“And maybe we let them think that’s a possibility,” Butcher growled.
Ghost surged to his feet. “Is it?”
Shades was on his feet just as fast, his fist in Ghost chest, pushing him back down. “Sit the fuck down!”
Ghost fell back in his chair; Hammer grabbing his shoulders to keep him down.
Butcher remained calm, glaring at Ghost. “You keep your shit straight, son. And you keep her locked down until the meet. You understand?”
Shades turned to Butcher. “He understands, Prez.”
Butcher glared at his VP. “I didn’t fuckin’ ask you.” His eyes moved back to Ghost. “Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” Ghost growled back.
Butcher slammed the gavel down. “Meeting fucking adjourned.”
Boot and Slick accompanied Butcher down the hall to his office, and the rest of the club all shuffled out. Shades hung back with Ghost, who still sat in his chair wondering how this had all gotten so fucked up.
Ghost looked over at Shades. “You with him? You afraid she’ll run, too?”
Shades stared him in the eyes and asked, “You tell me. Will
she?”
Ghost rubbed his face and grudgingly admitted, “There’s a damn good possibility.”
“Then don’t fuckin’ tell her. She doesn’t need to know shit till we’re rollin’ towards the Georgia State line.”
Ghost rubbed his hand back and forth across his mouth for a long time, then finally looked over at Shades. “How far you think Butcher’s gonna take this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I fucking mean, Brother. Do you think he’d actually hand her over?”
Shades shook his head. “No way.” His brows rose. “Now, he might let them think that, just like he stood at that back gate with you and me, and lied to the DKs about Skylar for me. But he ain’t gonna hand over your girl. You know that, Ghost.”
He nodded. He wanted to believe it. But this was Jessie they were talking about, and he just couldn’t put her at risk.
Shades patted his shoulder. “Come on, man. It’ll be fine.”
They both stood and headed down the hall toward the common room.
When Ghost entered the room, the first thing he saw was the look on Jessie’s face. She was pissed off, royally. The second thing he noticed was that the prospect he’d put in charge of keeping an eye on her was now standing behind her, one hand on the bar, one on the back of her barstool.
Then his eyes slid down the bar to see Ashley sitting a couple seats over looking too happy with herself, and a bad feeling snaked down his spine. If he were a betting man, he’d bet that Ashley had something to do with the look on Jessie’s face.
He walked up to Boo. The man had a full, dark beard and tattoo sleeves that ran up both arms. He was a man Ghost felt he could count on, having passed every test the club had thrown his way so far. They connected eyes.
“Talk,” Ghost snapped.
Boo stepped away from Jessie, and they moved away a couple of paces. He leaned in close to Ghost and said in a low voice. “Ashley said something to her, not sure what it was, but it rattled her enough to have her bolting for the door. I caught her in the yard. Been keeping ‘em separated.”
Ghost nodded, his eyes moving from Jessie’s rigid back to Ashley.
“Who’d she take up with last night?” he asked Boo.
“JJ.”