“And if there’s blowback to the club?”
“Jagger wouldn’t have done anything that’d cause the club harm. You know that.” I motioned my hand to Rafe and Axel as they started walking towards us. “Now, pipe down, Francis and let it be. We’ve gotta get going.”
“You’re right.” He started walking over to the others and said, “Thanks, brother.”
“Don’t mention it.”
After we made sure everything was loaded and secured, Menace and I got into the SUV with Rafe and Axel. With Axel behind the wheel, we pulled through the main gate and were on our way to Knoxville—the halfway point between our clubhouse and the North Carolina Sinners’ chapter. Viper and Dax, the president of the NC chapter, decided it would be easier to meet there once a month to make our exchange. The three-and-a-half-hour ride versus the six-and-a-half suited me just fine. I figured the sooner we got there and back, the sooner I could get back home and over to the Manor to see about Kiersten. While she didn’t say anything specific, I got the feeling that something was weighing on her mind, and I wanted to make sure she was okay.
We were about an hour into our drive when Axel turned back to me and asked, “What’s up with you?”
“Huh?”
“You sick or something?”
“What the hell are you talking about, brother?”
“You haven’t said two words since we got in the truck,” Axel explained. “We usually can’t get you to shut your trap, so I figure there’s gotta be something wrong.”
“Ah, he’s all right. Just pining over his latest honey hole.” Rafe snickered.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. I was too fucking angry with Rafe’s referral to Kiersten, so I simply sat there and glared at him. When he realized he’d overstepped, he quickly apologized. “Oh, come on, brother. You know I didn’t mean nothin’ by it. I was just messin’ around.”
Again, I didn’t respond. If I had, it would’ve just given the guys fuel for the fire, and I simply wasn’t in the mood. I should’ve expected it. I’d given both Rafe and Menace all kinds of hell when they met their ol’ ladies—especially Rafe. Then again, the asshole had it coming. Marlowe worked at Crockett’s, and like all men who crossed paths with her, I found her attractive and even asked her out. I hadn’t been into her like I was with Kiersten. I was just looking to get laid, and I was pretty sure she knew it. That’s why Marlowe made me think she was a lesbian. She had me thinking it for months—right up until the day she and Rafe hooked up. I didn’t hold any ill-will towards either of them. Hell, those two were meant for each other. In all the years I’d known Rafe, I’d never seen my brother so happy.
That had me thinking about Kiersten, and once my mind was on her, everything around me turned into a blur. So much so, I hadn’t even realized that we’d pulled up to our destination until Rafe gave me a nudge. “Hey, pull your head out of your ass, brother. We’re here.”
Not believing that I’d been so out of sorts, I glanced out the window and saw the back of the old football stadium where we’d agreed to meet up with our NC chapter. It had been closed down for years and was away from any watchful eyes. I knew the others were waiting, so I ran my hand over my face and tried to clear the fog as I grumbled, “I’ll be damned.”
“You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” I opened my door. “Let’s do this.”
By the time Rafe and I got out of the truck, Axel and Menace were already out and reacquainting themselves with the brothers from the NC chapter. We’d met them before, but that was at a gathering with some of the other Sinner chapters. Between all the booze and crowds of people, it was often hard to keep track of who was who. I happened to recognize Bates, their club’s sergeant-at-arms. At six-four and two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle, the man was hard to forget. Bates had jet-black hair and tattoos covering most of his exposed body, including his throat and hands. Even though the guy was a bit menacing, he’d always seemed cool whenever we were together, so I walked over and gave him a bro hug. “Hey, brother. How’s it going? It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has. It’s been going good. You been making it all right?”
“Can’t complain. And you?”
“The same.” He motioned his hand towards the others. “I’m sure you remember Fallon, our enforcer.”
Fallon wasn’t as tall as Bates, but he was just as built and had his own fair share of tats. His hair was long like mine and pulled back into a braid. I gave him a side hug as I replied, “I do. It’s good to see ya again, brother.”