“Fuck you.”
Nothing worse than a fucking rat. The whole point of outlaw life is living outside the law. Running to law enforcement to solve your internal club matters is as low as it gets.
I meet Rock’s eyes.
A long time ago, we’d buried our own club’s president for the good of the whole club. We could’ve easily offered Ruger up to the Feds. Instead, one day he just disappeared. Rock set the president’s ring on the table, silently letting everyone know Ruger wouldn’t be returning. We voted him in as our president. The ones who didn’t like it, left. Sway’s method of protest was to form the Downstate New York charter. And as much friction as the two charters had over the years, we didn’t go to the cops to sort it out.
Rock nods once, as if he’s also thinking of our past deeds.
People outside our brotherhood who don’t follow our code would never understand. But we don’t need them to.
We are our brother’s keeper.
And no one else’s.
“Look.” Whitey holds up his hands but with the bullet in his leg, can’t quite sit up. “You still need to make things right with my daughter,” he says to Merlin. Then he glances at Rock. “We’ll stick to our side of the border. We won’t say a word. You won’t have to worry about us again.”
“You think you’re in a position to bargain?” Rock asks, disbelief dripping from his words. “The time to stay out of New York was two years ago.”
Whitey ignores him and focuses on Merlin again. Not sure why, Merlin isn’t in a forgiving mood either. “We’re gonna be—”
Merlin raises his gun and without another word, shoots Whitey in the head. Bone, blood, and lumps of brain explode onto the ground. Whitey slumps over.
Thumbs screams and stares at his dead president.
Sticks doesn’t look at his father. He squirms and tries to break free again.
Next.
I approach Thumbs.
“Don’t kill me,” he pleads. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Unfortunately for you, my ol’ lady made me promise to kill whoever took her brother. And cut off his toe. Not a smart move sending her that package.”
“Here.” Z tosses a tarp at me. “Let’s at least try to minimize the DNA splatter.”
I drape the material over the guy’s head, making him look like a kid dressed up for the darkest Halloween of his life.
“No!” he shouts, fighting to pull off the sheet.
But it’s too late for him.
“I always keep my promises.”
I squeeze the trigger.