Calix (Areion Fury MC, #6)

by Esther E. Schmidt

  “Dane, you were already demoted but hearing some new elements and the damn reason why you wanted to be Prez yourself, and with that are responsible for the intention of killing my father, our Prez. You are getting my vote, the one where you’re going to meet your maker,” I state matter-of-factly.

  “I second this,” Hugo states.

  All around the table voices of agreement ring out. Dane realizes his time is up. Reaching for his gun, he pulls it out in a flash and has it aimed at my head within the next instant.

  I should be scared. I should know my time could be up with my next breath. I should be a lot of things and yet there’s nothing I’ve got to lose within this moment. A few hours ago, I thought my father had died. He’s still very much alive and yet I know he won’t be with me for much longer due to his illness.

  The things Dane threw out, causing me to have doubt of Calix’s intentions slashed a hurt bigger than knowing we’re going to have to face Bartini. A major player in the gun business who’s been trying to set foot in our city for a while now. If Dane made a promise, this club is doomed to face a war with this man and his small army. You might as well say death and despair will fill our future anyway.

  “Go ahead, Dane. Pull the damn trigger. It will be your last move anyway. We both know your ass will never sit on this chair and I can honestly tell you that this is the last time mine will warm it too. Since my father is very much alive.” The shock of my words registers on Dane’s face as words of disbelief flow through the words from other brothers.

  A gunshot rings out. Dane’s body falls to the floor at the same moment Ryke states, “That fucker has annoyed me for the last damn time.”

  “Put the gun down, Ryke,” Calix states in a cold voice, his gun aimed at Ryke.

  Ryke swings his head toward Calix. “You first, asshole. I might have played by Big Oaks’ rules for the last few weeks, but after hearing all of this shit, I need to know what your intentions are and where your loyalty lies. According to Big Oaks, he told all of us he would like you to be our Prez when his time came. That true? Even when this fucker,” he kicks Dane’s body, “might have brought a new load of trouble on our doorstep. You still want to sit in that chair? I know you have the funding to back up a war if it gets to that, but will you?”

  “Those are a lot of questions, Ryke,” Calix states, putting his gun away as he sits down.

  Everyone is still silent and so am I. To be honest, I have no damn clue what to do and say. We had Zack and many of the brothers of the other chapter surrounding the clubhouse because we were expecting...I don’t know...hell, me, Calix, and C.Rash are wearing bulletproof vests. That says enough, right?

  So, no. I didn’t know what to expect, neither one of us thought that within a club with something as big as this would be settled in church with a single bullet. It’s too damn easy and yet what they just said about Bartini will be the biggest thing this club has ever faced.

  Well, from what I’ve heard that is because I was only allowed full information a few months ago when I became VP. A full member instead of the daughter who worked the books and knew everything there was to know about the club financially.

  Though I know very well that what the club needs right now isn’t a woman in this position. “Everyone put their guns away and sit your asses down. We’re going to get the Prez in here. C.Rash, call Zack and let my dad know to get his old ass in here. But I would like to have a word with my father first, so I need for all of you to get out of here, grab a beer and come back when the dead body has been brought outside and my father and I are done.”

  Most nod and start to slip out of the room. C.Rash turns his attention to me as he puts away his phone. “He’s on his way.”

  It takes a moment before church is empty. Ryke and C.Rash grab Dane’s body and drag him out. Calix goes to the door and bellows to C.Rash. “Make sure Hugo doesn’t leave and all of you, keep an eye on the other Dane groupies because we’re not done with you fuckers yet. Oh, and C.Rash...don’t dispose of Dane just yet. We need him to get a message across to Bartini. Just put him in one of the barrels out back.”

  Calix closes the door and turns to me. “What are you going to do?”

  Anger is visibly rolling off him. Hands clenching, eyes narrowing. Yet he has no reason to. I let Dane screw with my head only a flash of a moment. Dane knew how to word his statement well enough to try and make dents into some of Calix intentions. Dane failed because all he ever did was tell lies while Calix has done nothing but show what he’s worth. Hence the reason for what I’m about to do.

