by Amy Cecil
“No, I just have some good news to share with you.”
“Ok, see you in a few.” We hung up and I went back inside.
“Hey everyone, I need to step out for a few minutes. I should be back in about an hour,” I said to the group.
Hawk looked at me curiously. I said, “I’m meeting Ryder at Betty’s.” Hawk nodded, but now the girls were looking at me curiously. They didn’t need to know everything. I grabbed my keys and headed out the door.
When I got to Betty’s, Ryder was already there. He was sitting at a booth in the back looking worried. I smirked; I was about to make his day. As I approached his booth I said, “Hey, man. I’ve got some big news to tell you.”
“Oh yeah?” he responded.
“Let’s go upstairs. This needs to stay private for now,” I said. He dropped some cash on the table and we headed up the back stairs.
When we got into the meeting room Hawk had set up for the club, I told Ryder to take a seat. Fucker still looked worried and I loved making him feel that way. Maybe I should let him stew for a bit. Fuck, naw. I can’t do that to my brother.
“Ice is alive.” I really didn’t know how else to say it except to just blurt it out. The look on his face was priceless and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What. The. Fuck!” he responded. “What’s going on, Rebel?”
I spent the next thirty minutes explaining to him everything that had transpired over the last several months. Needless to say, he left Betty’s a happy man. It’s a disconcerting thing in the MC world to lose your leader. The brothers feel lost and out of sorts. There is always another to take his place, but losing a leader like Ice is harder than most because the majority of the club believes he’s irreplaceable.
Chapter 20
Caden
I was impressed that Hawk and Rebel convinced the club to agree to the tradeoff, and at how quickly they’d scheduled the meet. I hadn’t thought that the club would agree so quickly; I assumed they’d delay their vote to think on it more. But once they’d agreed to the tradeoff, it looked like I’d be able to return the land of the living in just a few days. I was grateful for that—I missed my girl, and was aching to get home to her and start our life together.
On Monday morning, I got up early to prepare for my meeting with the Satans. The meeting could make or break our club, and my entire future rested on its outcome. I went over every detail in my head until I was confident that I had all my talking points outlined.
I got to Jimmy’s about an hour early. I needed to stay hidden from our guests; I didn’t want to be discovered as soon as they walked into the warehouse. I wanted to be prepared in case they were going to react first and think later. I wasn’t about to let that happen, so I waited in the shadows. After about forty-five minutes, Hawk, Rebel, and Ryder walked in.
I walked out from one of the back rooms and Ryder’s face lit up with a huge smile. “Fucking A, it’s sure good to see you alive and well, boss.” He walked over to me and shook my hand and pulled me into a hug—one of those manly hugs where you kinda half-hug and pat each other on the back. It was good to see him. Just then, we heard the side door open. I quickly turned and went back into hiding.
I watched from the crack in the door as Gypsy and Skid walked in. They all shook hands, and Hawk said, “Thank you both for agreeing to this meet.”
Gypsy replied, “How could we not? You said that it would be worth our time. You and I both know that the only thing worth our time is if you boys are giving us what we have always wanted. And I know you know what that is.”
Gypsy wasn’t a bad guy, for the most part. He did bad shit, shit that I really didn’t approve of, but he had a good head on his shoulders and usually thought first and acted later. Skid, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was very reactive and was my biggest worry.
“I think we are on the same page, Gypsy,” Hawk said. “But before we get into the details of this meeting, there is something that you need to know.” He hesitated and looked over to the room I was hiding in. That was my cue. Slowly, I opened the door and walked out. Gypsy and Skid just looked at me in shock.
“Do my eyes deceive me, or is that a dead man walking toward us?” Gypsy asked, sounding calmer than I’d expected.
I walked up to the group and shook Gypsy and Skid’s hands. “Last I checked, I was very much alive. This meeting is to ensure that it stays that way. You boys ok with that?” They looked at each other and both nodded. “Good. Why don’t we have a seat?” We all sat down at the table that was situated in the center of the room.
