrows furrow in momentary confusion. With a quick glance over to Cass, Dive realized how he’d fucked up. He didn’t say a word as he stepped away from Cassidy, looking at her like she had three heads and followed his brothers into church.
It didn’t take long for everyone to fill the room. Rip took a seat next to Cotton, while Dive and the rest of his brothers stood behind him. Once the rest of us were settled, Cotton turned to Rip and said, “Appreciate you coming in early like this. We needed to make sure that everyone was on the same page before these motherfuckers strike again.”
“Not a problem, but it’s been pretty quiet on our end,” Rip started. “Been waiting for them to make a move, especially with all that intel they gathered on our brothers and families.”
“Came after us again last night. That’s why we moved the meeting up. Used explosives to set a fire at our construction company. Figured they did it to lure out our VP, so they could get to his old lady.”
“Fuck!” Rip growled.
“We managed to get her out before they could get their hands on her, but the attempt was made nonetheless,” Cotton explained.
“Making a move like that, they’re calling for war,” Rip told him.
“You got that right. We’ve had Big Mike looking into their club, identifying all their possible allies. They’ve got the numbers they need to make one hell of an attack,” Cotton replied.
“Any idea where they might be holed up?” he asked.
“Mike caught something on one of our surveillance streams last night. Looks like a couple of them are hiding out in one of the old warehouses in Angeles, waiting for more to come.”
“There’s no doubt that there will be more. We can count on that, but you’ve got us. Been allies with your club for as long as I can remember, even back when your uncle was sitting in that chair. Best thing he ever did was passing the reigns down to you. Just let us know what you need,” Rip confirmed. “But if they have the kind of numbers I think they’ve got, you’re gonna need more than just us at your back.”
“Aware of that,” Cotton answered. “Already talked to the Northern Caballero’s. They’re in.”
“And with the Nomads we know in the area, we’ll be able to take them on,” Maverick added.
“We’re armed and ready. I suggest you do the same,” Cotton warned.