Normally we’d all cheer for some action. But I could sense the tension in the room. Trev was throwing me a favor that didn’t need to be thrown. In a way, he was making himself look a little soft and that was a huge risk. If the table turned on him… fuck, it would be as bad as when Ripper was at the helm.
“Brothers, I’m going to say this once,” I said. I slowly walked to my chair. I put my hand to it and looked up and down the table. “I was given this cut, this chair, all for a purpose. I’ve fulfilled that purpose. I’ll forever fill that purpose. If I found out that this was done on purpose to hurt this club, whoever did it will be hurt. Severely hurt. This isn’t about some old war buddy or some chick I used to fuck.”
“I knew you fucked her!” Kye said. “Saw it on your face. You fucked her the night before you saw the Hell Five.”
“So… in some fucked up way, we can all agree that pussy helped the club,” Cash said. “This could set precedent.”
“I didn’t know you could speak words that big,” Cade said.
“I’m asking for your trust,” I said. “There has to be more happening behind all of this. If we crack whatever the fuck the Hell Five is doing here, we can be on the lookout elsewhere. What everyone should do now is think why they want that land. What are they planning on building there? Guns? Drugs? Pussy? Are they the ones in bed with the Russians? Or maybe our Irish friends are pushing for them to do this. Whatever it is, we need to stop it.
“That goddamn chair is yours,” Jasper said. “Until the day we strip you of your cut and your ink, you’re part of this club. It’s just not easy dealing with Ivan and Peter showing up with his thugs, demanding answers.”
“Which means they’re watching us,” I said. “They want that cash.”
“We better figure that out soon,” Trent said. “They’re going to get worse with their visits and orders.”
“So we have a plateful here,” Trev said. He nudged the gavel. “I guess we should get out of these fucking chairs and make something happen. Right now.”
The table roared to life for a few seconds.
Trent stared me down from across the table. He was the last to stand up and leave, making it just me, him, and Trev in the conference room.
“Something you need to say?” I asked Trent.
“I know how it feels,” he said. “Willing to fight for someone while trying to fight for your club. You have my support all the way, brother.”
“You have my support too,” Trev said. “But I can only go so far. I can’t lose the table. I can’t have a war inside my clubhouse or enemies in my lot, killing prospects.”
I simply nodded. There were no more words worth willing to speak.
It was time for action… no matter the consequence.
**
I pulled into the driveway just before sunset.
The front door opened to the house and Belle stood there. Her arms were crossed as I approached the old porch. I notice something different about her. She was holding a pack of smokes.
I cocked my head to the side and pointed to them.
“Thinking about smoking them all,” she said.
“Didn’t know you still smoked.”
“I don’t,” she said.
I walked up the porch and looked left to right. There was no way to really know if someone was watching or someone was going to wait and attack. All I could do was prepare on my own, which I felt I had done.
“Going to tell me why I need a gun?” Belle asked.
“Because your brother sold land to a group of men that would kill you without thinking twice. And because there’s another group that thinks we’re affiliated, and they’d do things that would make the toughest man break down and cry.”
Belle shivered. She slowly peeled back the top of the cigarettes and I grabbed the pack out of her hands.
“You don’t need that shit, sweetie.”
“No? I called you for help and now I have people wanting to kill me and my brother.”
“To be fair, I had nothing to do with Jim and his decision.”
Belle rolled her eyes. “What’s going to happen here, Duke? Should I call the police?”
“You could do that,” I said. “But there’s nothing they could do for you. If you let me help you…”
“Why would he do this?” Belle asked. She blinked fast as her eyes filled up with tears.
“Do what?”
“Sell. This was our home. This was… this was what they left for us. And he just wants to give it up. He doesn’t care…”
I touched Belle’s face. “Ah, sweetie, you can’t look at it like that. I’m so sorry for what you and Jim have gone through and are going through. I can’t make excuses for him and won’t. His dreams might not be yours. Right now, we need to get through this mess.”
“Am I going to end up in trouble?” Belle asked.
Her eyes were as beautiful as ever. “Hanging around me is trouble. But I’m going to protect you. Jim too. I thought I was doing the right thing then when I didn’t come back, but I won’t make that same mistake twice.”
Belle touched my shirt. I could see the fear in her eyes.
Our lips started to get closer. We were an inch away from crossing that line again. I pulled back a little.
“Sweetie…”
“Duke, I need you. I fucking need you.”
Her lips quivered as she tried to pull at me, wanting to kiss me.