  “Don’t worry. I don’t believe a word Dane said about you.” I shrug out of my cut and shirt, ripping off the bulletproof vest before putting my shirt back on. I leave my cut on the table.

  “I’m not talking about that shit. I damn well know you can see through lies, even if some sound logical and cause doubt. But you’ve gotten to know me so I hope to fuck you’re as brilliant as I think you are and know bullshit from truth when you hear it,” Calix growls. “I’m talking about you doing that.” He points at my cut that’s lying on the table.

  “It’s club business, Calix,” I state at the same moment my father opens the door. “Go handle the stuff you had in mind, what you just told C.Rash.”

  “Ten,” he hisses through his teeth. “Listen to me.”

  “You’re dismissed, brother,” I tell him, clearly letting him know it’s not personal, it’s business...something I need to do for the both of us.

  “Go, Calix,” my father states, holding the door open.

  There’s a vein on Calix’s temple that’s about to explode. I know he’s angry at me, and hell...he might be furious when I walk out of here in a few minutes, but this has to be done.

  Calix stomps out of church, leaving my father to close the door behind him. I take a seat and wait for my Prez to sit down.

  “Prez,” I address my father for the last time this way, my throat clogging up. “I need for you to let them take a vote.”

  “You sure, VP? Because I wanted to step back. I’m getting sicker and while I still got all my ducks in a row, I would rather see him filling my chair. Almost every brother in here knows him or has heard of him. They were all ready to vote him in. Nine brothers have been waiting for this moment for over eleven years. They have spent years with that man knowing how he is. There’s no better person who can take my place. I thought you wanted to be VP, Cerise? Why turn in the patch? Why now while you can support your ol’man?”

  “Because I’d rather be his ol’lady. He needs one of his brothers to be his VP. Hell, C.Rash would be the right choice since they’ve worked together for years with the other chapter, it would be good to have a fresh set to build things up again. You know how most will be, all thinking they want a shot but no one knowing how to handle shit. Didn’t it show from the day I became VP? That says it all, right? This club needs strong shoulders to hold it together and rebuild.” I grab my knife I strapped to my belt earlier today and work on getting the VP patch off.

  When I’m done, I throw the patch on the table in front of me. “Make sure the brothers vote for the future of this club.” I grab my cut and walk out the door.

  Chapter 15

  ***Calix***

  She’s going to step back, I just fucking know it.

  “Keep your head at the task at hand, brother. I got this shit all over me already. Fuck,” C.Rash grunts as his fingers slip on Dane’s skin again.

  “Shut up and grab tight, I’m almost done,” I tell him as I carve the last letter into Dane’s stomach.

  I wrote a few words for Bartini for when we drop Dane’s body on his doorstep. The Ohio chapter of Areion Fury MC will never have anything to do with a weapon dealer. If Bartini is smart, he will back away. He might be a huge player, but I’ve got ties with a lot of law enforcement tasks and not to mention a lot of Areion Fury MC chapters who will back us up. I will make sure this blows over, this club has been through enough.

  “Make sure Fearga
l drops this fucker where Bartini’s men will find him,” I tell C.Rash and head back into the clubhouse.

  I make a pit stop at the bathroom in the back to clean off the blood and take a piss. Strolling into the room that’s filled with bikers, I get a lot of backslaps and words of praise. I’m sure the gossip factory is running in full force.

  Zack grabs me by the shoulder. “You did well, brother.”

  “Yeah, yeah. But why did you have to blabber that shit around?” I grumble, knowing he told everyone in here it was my plan to bug rooms and draw Dane out the way we did.

  Zack chuckles. “I’m sure you won’t need it, but credit is due where it’s due. No need to shy away from a job well handled.”

  “Hey...Ryke did the hard part with going undercover in his own damn club. Making believe he wanted Dane to be Prez. Big Oaks made the right decision to ask him to do so a few months ago, he saw it all coming. Besides...Ryke shot the fucker. Big Oaks is still here and a damn good Prez, it’s all good, brother.”

