by Cat Porter
“What I’m trying to lay out for you here is that Notch and his Broken Blades declared war on you months ago in so many small ways, and he’s made inroads, even with his sources depleted. We need to deal with it, and, Jump, you don’t have the manpower to ante up. I just bumped into one of his boys on the road, and let’s just say, he wasn’t happy to see me.”
“Fuck no,” I muttered.
Butler was holding court at the big table. It had only been a year or so since he was last invited to sit with us, but it felt like much longer to me. He was here, he was sober, he was trying to get back in.
He folded his hands, his jaw set. “I had to make sure he understood that fucking with me and the Jacks was not an option.”
Kicker, our Vice President, and Dready exchanged glances. Lock and Bear visibly tensed.
Butler leaned in toward Jump. “You think about that.”
Jump only dragged his fingers through his gray-streaked beard.
“The Broken Blades have fallen on low times,” continued Butler. “They’ve been making enemies out of old friends, especially the Flames. Their income has tanked, and they’ve been losing members and chapters.”
“At least two that I’ve heard of have shut down,” said Kicker.
“Right, and now Notch, their esteemed president, is desperate to hang on to his club’s traditional territory,” added Butler.
I lit another cigarette. “Parts of Nebraska and Wyoming.”
“Yeah. Doesn’t look good,” Butler said. “And Notch isn’t happy with the circling vultures.”
Jump folded his hands on the table. “Notch hasn’t been happy for decades. Tell me something new.”
Butler dragged on his cigarette. “Now that his club is outnumbered, he’s been trying to recruit.”
“And who’s panting over his territory?” Jump’s bulky shoulders rose, making his neck seem shorter than it actually was. “Let me guess. Finger and his Flames of Hell?”
“Makes sense,” I said. “They’re both in Nebraska, both border each other, and both have different alliances. The Flames could swallow them up real easy and get rid of an adversary.”
“And spit out the bones.” Jump leaned back in his thick leather chair, his eyes on Butler. “What’s this really all about? You want to stay?”
“I want to be a part of this club again. Yes.”
“Why should I care about what you want?”
“I’m bringing you new blood to the table.”
Jump’s huge shoulders rolled again. “How so?”
“I can bring you a connection to one of the largest outlaw clubs in this country,” said Butler.
“You been playing in the sandbox with other clubs again, you sneaky fuck?”
“That ain’t the way of a nomad, Jump. I only take orders from the Jacks’ national prez.”
Holding Butler’s hard stare, Jump took in a long breath and slowly released it. “Have you now? Well, you know I’ve never been interested in that sort of connection.”
“This way—”
“You mean, your way?” spit out Jump.
“I’m talking about an MC network with the Flames of Hell. And no, the Jacks won’t be the underdog satellite to a bigger national club or the lackey to some big-city mobsters or a Mexican cartel. We have the opportunity to create a pipeline from the East Coast through the Midwest and the Great Plains with other clubs who share our philosophy.”
“The Flames are big, man. They’ve got plenty of mob ties,” said Dready.
“They do, but not to all their businesses or all their territories. It wouldn’t have to touch us, not directly. We do our thing out here, keep the trade flowing. They get access to our product, high-quality tried-and-true product, and we get greater and easier distribution.”
“Percentages?” asked Kicker.
“Negotiable.”
“And what do they want from us in our territory?” I asked.
“Money-laundering to start and slowly introducing their product through our channels out West.”
Jump’s face tightened.
“It’s a form of stability, Jump. An opportunity to form something new. I know about the Blades cutting off your route to Texas. The Colorado Jacks are barely holding on.”
“I’m handling it!”
“Are you?”
“You challenging me?”
“No. Stating facts. The Jacks need an ally right now, and the Flames of Hell would be a formidable one. I’m telling you, the Blades’ predicament is attracting attention from other MCs that we have historically not gotten along with. If one of them gets a foothold in our neck of the woods, it aint’ gonna be good. The time has come to pick and choose, and we need to do so early and choose right.”
