“Yeah well they should’ve thought of that before they peddled their product on our turf. I’m not standing for that.” Cade glanced at me and his frown deepened. He listened a bit more. “We will address that issue at church. But this afternoon we are going to make sure those bastards know where we stand and make sure they won’t do it again. We need to send a message. Not talking about this anymore.” He hung up without a goodbye.
I glanced at the bedside table where his gun was resting. I wasn’t too happy to have a weapon in the house, much less so close to where I slept, but I hadn’t said anything the nights I had spent with Cade because we were at his house. When I did question why he had a handgun, he had just raised an eyebrow at me and declared he had a permit and it was for protection. He didn’t elaborate.
We hadn’t yet talked about his role in the club. I bit my lip, realizing I needed to know it all. I wasn’t having another relationship where I was kept in the dark up until I watched a man die in front of me. Cade noticed the look on my face at hearing his conversation and watched me carefully.
“Gwen come here,” he ordered.
I ignored him, crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe.
“Who are the ‘bastards’ you’re sending a message to?” I asked quietly.
“Come here baby,” Cade repeated, not answering my question.
“I’m guessing this message might be made with the help of that.” I pointed my head towards his gun.
“Fuckin’ hell,” Cade breathed, throwing the covers back and prowling up to me, boxing me in against the doorframe. “You never do what I say,” he stated roughly.
“You never answer my questions,” I shot back. “Cade it has to be full disclosure with me, I can’t be one of those women who doesn’t question where her man has been, why he carries a weapon. I’ve been one of those women. Didn’t work out so hot.”
Cade’s eyes darkened and I felt his fury. I know he hated what happened to me, I didn’t like to throw it in his face but he needed to understand.
“Shit, baby. You’re not going to like what I have to say, the club ain’t boy scouts.”
“I figured that,” I replied. “Full disclosure Cade.”
He stared at me a beat then pushed away from the door, running his hand through his hair. I tried not to get distracted by his naked body and I managed. Barely. He pulled me to him, directing both of us back onto the bed. He then positioned me atop of him, so I was straddling him and he sat up, hands circling my body.
“This might make you reconsider things between us,” Cade told me seriously, expression grave.
“It would take a lot to make me want to walk away from you,” I whispered and his eyes flared.
He sighed then started talking. “The MC was founded by my grandfather and a couple of his buddies when they got back from Vietnam,” he began.
I was already surprised. I didn’t know much about club politics but knowing he was the grandson of one of the club’s founding members made him pretty important.
“Think they were lost after the war, didn’t come from the best families, they were brothers. Maybe not in blood but they were brothers. The war changed them, they came back, didn’t know where they fit back into the normal world. They definitely weren’t cut out for nine to five jobs. So they formed the Son’s, with the garage for a start, they then moved into other areas, they also ran and sold guns.”
Cade watched me closely, his arms were tight around me, as though he was preparing for me to try to run from the room. I stayed put. I was shocked; I didn’t expect the club to be law abiding citizens, but running guns? That shit was serious. And dangerous.
“They made alliances with some heavy hitters, made a lot of money and made a name for themselves. My father took over when my grandfather died of cancer. They were liked around town though, people respected my father, they felt protected by the club. You see, even though they were breaking the law, anything that happened in Amber was under their watch. They didn’t stand for drugs, the town was kept safe from shit spilling from the big cities.”
He was trying to convince me that even though they were criminals, they still cared about their town.
“My father was good friends with the sheriff, Bill. Crawford’s father.”
I raised my eyebrows. Well, shit. Both boy’s followed in their father’s footsteps. And a sheriff, friends with a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang?
“Bill knew the club was up to shit, but turned a blind eye, as long as shit didn’t spill into his town, there was an uneasy understanding. So the club grew, more brothers joined, got charters around the country. I watched the club grow, all I wanted to do was get patched in, soon as I could. Then shit went down with the Spiders, a rival gang who didn’t like the Son’s controlling a big portion of weapon sales in the West Coast.”
Whoa, that sounded serious. I thought about the damage those guns did, killing people, widowing women like Rosa. My jaw hardened.
Cade noticed, his body stiffening but he carried on. “Things came to a head when I was fifteen, a year off being able to prospect with the club. The Spiders attacked the club when they were on a run, hell of a firefight, my father was killed, among others.”
Cade spoke clinically, his voice emotionless. I saw that it still hurt him though, those wounds hadn’t healed.
I stroked his face softly. “I’m so sorry honey,” I whispered.
“Long time ago Gwen, I’m good with it,” he lied. “Anyway, with my father dead and me being too young to take over the club, Steg stepped up. He was my father’s best friend. Ruthless bastard, but I respected him, hell, I looked up to all the brothers. He was power hungry though, shit, still is. Some of the brothers were hesitant about keeping in the gun business after losing friends.” He looked at me, I nodded to keep him going.