Duke (The Henchmen MC 5)

"Afraid so," Reign said, nodding, raking a hand down his face. "Duke, maybe get..." he started, nodding his chin at Penny.

Get Penny out of there so we could discuss club shit.

"It's okay. I'll go," Penny said, body tense. She put the giant platter down on the coffee table and moved to walk away. I snagged her wrist, grabbing a couple wedges of quesadillas and piling them on a plate.

"I'll be in when we're done here," I told her, making one of the stupid fucks whistle.

"What?" he asked when I glared at him. "She's hot. I'd be all up in that shit too."

"Careful, he's touchy about his cornfed blondie," Renny said, moving in to my side.

"Cut the shit," Reign growled. "We have someone killing our men, beating up women, and burning our business to the fucking ground. We don't have time for this petty club bullshit."

"Should we put some men out front the gym?" Cash asked.

"They'd have targets on their chests," Reign said, shaking his head.

"So, what? We just keep letting them attack us while we sit on our hands?" Bruno, a younger, ugly fuck asked, hands curling and uncurling into fists at his sides.

"Watch it," Wolf growled, warning him about overstepping lines.

"We're all itching to get this shit handled," Reign said, shaking his head. "But what do you suggest, Bruno? You want to just go around killing everyone who might be a threat? We don't have enough fuckin' bullets for that shit. Don't give me your fucking frustration. I got enough of my own."

"When are we heading out to see the Russians?" Repo asked, drawing my attention. I hadn't heard shit about the Russians.

"You and me will be leaving tomorrow. And at the same time, Wolf and Renny will be heading out to see the Mexicans. In my absence, Cash is obviously in charge. In his absence for whatever-the-fuck reason, I'm leaving it up to Duke." I felt myself stiffen. He would leave me in charge? Granted, only in the instance that he, Wolf, Cash, and Repo were not around, but it still meant something. "It goes without saying that the women and kids will stay up at Hailstorm. As for the rest of you, no more walking rounds. I want you on the roofs and behind the ballistic shields Lo dropped off. One on each side of the building, watching each direction. Shifts change every six hours so no one gets lazy. Anything else I'm forgetting?" he asked, looking around.

"How long will you be gone?" I asked when no one else did.

"Wolf and Renny will be back sooner. It's only half a day ride in each direction. They have a meeting tomorrow. Weather permitting, they will be back tomorrow night. Me and Repo will be about three days out."

"There are no other leads you want us to follow here?" I pressed.

"Can't fucking find anyone we know of who definitely wants us out of the picture. Janie and Alex are still on this day and night. But all they get from the cameras around town is masks and plate-free cars. The body we got led nowhere. Prints weren't in the system. There was no ID on him. We rigged up some cameras around the grounds here. They can be monitored here or at Hailstorm. And we put up the flood lights. If you think there's a threat, cut them on. They're fuckin' blinding. They can't get clean shots off if they tried. Yeah," he said, looking at Bruno, "we are sitting ducks right now. But we need to handle this smart. So do what I fucking said to do and not shit else unless Cash or Duke says otherwise."

The group broke up, a new shift of men heading up toward the roof through the catch in the ceiling in the hall instead the ladder down the side of the building like we used to. Everything, even those little things, had changed.

Reign clamped a hand on my shoulder. "Walk with me," he demanded. I nodded as he led me into the hall then down into the basement that was my room when I was prospecting. A room I shared with Renny and, later, Maze.

"What's up, Reign?" I asked, uncomfortable with his silence.

"I got something to ask of you that you're not going to like," he said, turning to face me, legs planted wide, shoulders tense.

I felt a brick of lead settle in my stomach, knowing that if it was making Reign uncomfortable to ask it, it couldn't be good. Nothing shook him. A part of me was worried he was going to ask me to cut Penny loose, or worse, use her as bait in some way.

Which wouldn't fucking stand.

I didn't give a fuck if that meant a problem with me and my brothers.

"Ask it," I demanded, not wanting to put off the inevitable.