“Before we get involved in discussions, I think you need to tell us why you wanted the world to think you were dead,” Skid said.
I figured it was best not to beat around the bush, so I said, “I killed Mark Grayson.” I let that hang in the air between us and waited for some kind of reaction. What I got was totally unexpected.
“Grayson is dead?” Gypsy asked.
“Yeah, dead and buried,” I replied. Then I said cautiously, “If you have a problem with that, then we need to deal with that first.”
“Fuck yeah, I have a problem with that.” Skid said. He started to get up out of his seat and I assumed he was going to come at me next, but Gypsy grabbed his arm and glared at him. A silent conversation took place between the two of them. Gypsy’s face reminded me of the look my dad used to give me when he was displeased with me, but didn’t want to embarrass himself. Which, frankly, was all the time so I knew that look well. Anyway, after a few seconds, Skid returned to his seat with a grunt.
“Before I react to this, tell me, Ice—why did you kill Grayson?” Gypsy said.
It was a question I hadn’t expected, but I realized that I needed to be honest with him. “Grayson kidnapped my old lady. He stripped her naked and tied her to a bed and planned to rape her, but then changed his mind. The fucker made me watch.” I hesitated briefly.
“What else?” Gypsy asked. I could tell that Gypsy knew I was not telling him everything. I’d known him for a long time, and he didn’t get to be Club President by not being observant and smart.
“What else?” I replied. “Isn’t that enough?”
“It could be, but it’s not. Is there more to this that you are not telling me?” Gypsy said.
Fucker. He either knows about my connection to Grayson, or the son of a bitch is fucking with me. Now is not the time to play his games. “Grayson was my brother. We shared the same father and there were issues between us that needed to be resolved. Only one of us was going to come out of that basement alive and I made damn sure it was me.”
“Thank fuck!” Gypsy said. “That fucker has caused my club more problems than he was ever worth. I knew about the connection between the two of you. He’d been after you for a long time. I just wasn’t sure if you did. You just confirmed that.”
Surprised by his reaction, I said, “So, you are glad he’s dead?” I was still expecting blowback at any minute.
“Hell yeah, I am. The only reason we backed him was because he kept us out of jail on numerous occasions. But, I swear he had some serious psychotic issues. Take that whole situation with Brianne and your old lady. He was fucked in the head, I’ll tell you that. We agreed to keep Brianne for him, but that was as far as our arrangement went. When he started talking about taking your club down, that’s when I backed off and left him to his own devices. I had basically washed my hands of him before he went missing. His absence made my club life a hell of a lot easier,” Gypsy replied.
Well, shit. This whole charade was totally unnecessary. “Is Brianne still alive?” I asked.
“Yes, but she is so hooked on crank it isn’t funny,” Skid said.
Fucker! He’s the one that got her hooked in the first place. Out loud I said, “Ok, well, I totally read this situation all wrong. I played dead ‘cause I thought the Satans would retaliate on my club and me for killing Grayson. Apparently I was wrong. I didn’t realize I was doing you all a favor. Needless to say, when I
had the chance, I went batshit crazy on him and now he is dead. I’m not sorry, and I gather by what you are saying, you aren’t sorry either.”
“Hell no! I’m relieved.”
“I’m not,” Skid said angrily. He looked right at me and yelled, “That fucker killed my friend!”
Gypsy turned back toward Skid and said, “If you can’t keep your opinions to yourself then there’s the door,” as he pointed toward the door.
Gypsy turned back toward me and said, “As I am sure you have experienced in leading your own club, sometimes you have to deal with insubordination in the ranks. My apologies.” He waited for a minute to ensure that Skid had heeded his words, then added, “So, I have the feeling you are about to make my day and give my club what we have always wanted from the Knights. So what’s it gonna be, Ice?”