  “Yeah? No regrets yet? Wanna come crawling back to our chapter?” Zack raises an eyebrow at me.

  “Fuck no. My ol’lady is here, a part of this chapter. Well, maybe not because I think she’s stepping back as VP.” I sigh, remembering the look on her face when I walked out of church.

  “You’ll handle it.” Zack nods, smacks my shoulder and says nothing more.

  The door from church opens and Ten walks out. She’s holding her cut in her hands but I can clearly see that she’s removed the VP patch. She gives me a tight smile and steps toward me. Before she can reach me, Beck blocks her path. Fear hits my chest and yet I damn well know all brothers who backed up Dane were disarmed.

  “This is all your fault, bitch. If you would have just took your place as Dane’s ol’lady this whole club wouldn’t be in the situation it is now.” Beck has his hands around her throat in a flash.

  I slowly move forward, ready to grab Beck, to prevent him from snapping my woman’s neck when I’m held back by Zack. Trying to shove him off me, he silently points at my woman.

  Before I can jump between them, Ten snatches the knife she carries on her belt and plunges it in Beck’s side. Lunging forward, Zack and I both drag Beck off, my fist hitting his face over and over until it’s me who they’re dragging off Beck.

  “I think you killed him dead, brother.” C.Rash chuckles and pats my chest.

  Glancing around the clubhouse, I bellow, “Those who stood behind Dane, turn in your fucking cut. Those who won’t stand behind your Prez...turn in your fucking cut. This ends today. Ohio chapter will be one solid front again. No. Fucking. Disloyalty. No. Fucking. Disrespect.”

  Hard grunts of agreement ring out while Steel, Hank, Bo, and Hugo are being dragged off. I’m torn between checking on my woman and handling business.

  But she takes the choice out of my hands when she says, “Go, I’m fine.”

  I give her a nod before I follow my brothers out. Like I just said...this ends today.

  Fucking messy as shit and I don’t think my killing rate has been as high on one day as it is today, but there wasn’t any way around it. Thank fuck I already turned in my badge. Bringing these fuckers in for justice...for the attempted murder of their Prez, for one.

  This shit isn’t even going to be brought to the table. One of these fuckers who backed up Dane just tried to strangle my ol’lady. It’s done. Their life is over, they’ve dug their grave and I’m going to make sure they’ll be buried in it.

  It takes over three hours to drag my ass back to the club. Feargal strolling in behind me along with Quillon and Keitel. Three other brothers already got back to the clubhouse before us because we had some more cleaning up to do. I might have gone a little overboard with releasing some steam before I killed the traitors.

  “There he is!” Hunter bellows through the clubhouse, making me groan.

  The fucker was jumping up and down when I threw Hugo through the air, snapping his neck before he hit the ground. I’m betting the idiot told every detail in full glory to all the brothers. Ignoring him, I scan the room for my woman. Seems I don’t have to when a body hits me from the side. Legs circle around my waist as I grab Ten’s ass and keep her close.

  “Missed you,” she tells me before her mouth crashes down over mine.

  Catcalls should keep me from kissing her but instead I take this moment to get lost in our connection. I damn well deserved this moment. And it seems the both of us need it and yet know we have to keep things short.

  Ten pulls back and places her forehead against mine. “We’re sleeping in our room at the clubhouse tonight, deal?”

  “Deal.” I chuckle and let her slide down my body.

  “Great timing, Calix.” Zack reaches out, smacking me on the back. “I need to head back.”

  “I’ll walk you guys out,” I tell him.

  Understanding the brothers have a long trip home, I make sure to thank every single one for coming over. It’s damn good to know these guys will always have my back, even when I joined another chapter...these things will never change. Ten is standing beside me as we watch all the bikes leave the premises. Another fucking thing I hope will never change; my woman standing strong beside me.

  Chapter 16

  Three weeks later

  ***Tenley***

  My eyes find the doors of church again, waiting for them to open. They’ve been in there for over an hour. How long do these things take? Ugh. Ever since I’ve stepped back from being a VP, I hoped this day would come. Or better yet...that the outcome will go as I hope it will.

