Zero Tolerance (Lost Kings MC 12)

“You’re an idiot,” Sparky says. His happy, bloodshot eyes fix on me. “This is perfect. We have a perfect female aura and now we’ll have a boy for counterbalance.” He clasps his hands together like he’s a professor in front of a room full of freshmen biology students instead of a biker explaining his method for growing marijuana with his brothers. “The plants need that male-to-female energy balance. It’s a delicate process.”

Ravage squints at him. “What are you babbling about, stoner biker?”

“Shut up,” Stash says. He pats the top of Sparky’s head. “Our little stoner biker is a fuckin’ genius. If the clubhouse’s aura needs some harmony, then our genius gets his harmony.”

“Uh, maybe once upon a time he was a genius, but he’s burned way too many brain cells by now,” Ravage says.

I roll my eyes and wander into the war room. Dex is already in his seat and lifts his chin at me. “Too much noise out there?”

“Do they ever shut up?”

“Nope.”

I groan and drop into my chair.

Dex stares at me for a minute, then cuts right to the heart of what’s weighing on me. “I feel for you, brother. At least he’s here and you’ll get to know him now.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “Everything okay at Crystal Ball?”

He shrugs. “Same bullshit, different night. Malik’s opening the place today.”

“Poor bastard. Those girls will drive him nuts.”

“Nah, he puts up with Loco’s harem. And I sure as fuck don’t have to worry about anyone bothering the girls when he’s there.”

“Truth.”

Wrath’s big voice drowns out everything going on in the living room. Soon he’s filling up the doorway and taking his place.

“How’s it going, bro?”

I shrug, already exhausted from discussing my fucked-up situation.

“How’d the dogs do on their ride?”

“Got slobber from one end of my truck to the other.” He shakes his head. “They seemed to love it.”

“Thanks for doing that.” I stop and glare at him. “You better buy me new sheets and blankets now, dick.”

“Please, I did you a favor. You’re gonna wanna burn that fuckin’ bed before you let Lilly—”

“Don’t even finish that sentence, you fuckhead.”

Dex is laughing at us so hard he puts his head on the table. “Aw man, I love you guys.”

Wrath grins at me and I shake my head. There’s more activity outside the war room. Yelling from Alexa, so I assume that means Murphy just got here. Grace adds her screams to the mix, which chases the rest of the brothers into the room.

Rock shuts the door behind him and runs his gaze over the table, daring one of us to comment on his daughter’s yowling.

When no one makes a peep, he nods to Teller and the two of them open up the safe. Teller passes out fat bricks of cash to each of us, making me damn pleased I showed up today.

“Spend it wisely,” Rock cautions. His gaze falls on Stash and Ravage, then shifts to Hoot and Birch. “For fuck’s sake, don’t try to deposit more than eight or nine thousand at a time.”

“This is going right under my mattress,” Sparky announces, flipping through the bills.

“Good to know,” Stash says.

Sparky shoves the cash down the front of his pants, making obscene noises to go along with the show. “You won’t be touching my money after I rub my balls on it.”

Dex groans. “You know how many G-strings that cash has already been in?”

Stash picks up his brick and sniffs it. Loudly.

Across the table, Wrath hands the gavel to Rock and Rock promptly smashes it against the table. “Do I need to give it to you in weekly installments like a child’s allowance?” he barks.

“Obviously,” Teller mutters.

Murphy’s busy sorting his cash into three separate stacks, ignoring everyone else.

“Let me guess, Oh Whipped One.” Ravage jerks his thumb toward Murphy. “One for Heidi, one for the household—which Heidi runs—and one for—”

“Me,” Wrath finishes, reaching over to swipe one of the piles from Murphy.

“You could wait until I hand it to you, fucker,” Murphy grumbles.

“Does he charge by the pound or something?” Stash asks. He nods at Wrath. “Wait, shouldn’t you be paying Murphy?”

“Jesus Christ.” Rock glares at Sparky. “You testing a new crop out on these assholes?”

Sparky holds up his hands. “No, boss. They’re just dicks.”

“Everyone, simmer down.” Rock shakes his head. “Jesus Christ, I should’ve known to hand the cash out last.”

Lilly

I almost think I would’ve rather gone to the clubhouse with Z than visit my father.

He grunts in greeting as I enter his hospital room and scowls at Chance.

Even from his hospital bed, he’s cold and unforgiving.

“How do you feel today?” I ask.

He grunts and flips the channels again.

My parents hadn’t taken my single-mother status well. Alex flew out to be with me and see Chance after he was born. My parents refused.

Stupidly I thought they’d ease up once they got to know Chance and spent time with him. Love for their only grandchild and all. But so far, that hasn’t been the case.

“Mommy?” Chance squeezes my hand and I glance down at him, trying to force a reassuring smile onto my face.

“Do you want to say hello to Grandpa?”

Before Chance answers, my father waves the suggestion away with an indifferent flick of his wrist. “Go get me some water,” he barks. His cold, black eyes scan me from head-to-toe. “Why are you dressed like a whore to come to the hospital? No doctor’s gonna be interested in a woman your age with that baggage.”

The verbal kick in the stomach knocks the breath out of me. I shouldn’t be surprised—it’s not much different than the many insults I’ve had hurled at me over the years. Having it said in front of my son is a different story, though.

Chance might be little, but he’s not oblivious. If this behavior continues, I’ll have some hard decisions to make in the future.

Saddling my son with a lifetime of emotional scars from my parents’ indifference or outright cruelty isn’t an option.

“Hey, Sis,” Alex says from the doorway. “I thought I saw your car outside.”

“I’ll be a minute, Dad.”

Tugging on Chance’s hand, I step into the hallway with Alex.

“Aleth!” Chance smiles wide and lifts his arms in the air, happy to see my brother.

“Hey, big boy!” Alex picks him up and kisses his cheeks. “How was your morning?”

While he’s facing Chance, the question’s directed at me.

“Fine.”

“Did the thug get bored?”

“What did I say about that?”

He rolls his eyes. “Sorry. Seriously, though. Everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. I didn’t want to subject him to this and besides, he had to go to work.”

He tips his head at Chance. “They get along all right?”

The concern in my brother’s voice is clear. He may enjoy pissing me off by referring to Z as a thug, but he really does only want what’s best for Chance.

I reach up and run the back of my hand over Chance’s cheek, causing him to jerk his head in the opposite direction. “They seemed to hit it off.”

“That’s good.”

I think Alex genuinely means it. That’s a relief. I don’t need any more criticism in my life.

“How long can you stay?” he asks.

I tug at the material of the loose, flowing dress I’m wearing that falls below my knees, then adjust the long, fitted sleeves. “Well, Dad already called me a whore so I’m about done here.”

“Jesus Christ,” he mutters. “I’m sorry.”

My gaze is drawn down the hallway to a thin, older blonde woman approaching.

“Jesus Christ, Alex,” I whisper. “Are you kidding me? Why is Patsy here again?”

He groans and glances over his shoulder. “Ask Dad. I think being this close to death has used up all his fucks.”

“Well, that’s just great for Mom,” I seethe.

“I’ll call and tell her…something,” Alex says.

“Fantastic. Is this what we’re doing now? Covering for Dad?”

“It’s not like she doesn’t already know.” He snorts. “What do you want me to do, Lilly?”

“Not act like this is normal?”

“Alex, Lilly.” Patsy stops and nods at us. “How’s he doing today?”

“Crankier than ever,” Alex answers.