That had been a lot easier than I’d expected. I had a feeling that I was going to have to deal with Skid down the road, but I’d cross that bridge when I came to it. For now, it was time to move forward with the difficult part of this conversation. “Before I go into the details of why we wanted this meeting, I need you to know that none of this goes through unless you agree to all my terms.”
“Your terms?” Skid asked. Gypsy glared at him again and he immediately checked himself.
“Yes. First, the deal I’m about to offer you only happens if you release Brianne to me. We will get her help and take responsibility for her.” Gypsy looked over to Skid, who seemed a little reluctant. That asshole doesn’t want to give up his plaything. But with his president silently telling him to agree, he eventually nodded his head in agreement.
I continued, “And second, the war between our clubs stops now. We have been feuding for many years now, and frankly, I want it to stop. I have not remained President because I waste my time fucking around with vendettas. They get us nowhere, and the end result is us choking each other out. It’s bad for business, our clubs, and our families. I want us to find a peace. I want my club to go back to being motorcycle enthusiasts.” I chuckled at the thought.
“And how do you propose to make that happen?” Gypsy asked.
“Well, first, I want to keep the Knights and the Satans moving forward. We both know what has to be done, and the last thing we want is to hurt business. If we do that, nobody wins. I know deep down we are all smarter than a loaded gun.” They nodded again and I continued, “With all that being said, why don’t you confirm for me what is it that the Satans want from us?”
Gypsy hesitated for a minute, looked at Skid, and then said, “We want your gun trade.”
“That’s what I thought. So, this is what I propose. We hand off the gun trade to the Satans, with the Knights receiving five percent.” I shrugged. “Consider it a finder’s fee for passing that business to the Satans. As I move my club into more legitimate enterprises, that percentage has the potential to disappear.” I waited. I’d learned that it’s always best not to talk too much, especially when you are trying to sell something.
They thought for several minutes and then Gypsy asked, “Ok, say we agree. Do we have full reign over that operation, or will the Knights be breathing down our backs all the time about the way we do things?”
It was a good question. “You have full reign. As long as we get our five percent, consider the Knights a silent partner,” I replied.
“Ok, and how long before that five percent disappears?” Gypsy asked.
“I don’t have anything definite yet, but I’m hoping it will be less than a year.”
“Why now?” Gypsy asked. We’ve been feuding over that gun trade for years.”
“I want my club out of guns,” I replied.
“So just like that, you give us the gun trade that you have held onto for dear life for years? Something is not adding up, Ice.”
“I understand your skepticism. I’d be the same way. The only thing I can do to convince you that I am totally on board with this is to explain further. I’m tired of the drama and bullshit. I’m done with guns and so is my club. I want our families to feel safe, and I don’t want any heat from the ATF. With all that being said, you can be damn sure that I will bust my ass to make sure this moves as quickly as possible,” I replied.
“You sound sincere, but I don’t know, man. Your offer sounds too sweet to be true. Surely you can understand that.”
“I know, I get it. But I can assure you there are no hidden agendas here. Gypsy, you have known me for a long time. We may have always been on opposite sides in the past, but you know I’m an upfront guy and I don’t play fucking games.”
“Yeah, you are a man of your word, that much is true.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Look, I’ll tell you what. You know I can’t make any kind of decision on my own. Let me bring it to our table and see what my boys think. You good with that?”
“Absolutely. And I am safe to return to the land of the living?” I asked, confidently.
“Yeah, man. Like I said before, I’m glad that cocksucker is dead. You should have made contact with us right away, you could have avoided a lot of trouble on your end.”
“I’m sorry about that. I assumed the worst and went with it. My mistake. I was so focused on ensuring that my old lady and family were safe, I didn’t think about talking to you first.”
They got up to leave. Gypsy said, “Ice, Hawk, Ryder, thank you for the sit-down. I think we have made a lot of progress here. This has been a long time coming, and I am glad that we are finally seeing eye-to-eye on things. I will call church tonight and we will vote on this. Hopefully, I’ll have an answer for you in the morning. How do I reach you?”