“Listen to you,” Jump let out a dark laugh. “If it hadn’t been for your amazing leadership skills, our North Dakota chapter would be solid now. Luckily, Judge has a brain and has worked damn hard to clean up the mess you left behind.”
“You think I don’t know that? I know that better than you, and it’s eating me up inside. I’ve been out there, Jump. I’ve visited a lot of clubs. Years ago, you had a chance to work with the Flames of Hell, but you didn’t want to. Dig was for it, creating something new and strong in our region, but you blasted that idea out of the water. Then, that opportunity died along with him. Since then, the Flames’ reach has gotten even stronger.”
“You Finger’s number one fan now?”
“I respect the man.”
“We’ve been doing good all these years,” Jump said. “If it ain’t broke, I don’t fix it.”
Butler’s blue eyes lightened in the sunlight filtering through the one large window that stretched across the side wall. “What do you fix, Jump? Over the years, it’s been noticed that you don’t fix much.”
Heavy silence met that loaded statement. Obviously, the National Jacks weren’t happy with Jump.
“And your idea of good only lasts so long,” Butler continued. “We need great now.”
“Is this why you dragged that bitch out here?” Jump sneered.
Butler pushed his coffee mug to the side. “My old lady happens to be the sister-in-law of the national VP of the Flames of Hell. You’d better watch how you talk and tread.”
“And Led is her guard dog, huh? You fuck.”
“South Dakota is far away from Ohio. They want to make sure their girl is being taken care of.”
“That’s up to you, brother, not me.” Jump leaned back against his chair. “Unless your cock ain’t up for the job. I seem to remember hearing something like that. Is that what Led’s here for?”
“Fuck you,” Butler spit out.
“Jump, come on, man!” I mashed what was left of my smoke into the ashtray in front of me.
Butler’s icy-blue eyes drilled holes into Jump. “My cock gets the job done. Question is, will yours?”
“I don’t owe you shit, Butler. You think you can stroll back in here, and I’ll hand you the keys to my kingdom?”
“I don’t want the keys, and it’s not your kingdom, is it?” Butler leaned forward. “This needs to go up for a vote.”
Jump’s eyes hardened. “You still using? Because I can tell you right now, if you stay and get comfy and you fuck up again, I catch you using—just once—you’ll be out on your goddamn ass forever.”
“I’m not using. Been clean for a year now,” said Butler.
“Says you.” Jump leaned over on his elbows. “There will be no voting on you coming back or on chitchatting with the Flames until I see how clean or unclean you really are.”
“Agreed.” Butler slanted his head as he rubbed his hands together. “And another thing—”
“What’s that?” A deep chuckle vibrated in Jump’s throat. “You and your old lady want the honeymoon suite tonight?”
Butler held Jump’s gaze. “I’ve got Creeper.”
Jump’s face slackened.
“I know you want him,” Butler said. “You need to nail his ass t
o make your show of strength to everyone out there, to show that our honor’s intact. The Flames want him bad after he kidnapped Catch’s kid, but I was out there, looking for him, for us.”
“He’s ours to put into the ground. Ours.” Jump rapped his knuckles on the table.
“I agree,” said Butler.
Butler’s eyes caught mine and then returned to Jump. “Now, I got him, and I’m offering you your moment in the sun.”
“You put him there in the first place when you were working with our biggest rival behind our backs. You gave him that power over us, asshole.”
“I did. And I regret it. This is me making up for it. But Creeper’s mine to give.” He settled back in his chair, his jaw firm.
“SHE’S PRETTY, HUH?” Tania asked as she leaned against the open doorway of Lock’s new storage-unit building behind Eagle Wings.
I handed her one of the lemon-and-kale smoothies I had brought from home for the two of us. She’d been here all morning, going through Lock’s late brother’s shit-ton of collectibles and prized “hoardery.” Tania was an art and antiques dealer and all-around collectibles picker who’d offered to help Grace and Lock organize Wreck’s vintage treasures since she got home two weeks ago.