  The doors open and brothers start to flow out. Feargal shoots me a smile. Hunter nods furiously while Quillon gives me two thumbs up. This is it. Warmth along with joy blooms inside my chest but I don’t allow myself to believe it. Not until I see it with my own eyes.

  My father steps out and my eyes slide to his pecs. It’s gone. The President patch is gone. Calix comes up behind him, my gaze hits the President patch. I squeal in delight and run toward him. Launching myself at him, he easily catches me and spins me around.

  “You’re the Prez!” I breathe.

  “Yeah, sweetness. Unanimous vote. Same as C.Rash, as my VP,” Calix tells me and another wave of joy hits me.

  He told me this morning he wanted C.Rash as his VP. Something a lot of us saw coming. Every brother knew and today was only a formal thing but still, I was very nervous about all of it. When I look at Calix’s face I can tell he’s happy. Such a difference from weeks ago. When I met him he didn’t look this relaxed or satisfied for that matter.

  He took a lot of change to the table these last few weeks, all of it welcomed by the brothers, knowing they needed a change of leadership and mindset to get this chapter back to its old self. The way it was when my father was handling it with his full attention.

  The past few months he missed a lot of time at the club because of his illness, leadership clearly missing at a time where vultures took their shot. I’m happy the club survived all of it. Things are finally falling into place. Not only for the club but also between me and Calix.

  Meaning we are now officially house searching. Some place close to the club and my father. Though he doesn’t have all the time left in this crazy world...he does intend to spend the rest of his time enjoying his life to the fullest. We’ve managed to move Gertie in with him. She’s ten years younger than my father but it’s clear there’s something going on between them...more than her being his help around the house.

  Though that’s something I’ll gladly ignore, but I’m happy he has someone when I’m not there to help out. It was him who pushed Calix and me to find our own house. He practically threatened Calix to suggest Feargal to be the Prez if we didn’t move out soon. He was joking of course, but he made his point.

  “Let’s celebrate!” Quillon bellows through the clubhouse and turns the music on loud.

  Calix chuckles, nuzzling my neck. “You want a beer, sweetness?”

  “You trying to get me drunk
, Prez?” I quip.

  “Fuck no.” Calix squeezes my ass. “I’m just giving you the option of drinking one beer before we head for our room. You’ve been taking a bigger plug every other night...you’re ready to take my cock. Now that would be the perfect way to celebrate.”

  I can barely keep the moan inside with just the thought of him filling me up. We’ve been trying a lot of things lately and I must say...sex with this man is never boring. And I’m sure that after twenty years, this man will still manage to surprise me in bed.

  “Yo, Prez. Come on, man. Bring your ol’lady, we need to drink!” C.Rash slaps Calix on the back.

  We both follow him to the bar where a lot of brothers are already nursing their beer. Within this moment, we take the joy of the brotherhood. We still haven’t heard anything from Bartini. And we damn well know he got Dane delivered to him with Calix’s message. But everything has been silent.

  Calix said we will handle anything that comes our way. He’s got enough eyes and ears on the street to know ahead of time if something is coming. In this I believe and trust him, as do we all.

  “You want that beer, sweetness?” Calix asks.

  I shake my head. “No damn way. I intend to enjoy every second of tonight, and every day after. Clear head and all.” I shoot him a wink. “Because life with you has already gotten me drunk on love.”

  C.Rash fake gags. “That was horrible. Please don’t do that again.”

  Laughter rips from Calix’s throat. “Shut it, idiot. That’s my ol’lady right there. The woman who loves me just as much as I love her.”

  “No, no...” I tell him. “I’m positive I love you more.”

  C.Rash slaps his hands over his ears. “What the fuck you two? Cut with the mushy love statements. Aw, fuck, don’t suck on each other’s face in front of me...Yeah, I’m out of here. Yo, Quillon. Hand me that bottle of whiskey. I’m going to get myself drunk enough to pop some brain cells, hoping they are the ones where this fucked up mushy shit are stored so it doesn’t come back to haunt me.”