I gave him my cell number, shook his hand, and thanked him for listening to what we had to say. I felt euphoric. We were finally moving this club in the right direction and I couldn’t have been more pleased.
After Gypsy and Skid left, Hawk asked, “So, what do you think, Ice?”
“It went better than I expected. Don’t ya think?”
He replied, “I do. Definitely better than I expected.”
“Boys, we made history today. This is a good thing. Now, you know what I want to do?” They laughed and I continued, “I want to get my bike and my cut and get my ass home to my girl and my family. We can inform the rest of the club about my resurrection in the morning. You boys good with that?”
“Hell yeah!” Rebel replied. “Do you need help?”
“Naw, I’m just gonna leave the cage at the storage place. We can get a couple of prospects to get it later.”
“You keeping the cage?” Rebel asked.
“Yeah. Ari doesn’t have a car. Until I can get her a nice one, she can drive that one,” I replied.
“Oh, she’s gonna hate you for that. You know your sister wants a Harley,” Rebel said.
“She’s not getting a damn Harley from me. Her old man can buy her one!” I laughed. Rebel knew I was talking about him and suddenly a look of guilt came across his face. “What?”
“Well, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Rebel said sheepishly.
Hawk jumped in and said, “Ryder, I think this is our cue to leave. Catch you boys back at the house later. Honey is cooking again tonight, and you know I’m down for that. Ryder, you should join us.”
“Thanks, Hawk. You know I never miss an opportunity to eat,” Ryder said.
After Hawk and Ryder left, I turned to Rebel and said, “So, you been meaning to talk to me?”
He looked down at the floor for a moment and then looked me dead in the eye. “I know you already know this, but I am in love with your sister.” He waited for my reaction and when he didn’t get anything, he continued, “Well, the other night, I told her, and she loves me too. I want her to be my old lady, Ice, but I need your blessing. If you don’t approve then I will leave her alone.”
“Rebel, man, you’re one of my closest friends and my brother. I love you as if you were my blood. I couldn’t imagine anyone better for my sister or anyone who would make a better brother-in-law. You�
��ve always had my blessing,” I replied.
“Really?” he asked, surprised.
“Really.” I paused for a moment and then added, “But remember what I told you: you break her heart, and I will personally make your worst nightmares come true. And then I’ll kill you.”
He smiled. “I know. I’ve seen your wrath. You can be damn sure I won’t be breaking her heart, ever. I swear. I’m still in awe of the fact that she feels the same about me.”
What a pussy. But, as I have learned recently, love will turn even the toughest bastard into the biggest pussy. I’m proof of that.
Rebel continued, “Thanks, Ice. I’ll see you back at your house. I’m glad you’re coming home!”
“Me too! Now get outta here! I got shit to do!” I laughed and we headed out of the warehouse.
Chapter 21
Emma
Things had been pretty quiet around the house since Caden’s memorial service. I hadn’t heard a word from him since he had been here several weeks ago. Every day I prayed that he was ok and that he would return to us soon. I knew that Rebel or Hawk would tell me if something had happened to him, but it still didn’t deter me from worrying about him.
Being cooped up in the house all the time was making me crazy. I knew it was for our own good, but enough was enough. It’s a good thing that Ari, Honey, and I all got along so well, or the situation could have been much worse.
We worked really hard to find things to occupy our time. We’d played board games. We’d spent time in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes. Honey even tried to teach Ari to cook, but that didn’t go so well. We’d had a blast the other night playing cards with Tiny. He never really spoke much in the times I had spent with him in the past, but it seemed like he was starting to feel a little more relaxed around me. He was a really funny guy and had us girls in stitches. Other than Tiny, we’d only seen Hawk and Rebel. Apparently the rest of the club still thought Ice was dead. I was looking forward to when this charade would be over with and we could go on with our lives.