“Who?” I raised my hand over my eyes to block out the midday sun and followed Tania’s line of sight through the clubhouse yard. “Oh, Nina?”
“Look at her—long blonde hair, big boobs, flat stomach, round ass, tight jeans, long legs, and a fuck-it attitude to go with it.”
“You’ve got a hell of a fuck-it attitude,” I said on a laugh.
“After forty, it fully flowers. She’s got to be around twenty-five?”
I shrugged. “I guess.”
“Not impressed, huh?”
“Tania, she’s a lot like the other old ladies I saw while I was with Catch and the Flames of Hell for three years. Same dark roots, same boobs springing out of her too-tight shirt, same resting bitch face, same way of strutting. Only, this one has a different accent. Big whoop.”
Tania sucked on the smoothie and made a face. “Must I drink this?”
“Yes, you must. Come on, it’s not bad. The lemon and carrot make it tasty.”
She swept back her dark hair. “Tasty being a very relative term.”
We both drew on our straws, our eyes still on Nina going to her car with her bodyguard buddy, Led at her side.
“Grace said Butler’s first wife was a tall blonde, too,” said Tania.
“Men have their types.” I sipped the last of my drink. “I wouldn’t call Nina pretty, really, but there’s something sexy about her. It’s a crass kind of sexy, right? Like, she’s up for getting it on any time of day or night.”
Tania sucked harder on her straw. “Aren’t we up for getting it on any time of day or night?”
“I know I am.” I giggled. “You don’t like her?”
Tania shrugged. “I don’t know her.”
“You don’t like her.”
“I don’t have to like her.”
I glanced at her. “You don’t like her for Butler.”
“I first met him a long, long time ago, when he was a prospect for the Jacks. He’s a little crazy, but who isn’t? After losing his wife and all the crap he’s been through, he deserves to be happy again.” Tania swished at the remains of her drink with her straw. “Just like the rest of us do.”
“Did you hear from your lawyer?” I asked.
“It’s all a go. It’s just a matter of months until the divorce is final.” She raised her smoothie cup and clinked it to mine. “Let’s hear it for Wisconsin, the no-fault divorce state.”
“I’m glad you’re back to stay, Tania. ”
“Thanks. I’m all kinds of glad, too.”
“Well, if you decide on opening your own store here in town, I think you’ll be really happy.”
“I was serious about that idea, you know. Meager has really perked up the past few years.”
“I think you took Rae by surprise.”
Tania let out a laugh. “I always catch my mother by surprise. It’s a special talent I have.”
I sat down in one of the chairs by the doorway to catch the breeze.
Tania put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Better, that the nausea has eased up. But now, I have that full, tight feeling everywhere. I can’t wait to get a couple of new bras and maternity jeans and shorts today. I should’ve saved the stuff I had worn when I was pregnant with Becca.”
“I wish I could go with you, but I really need to make a dent in this today. It’s turned into a much bigger project than I expected.”
“No problem, Tan.”
As Rae had a couple of friends over for coffee and Penny, Tania’s sister, had taken Becca for the day, I’d stopped by the club to see Tania and ask her if she wanted to come to the shopping mall with me in Rapid. I’d gone into the Eagle Wings office to say hello to Grace, but Boner had been there instead. He’d mumbled something about having to pick up a few things in Rapid and offered to take me to the mall.
Tania wiped her hands on a wad of paper towels. “You sure about going with Boner?”
“Yeah, why?” I asked.
“Last thing I remember, you two barely spoke to each other.”
“That was in the beginning, when I first came to Meager. Everything’s good now. We talk, hang out.”
“You do?”
“I mean, if and when I’m around here. We’ve bumped into each other in town on occasion. He hangs out with Grace a lot so…”
“Right.”
“Becca likes him. He’s good with her.”
“Oh, that’s sweet.”
“Yeah, it is.”
