“Maybe,” Miller said. “It was her choice to wait as long as she did.”
“Better off,” Blaine said. “It was rough last year at this time.”
“Amen to that,” Gaige said.
“I don’t know what to make of anything,” Miller said. “This is dangerous. We move slow and easy. If this implodes with Ripper, we’ll be dealing with President meetings, votes for patching over other charters, playing into Ripper’s fucked up head.”
“Any chance he’s running outlaw?” Trev asked.
“As a President?” Blaine asked.
“Why not? Playing both sides of it all? We’ve all heard stories about him, right? He does what he wants, when he wants. Shit, he could be…” Trev shook his head. “Whatever. I can’t live in speculation.”
The prospects came over with a plate of burgers.
“You boys hungry?” Blaine asked the prospects.
“Yes,” one of the said.
“If I spit on this, will you still eat it?” Blaine asked.
“Uh…”
“How about if I wipe my ass with it?” Trev asked.
One of the prospects smirked.
Trev stood up.
“Ah, shit,” Miller said.
Trev faced the prospect. “Something funny, asshole?”
“No, sir,” the prospect said.
“What do you think this is? Fucking playtime?”
“No…”
Trev grabbed a burger and slammed it into the prospect’s face, driving him back. He swung his foot and tripped the prospect, sending him to the ground. Trev stood over the guy, watching his face as he ripped the burger meat off him.
“No,” Trev said. “Eat the fucking burger. Then I’ll give you something to wash it down with.”
Trev grabbed his jeans.
“Fuck, he’s fired up,” Gaige said.
“Anyone else have something to offer?” Miller asked the other prospects.
“No, sir,” one of the prospects said. “Can we get you anything else?”
Trev stood with his hand at his zipper. Goddammit, if he had to piss, he would have done it. Instead, he turned and walked back to the table and sat down.
He made himself a burger and gobbled it down in three bites.
“You gonna be okay, brother?” Blaine asked.
“Fuck off,” Trev said. “This is why I always kept outlaw. This shit right here.”
Miller leaned forward, showing his teeth. “Nobody’s forcing you to keep that cut on, brother. Say the word and I’ll fucking personally cut those patches off.”
Trev stared at Miller. “I knew him better than you did, Miller. This is all fucked. Something bad is going to happen.”
“We already know that, Trev,” Gaige said. “Take is easy, man. Okay? You’re running with assumptions, which is exactly what you said you wouldn’t do.”
“Fair enough,” Trev said.
He ripped through two more burgers and another three beers as the rest of the guys lingered around the lot.
It was twilight when Landon came over and said, “Prospects are still alive.”
“I know,” Trev said.
“Thought you were slated to take care of that.”
“I am,” Trev said. “Got a problem?”
“They’re just hanging there. It’s kind of bad. Even for us.”
“Gives them time to think about what they did,” Trev said. “Now leave me the fuck alone.”
Trev walked away and saw Gaige and Miller at a different table, a map open.
They were discussing territory rights, something that scared Trev. Debating cities and borders between charters of the same MC was touchy to begin with. Add to that a little inner beef and it was worse. If Chief Ethan got wind of it…
Trev kept walking, eyeing up the apartment. Prospects had taken food to Eden a while ago. She was fed, sheltered, and safe. That’s all Trev could offer her for right now until the rest of the bullshit started to really show itself.
As Trev walked a line of junk cars, he saw a lighter flicker with a flame. The lighter clicked shut and the cherry of a cigarette glowed bright.
“Brother,” Nate’s voice said.
“What are you doing back here?”
“Avoiding the noise,” Nate said. “You know me.”
“Can I talk to you about something?”
“Sure.”
“You got your head bashed in once, left for dead. You were let down pretty bad by some close people in this town. Hell, even the MC. You ever think Griffin was…”
“Never once,” Nate said. “He was a fat pain in the ass, but never a traitor.”
“He was hitting Ripper’s old lady.”
“So what?”
“If this goes bad, Nate…”
“It always goes bad,” Nate said. “That’s our life, Trev. You’ve seen enough dark shit to make the reaper fear you. What are you worried about?”
“Eden. She walked into a storm thinking she was finding the end of a rainbow.”
“That’s poetic. You should write that down and sell it in a card or some shit.”
“You’re a real fucking prick sometimes.”