Broken but Breathing (Jinx Tattoos 2)

“What’s going on, man? I’m kind of in the middle of a moving process,” Snake said, watching the prospects load up a small U-Haul.

“That’s what the prospects are for. I need you come to the club, we have some shit we need to get right.”

His stern tone made Snake’s spine stiffen. Shit, he’s pissed. “All right, I’m headed out now.”

The dial tone was the only response he got. What the hell could I have done in the past twenty-four hours that has his boxers in a bunch?

“I expect this shit to be done by the end of the day, understood?” Snake asked.

A round of, “Yes V.P.,” echoed around him.

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Es asked, coming out of the bedroom in a pair overalls and a head scarf that kept her honey locks away from her face.

“Yeah, I need to go see Mike at the Clubhouse. Don’t worry, they won’t bite. They’ll do whatever you ask them to, and you couldn’t be safer.”

She shifted her weight to one side. “Okay.”

“Isn’t Jole coming over, too?” he asked.

“Yeah in another hour.”

“There you go. Once your ride or die gets here, you won’t notice I’m gone.”

“Not after we crack open a bottle of wine.”

He laughed. “I’d feel slighted, but it’s funny as hell to watch you two once you hit the booze.”

“It’s wine, not booze. You make it sound like we’re sipping out of a flask.”

“Ha, after you both split a bottle, I think it’s a similar effect,” he said, kissing the tip of her nose. “Call if you need something, all right?”

She nodded and offered up the sweet smile that made him feel like the luckiest man in the world. She’d softened him in some ways, but he saw it as a bridge to fatherhood. Before her influence, he was a hard motherfucker. She got him back in touch with the man he’d been with Jade. The shit worked out like it was a designed plan. It made him rethink his outlook on God. He’d been through the mud, but the sun was peeking out over the horizon.

Leaving, he made the fifteen-minute drive and pulled up to the empty Clubhouse. Most of his brothers were at work right now or still sleeping. Eleven o’clock was “morning” for some. Parking his bike, he climbed off and prepared to get his ass chewed. By now he could tell when his President was in snit. He stepped inside the club house and scanned the desolate area before he continued down the hall to Mike’s office. His friend sat in his chair looking pensive.

“Come on in and close the door,” Mike said.

Snake did as he requested and took a seat. “What’s going on, brother? It sounded serious.”

“It is. Listen, brother, you got a lot of shit on your plate right now. I get that. This shit with your daughter came out of left field and you’re handling it as fast as you can without completely making her lose her shit. I can appreciate that fact as a man who raised Kali as if she was his daughter once our parents passed. But as a President, you need to get your shit together. Finish up your business with your kid, get your old lady in place to be there when you’re needed for the Club, and get your head back in the game. The family is uneasy when its Vice President is away more than here and not doing Club shit.”

The words were a sucker punch to the solar plexus. He understood Mike’s angle, but the shit still stung.

“Business wise, I can understand where you’re coming from. But this shit was sprung on me and I’m scrambling to assimilate and get it all into place. You have to give me time. I put in a lot of years with you. I’m loyal and I’m steady. My shit’s all over the place at the moment, but I’m working on honing that in.”

“I need to know you remember where your priorities lie,” Mike said.

“I do. I take my promises to this Club seriously. I meant every word when I patched then. I follow the rules down to the letter. What the fuck, Mike?”

“I can’t have our people doubting the status of this Club. There’s whispers. That’s how Clubs go downhill.”

“Look, you want me around more, I will be. You think we need to boost morale, we’ll throw some parties and do some runs. We have the patch over coming up in a week. Things will look different. It’s been quiet. That always makes the boys antsy. I’m working on getting my shit straight, but you have to be patient.”

“Just make it right, so none of us have to make hard decisions.”

Snake gave a curt nod, locking his jaw to keep from voicing his opinions. “Is that all?” he managed to ask.

“For now,” Mike said.