The week before Grace had brought me pink-frosted cupcakes and huge iced cookies that Boner had bought for Becca from the cafe, all of them decorated with a huge B. Becca had flipped out with excitement and again later, from the sugar overload.
And just like he’d promised me, he’d sent a prospect over to mow the lawn and deal with the weeds in Rae’s backyard. Sy would come over once a week to trim, weed, and check on the watering system. Yesterday, he’d even brought over some fertilizer that Rae had recommended he pick up, and refused to take any money for it.
The first time he’d come over, I’d fed Sy pork chops and scalloped potatoes. Yesterday, I’d sent him back to the club with a chocolate sheet cake with a big fat B on it and lots of flowers in yellow frosting that had been designed by Becca.
I’d gotten a phone call and a growly, “That was good cake, Jill. Really dark chocolate. That’s the way I like it.”
“I’m glad you liked it,” I’d replied. “Becca and I made it from scratch.”
“You make good scratch, sweetheart.”
I’d felt like I’d been gifted a huge bouquet of red balloons and they’d lifted me up into the air. Positively giddy.
I shook myself from my Boner daydreams and focused on Tania slowly rolling out a large piece of cracked canvas with colorfully painted clowns on it.
“That’s amazing. Is that a hand-painted poster?” I asked.
“Yes, it’s an old circus poster from the fifties.”
“Wreck was really devoted to collecting. It’s like an education in Americana, isn’t it? Especially local Americana. Bygone era of the West and the Great Plains.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
A nasally grunt made our heads turn toward the door.
“What the hell is all this junk? You cleaning up for them? Is that your job around here?” Nina stood in the open doorway, her arms folded across her ample chest.
“Hey, Nina,” I said.
“I don’t work here,” replied Tania, her voice as icy as a freezer on a hot summer day. “This belongs to Wreck, one of the members who passed away years ago. He was Lock’s brother. I’m going through it for him, organizing it. Some of it might go to my store in town.”
Nina’s eyes widened. “You have a store?”
“Well, I’m looking into it.”
“Awesome. What kind of store?”
“I buy and sell antiques, vintage things. So, I’m hoping—”
“Oh.” Nina’s dull gaze shifted to me. “Hey, is there a Sephora around here?”
“Yeah, there is one—” I started to reply.
Tania shot me a strained look, forcing my laughter back down my throat.
Nina’s face lit up. “Thank God! Where?”
“In Sioux Falls.”
“Cool.” Her eyes flashed. “Wait, where’s that?”
“The other end of South Dakota. Almost a five-hour drive, give or take traffic,” I said.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Nope, she kids not,” Tania said.
“What the hell?” Nina’s hands shot to her hips. “Only one? One in the entire goddamn state? What kind of place is this? Don’t you people have malls?”
“Sure, we people have malls,” I said, my native twang lacing my voice. “But the same stores aren’t in every mall.”
Nina rolled her eyes, her mouth hanging open.
“Bummed, huh?” I asked.
“Well, yeah. Shit, this is ridiculous. How do you live here?” She let out a huff of air. “Is there a beauty salon in this friggin’ town at least?”
“Yes, indeed-y,” I replied. “And many, many more in Rapid City. That’s only forty minutes away on a bike and a bit longer in your car.”
“Great.”
“Alicia could tell you the best places to go,” I said. “I’m sure you’d appreciate her opinion more than ours.”
“She’s a stuck-up bitch, and I don’t like her,” Nina muttered.
Tania raised her eyebrows. “Alicia is the president’s old lady, and you’re the new girl on the block.”
“I’d show some respect, if I were you,” I added.
“You’re not me,” Nina snapped. Smug as all hell.
“Excuse me?”
Nina stepped toward me, her jaw tight, chest out. “Backwoods bitches.”
“Watch your mouth!” Tania spit out. “Back off!”
My hands curled into fists, my arms shook. I wanted to yank her hair. I wanted to push her out the door all the way back to Ohio. I wanted to—
