“Good. You have my permission to tell your woman whatever you need to. But I’m holding you responsible for what she does with that information.”
“I’ll be sure she keeps everything to herself.”
“I believe you. Now I need to get a refill. It’s going to be a long day.”
A few hours later we’re all seated at the thick wooden table in church.
“So that’s it? After fifteen years of my life, I’m out because I don’t agree with the direction you’re going in?” Mike snarls.
“The only thing keeping me from putting a bullet in your brain it those years. You were warned. You did fuck all to enforce the rules I laid out, Wizard enforced, and a good majority of the brothers here followed. You figured once Wizard came back home you could go back. You should’ve known better. I don’t do loose ends.”
“You’re going to find getting me out of here more difficult than you thought. You’re not the only one who takes notice of things.”
“You threatening him?” Wizard growls.
The sound of shouting comes through the walls.
“What the hell is going out there?” Knuckles barks.
“A challenge of power.”
Chairs tumble to the ground behind us as we jump to our feet and open the door to a rapidly growing bar fight. Chairs, swears, and fists fly as brother turns against brother.
The sound of flesh meeting flesh draws my attention. My jaw drops as Stone lays into Big like he’s Rocky Balboa. A bottle shatters near my head. I jump. I’m shoved as the fight expands, and I raise my hands, ready to defend myself. My head jerks back as a punch is delivered. The blood rushes in my ears, and I respond with two punches to the gut of Mutt, a known Big lackey. He steps back, and I follow him with a one-two combo. His counter punch to my side makes me grunt.
Pain explodes in my head. I stumble. Liquid runs down the side of my face. I reach up to the back of my head, and my hands come away with blood. My head pounds and my stomach sours.
Chapter Nine
Xia
“Your social media is blowing up today,” Ellis says as my phone buzzes again in my pocket.
“It’s the contest I’m running. They get a chance to name the unicorn.”
“What unicorn?”
“The one on the logo. He or she is going to be the official mascot. If their name is picked, they’ll win a fifty-dollar Amazon gift card. After we’ve narrowed down the choices to five or fewer, I’ll take a pole.”
“Where the hell do you come up with all of this stuff?” Ellis asks.
“My brain. It pays to be mad sometimes.”
“Apparently. Where’s your appendage?”
“Be nice. He took a day off to meet up with some family who were coming to town. They’re all really into motorcycles and take a lot of trips on them. Not shocking since they own some sort of mechanics’ shop.”
“Then what is he doing learning the ropes of a food truck?” Casp asks from behind me.
“They want to branch out into other businesses and create new jobs for the next generation. I think it’s smart. The area they live in is a small one near a lot of military personnel. If they do their marketing research, it could be a goldmine.”
“What happens when his time here is up?” Ellis asks.
I don’t know. “Are we here to make money or talk about my fledgling relationship?”
“Both,” Casp and Ellis echo.
“No ganging up on me. Besides, our employees don’t want to hear us airing all our dirty laundry.”