“Hey, Noah.” The voice was throaty from years in bars, shouting over assholes. “How’s everything?”
“Coming up roses, Micah,” I joked and she snorted. “What can I do for you?” The sound of breaking glass crossed the line. “Is everything alright?” I asked, alarmed. There wasn’t much Micah hadn’t seen or handled over the years.
She sighed. “We could use a mediator over here.” Raised voices argued in the background. “I know it’s not really your job.”
“It may not be in the job description, but it’s ninety percent of my job,” I answered. “I’ll be right over.”
“Thanks,” she said gratefully and I heard her shouting as the line went dead.
“No problem,” I whispered to myself, wondering if I was ever going to get back to Cadence.
It only took a few minutes to get back to town and when I pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised to see a shiny black SUV by the front door, an older gentleman leaning against the back, his arms crossed. He smirked when he saw me. “I see they called the cops finally.”
I nodded, making my way inside. Micah looked relieved when she saw me. “They’re in the back,” she told me, sounding frazzled. “If you can’t shut them up, arrest them. Please.”
I nodded, hiding my surprise as I strode to the back of the club, following the sound of yelling to the office door. I knocked but there was no way they heard me, so I opened the door and walked in.
They didn’t notice me at first, so I took a second to observe them. Johnny was more furious than I’d ever seen him, glaring at a woman who looked like she’d just stepped out of a magazine ad. High heels, a pencil skirt, and completely unfazed by Johnny’s bluster.
“You don’t have any right to waltz into my club telling me my own fucking laws,” Johnny roared, pointing a finger at the woman. “I wrote the fucking laws.”
“Apparently, you’ve forgotten them,” she contended, examining her nails. “Perhaps you need a refresher.”
Johnny took a step forward and I tensed, ready to drag one of them out if necessary.
“Get out of my damn club and let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”
“No.” She straightened, and took a step forward, bringing them toe to toe. “Not until you’ve reinstated one Chance ‘Clutch’ Hayes back to his former position in your motorcycle club.”
“That’s what this is about?” I blurted out, and they turned toward me, finally noticing I was in the room. I crossed my arms, irritated they were taking up my time with something so stupid. “Clutch is a Rebel. Never gonna change.”
She waved her hand at Johnny. “Tell him that, Officer….” She trailed off, arching an eyebrow expectantly.
“Breaux,” Johnny answered for me. “What the hell are you doing here?” He glared at me. “You have better things to do.”
“I agree, but Micah called.”
“Meddling old woman,” Johnny grumbled with a shake of his head.
The woman snorted and Johnny glared. “Apparently, you have no respect for women,” she commented and I winced. Nothing could be further from the truth or guaranteed to insult Johnny more.
“You don’t know a Goddamn thing about me,” he replied quietly. “You come strutting in here with your highfaluting ways, thinking you know how this club works because you read our bylaws, the same ones I wrote with Clutch’s daddy. You don’t know. You don’t know this club or my men and you sure as hell don’t know the Hayes boys.”
“Maybe so,” she answered, tilting her head up. “But I know my daughter. I know your,” she paused, “Clutch saved her life, and in return I called in every favor I had to get him released. It should have ended there. But no, he shows up on her doorstep, bleeding to death, and she does what she does and saved him.” She inhaled through her nose, and tapped one wickedly sharp nail against Johnny’s kutte. “Then she foolishly falls in love with your renegade.” My eyes darted between them, trying to decide who was going to be the victor. “I’m sure you can understand my concern when my daughter brought home an unemployed, ex-con, motorcycle club renegade,” she snarled. “I love her dearly, but I have to draw the line somewhere.” She pointed at the floor. “Here is somewhere. You will reinstate Clutch because I will reign hell down on your head if my daughter takes off again for parts unknown on the back of that boy’s motorcycle.” She smiled tightly and I swallowed hard. “Do we understand one another?”
Johnny took a breath, his nostrils flaring. “I can see your point.”
“Do you?”
“I don’t want him taking off either,” Johnny barked, batting her hand away from his kutte. “You think I don’t worry? Damn dumbass. I was trying to give him an out, but no….he’s got to go save the girl.” Johnny sighed, dragging a bottle of whiskey from behind his desk. He tipped the bottle, filling a tumbler to the brim, then downed it in one swallow. “Everyone of ‘em has a bleeding heart and a hero complex to rival their dad’s.” He belched and she arched an eyebrow.