Cyrus (The Henchmen MC 9)

I wanted to think about that shit.

On a loop.

And maybe with my cock in my hand because it had been physically painful to walk away from her as turned on as I was.

But I had had a thirty-minute walk to roll the thoughts around, and it was time to shut them off, and focus on the club.

"Anytime you can grace us with your presence," Reign said dryly as I stepped inside.

"What? Tired of looking at all these ugly fucks, Prez?" I asked, forcing a smile, trying to lighten the heavy mood inside.

"Now that everyone is here," Reign went on without comment. "Time to fill you all in. Lyon is dead, obviously. Cyrus was shot at, but apparently missed purposely. I got a call from Shane who was working on his piece of shit apartment building earlier today, and said that there was a drive-by around Third Street. But, again, no one got shot."

"What about Lyon's place?" Renny asked, face more serious than you usually found it. "Were his men taken out?"

"Converted," Cash supplied. "Or had a mutiny. One or the other. Things are still operating there. Gates are armed. Men are walking the grounds. There's some new boss in charge."

"Shit," Duke hissed, running a hand impatiently through his light hair.

Shit.

That about covered it.

If there was some new player in town, and he already had Lyon's mini military of men working for him, there could be a problem.

The Henchmen didn't deal in drugs and, so long as Reign ran things, it never would. Guns only. And, more recently, the legit businesses as well.

Third Street dealt in H and women.

We had to wonder if this was just the start, if the Mallicks were going to get their own drive-by. And the Grassi family. And all the other guys who made money less-than-legally such as Breaker, Shooter, Ross Ward, Hailstorm.

But, no.

Hell, I almost laughed out loud at that idea.

Only a fool would go after Hailstorm.

Thanks to a couple shitty wars, Lo's ranks of veterans with very specific, very useful skills was growing by the week. By the sound of things, she was getting close to max capacity up on her paramilitary hill. I was pretty sure the local goddamn army couldn't step to her and her men and women.

But the other guys, well, they all needed to be warned about possible drive-bys.

"Why shoot at Cy, though?" Roderick asked. "They already did the drive-by when they took out Lyon."

Reign shrugged a shoulder. "The thing with Lyon was targeted. The car didn't pull out until Lyon was off my property. That was clearly just a hit. And it proved to everyone that they could do a hit if they wanted to. But for us, for Third Street, for the other syndicates around who likely have this to look forward to, it's just a warning. It's this motherfucker pulling his dick out, and showing everyone how big his balls are. It's preemptive."

"So, what?" Sugar asked, clearly agitated. "We sit and wait to make sure that flexing is all they are doing?"

"Look around you, Sugar," Reign offered, waving a hand about. "There are fourteen of us total. Fourteen. I don't know if you've been around long enough to get a look at Summer's childhood home, man, but let me tell you, it made V's fortress look like a house with unlocked doors."

"Yeah, and what about V?" Repo asked, tense.

I didn't know every detail about that V situation, but I know Repo had been wounded trying to protect Summer, then had been part of the mission to get her back as well. Back before he was even patched. Loyal. That was the word you used for Repo.

"Up in the air," Cash supplied, shaking his head. "I don't usually believe in hurting women, but I can't for the life of me figure out why Lyon didn't put her down."

"Do you think that whoever this new power is will team up with V?"

"Last fucking thing we need," Wolf growled.

And, well, you had to agree with that. No town wanted a violent skin trader, shipping in innocent girls, and forcing them to be raped until they were no longer young and pretty enough to bring in clients.

"Guess we're due." That came from Repo, drawing everyone's curious gazes. "Town like this, running somewhat harmoniously? No V. No Lex Keith. No real scumbag making waves, causing hurt. I guess we were due."

There was a silence following that declaration, each of us maybe acknowledging the truth in it, but not liking it one bit.

"If they're after the cocaine trade," Reign spoke next, tone somewhat reassuring, "then we likely don't have dick to worry about. Except if V gets out."

"Why then?" Edison asked, not from around town, not having been around long enough to have all the dirt.

"Let's just say that V has a score to settle with The Henchmen and Hailstorm for taking away her operation, killing her men, and letting her become a prisoner for years."