“I’m willing to see for myself,” Viper said, trying to push past her. She held firm, keeping him away from Sarge. “Does Cutter even fucking know about this shit?” he shouted at Sarge who stood a good fifteen feet away, hands still behind his head.
“No he doesn’t fucking know. It’s called taking the goddammed initiative.” He pounded his chest with his closed fist, once. “Me. I’m showing him what I’m fucking made of. What I bring to this club.”
Viper snorted. “That’s rich. We’re prospects, Sarge. We don’t take the initiative. We follow orders so the club knows we’re trustworthy and loyal.” He threw his hands in the air, frustration pouring off him in waves. “You wanna show him what you’re made of, you do every goddammed thing he asks and do it better than anyone before you. You got a brilliant fucking idea to get the club fucked in the ass by Vito, you take it to a patched member first or you wait four goddammed weeks until we’re patched in.” He spun, stalking off with his hands on his hips. When he was a good ten feet away, he screamed out, “Fuuck!” as he kicked a pile of dirt and rocks, spraying debris across the one lane highway.
When Sarge didn’t make a move to chase him down, Cassie lowered her arms to her waist. The night had grown chilly with a breeze making it downright cold. Until this moment, the surge of adrenalin had kept her near boiling, but now that the danger had passed, shivers raced through her limbs. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and chewed her lower lip as she switched her gaze between the enraged men.
What the hell was the next best move? As much as she’d learned about club life in the past year, there was still much she didn’t understand. However, the fact that prospects weren’t permitted to make independent decisions on behalf of the club was prospecting one-oh-one. They took orders, they didn’t lead. Viper was dead right, Sarge should have taken his idea to a patched member or waited until he was one himself. But in this moment, with tempers running hot and the lateness of the day, they needed to table the fight and pick it up after they’d slept and processed.
“Look, guys, it’s late and we still have an hour’s ride home. Can you talk tomorrow after you’ve both cooled—”
As though she hadn’t opened her mouth, hell as though she wasn’t even present, Sarge did an abrupt about face. “At least I have some fucking ambition beyond playing house with some rich bitch we scooped off the side of the road.”
Well, that was a bit of a stretch. She narrowed her eyes, prepared to blast the man, but Viper’s tense posture and curled fists caught her attention.
He turned, only slowly with what she’d have called deadly intent. Thanks to the beam of light from both men’s bikes she had a crystal-clear view of the lethal glare he shot Sarge’s way. “Fuck. You.”
“Guys, come on…”
“Remember, you ain’t a legacy in this club, Viper. You’re not gonna just float to the top like the fucking cream.” Sarge spat the words with a venom she’d never heard from him.
What the hell was up with the man who’d been their friend? The man who changed his whole life to help Viper rescue her. Who was this angry, power hungry asshole?
“That what this is about?” Viper said spreading his arms. “You fucking jealous? Feel like you gotta one up me or some shit like that? I’m not competing with you for shit, Sarge. I’m your brother. You wanna run this club some day? Good for fucking you. I’m not out to steal that shit from you, but two things.” He held up a finger. “Don’t do it in a way that’s gonna get our asses kicked out of the club.” Another finger rose. “And if you ever involve Cassie in something that gets her hurt again—”
“What?” Sarge shouted. “What the fuck you gonna do? You don’t have any power without your daddy behind you.”
And that was it. Cassie saw the moment Viper snapped and started to go after Sarge again. If she didn’t do something, there was a good chance one of these guys would end up dead. “That’s enough!” she screamed as loud as she possibly could, given how shouting vibrated the hell out of her sore face.
Both men’s heads snapped in her direction and they gawked as though they’d forgotten she was listening.
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on with you, Sarge, but it’s done for tonight. This is a waste of fucking time. Shouting at each other on the side of the road isn’t gonna do a damn thing to solve this. Neither is beating each other bloody. Or bloodier,” she muttered.