“Listen, Addy, I appreciate what you’re trying to do here. Give me the card. I’ll think about calling this woman. Right now, I just… I need to figure some stuff out.”
Addy handed over the card, but didn’t let it go, grabbing Cathy’s hand. “Listen, I can understand that and have even done it myself. After I lost Sunshine, it was years before I finally started to deal with the loss. But I want you to know, I’m here for you any way you need it, a drinking buddy, a shoulder to cry on, or even as a sounding board, hell, even a punching bag if you needed it. Anything Cath.” Addy let go of her hand and walked off the porch. Right before she got into her car, she said, “Cathy, Kayla is a good therapist. I won’t tell you her story, but she can and will relate to what happened to you. Please, just consider giving her a call.”
Cathy didn’t say anything, only nodded at first, then realized she did need something from Addy. Running off the porch, she stopped Addy.
“I do need something.” Addy got back out of her car. “Can you take the dogs? Crank has been taking care of them but… can you just take them to your place? It’s only Edgar and Clare.”
“Are they in the kennel?”
“Yeah, I haven’t been down there since, well you know. I just need a couple of weeks to figure things out. Can you take them for that long? I could always call Peyton, but she already has the new litter.” She couldn’t bring herself to say Brut and Dalilah’s pups. Damn, she needed to deal with that, too.
“Yeah, I’ll take them, Cath, no worries. Just let me go back and get the truck. Codes on the kennel still the same?” Fuck she didn’t even know, and she said as much. Addy waved her hand and said, “No worries, I’ll call Whisk, one of the guys will know. We’ll pick them up later this afternoon. Anything else anything I need to know about them?”
“No, I’d just started their training when all this went down. Right now, they’re only dogs. Feed them and let them out that’s about it.”
“Okay,” Addy said, getting back into her car and leaving. Cathy stood there trying to figure out her next move. That fucking little piece of cardboard was burning a hole in her hand.
Chapter 5
Crank walked into Church with Tuck. It had been a while, but the place never changed. A huge wood table was surrounded by wheeled leather chairs, the RBMC logo painted over the back wall. Tuck went to his usual seat at the head of the table. Crank took his place to Tuck’s right; Link would sit to his left. The other Officers of the Club would fill in the seats closest to them with the remaining members filling in the last positions at the table. Prospects, women, and outsiders weren’t allowed in this room.
Sitting down, he noticed right away he didn’t feel the same as he had before when coming into this room. He didn’t get the sense of pride at taking his place. He felt hollow. He had to wonder if what he said to Tuck was true. Maybe he didn’t deserve this seat anymore. Maybe he needed to step down and let another Brother take over his duties. No vote required. But he wouldn't address his concerns or thoughts with anyone here. The vote had been called, and Crank respected that. His Brothers had a right to be heard.
Tuck hit the gavel on the mahogany table, quieting the group. “Let’s get this meeting going. Link has called for a vote to replace and demote Crank from his duties of Road Captain due to a violation of Club protocol. If the vote is passed, not only will the demotion stand, but he’ll be knocked down to Prospect. He’s accused of leaving his duty station, leaving the club vulnerable. As a result, Carrington, Link’s Old Lady, was taken and harmed. It will take three votes to pass this recommendation. I’m not going to go into any further; everyone in this room has been made aware of or has heard the details of what happened. You all know what’s at stake and what our duties as members of the RBMC are. I’ll ask Crank if he wants to say anything in his defense.”
Crank cleared his throat, “I have nothing to add in my defense. I take full responsibility for what happened. Let’s get on with the vote.”
Tuck looked at him for a couple of seconds, waiting to see if he would say more, but Crank wouldn’t, this was on him. Carri getting hurt was on him. He would take his knocks like a grown-assed man and accept the responsibility.
“Okay, Tank, you’re up, what say you?”
“Yay.”
Whiskey was next. “Crank went after my woman to protect her because he felt she was in danger. My vote is Nay.”
Tuck growled a little but continued with the vote, “Brass.”
“Nay.”
Several more votes went until they came to Blade, the man he had left to defend the club while he went off to find Addison.
“Yay.”
Shit, looked like his fate was sealed. Only one more vote and he was back to being a Prospect or leaving the club altogether. A few more votes for Nay went by, then it was to Link. Crank looked the other man right in the eyes. He knew what was coming, and he was okay with it, but he wouldn’t hide. He would face this head on and deal later.
“That leaves you, Link. What’s your vote?” Tuck asked.
“I vote Nay. Someone made me realize I was taking this personally. I wasn’t looking at this from the right angle. My woman is no less important than any other woman associated with this club. I would have done the same thing if I were in Crank’s position. I would have left and tracked Addison down, made sure she was okay. I called for the vote without thinking about the club or its other members. I should have. For that, if Crank chooses to challenge my position, I accept full responsibility.”
“Well said, Brother. My vote is also Nay. Crank will remain Road Captain of the Ruthless Bastards, Defiance chapter. But it looks like we have another item on the table. Crank how do you respond to Link?”
Crank was floored. He hadn’t expected Link to back down, wouldn’t have blamed him if he hadn’t. But he didn’t’ want to call a vote or challenge Link’s position.
“No. No, I decline the request. Link had every right to be pissed and call for a vote. I would have done the same thing if the situation was reversed.”
Tuck slammed the gavel down on the table. “Meeting fucking adjourned. Time to get loaded, boys. The tension in this club is too thick for my tastes, time to let go and have a little fun.”
Crank started to walk out with the rest of the guys, a few stopping to slap him on the shoulder, but before he made it through the door, Link stopped him.
“We need to talk.” Yeah, they did. “I was pissed, and I’m man enough to admit it, but your head has been all over the place. If you fuck up again and don’t follow the rules, I’ll call you out, and my vote will change.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less of you, Link. I feel the same way. No hard feelings. I know you did what you needed to do, I would have done the same.”
“Your woman’s got balls, man. She confronted me straight on, basically, told me to get my head out of my ass,” Link said with a little laugh. “I’ve always respected Cath, but damn dude, she’s something else.”
“Cathy talked to you?”
“Yeah, this morning she called up Carri and had me meet her down at the Diner. I know it’s been tough for you two since, well, that happened, but it’s good to see her coming back around. I’m happy for you.”
Crank didn’t know what to say. He had no idea Cathy had done anything and they were so far from getting through this shit, it wasn’t funny. But he didn’t say anything to Link, just smiled. “Yeah, my Cathy has always been a badass. If anyone can get through this, it’ll be her.” He failed to mention he wouldn’t or they wouldn’t as a couple, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt Cathy would, and that was all that mattered.
When he got out into the common room, Tank was waiting for him. “No hard feelings, I voted what I thought was right.” Crank offered the man his hand and said, “ It is what it is. We're cool. Don’t need to talk about it man. I respect your decision and vote.”
“Glad to hear it, but I still don’t think you’re getting where I’m coming from. Yo
ur head isn’t in the game, Crank, and right now, with all the shit falling down around us, our Road Captain needs to have his head in the game. Hell, man, until we elect another Enforcer, you’re doing that job too. Since that shit went down, you haven't been doing either. I don’t think you made the wrong decision going after Addy that's not how I based my vote. I would have done the same thing.
“It’s that, for the last six months, you haven’t been here. No Brother is expected to be here twenty-four seven, but can you honestly say that, in that time, you’ve spent more than a few hours here doing your job? Even when you physically show up, you’re still not here. I’m not going to pretend I have the first clue what you’re going through. If my woman had been taken, fuck man,” Tank said shaking his head and looking down for a second.
Crank knew that feeling well, the one where you didn't have a fucking clue what to say or do next. But Tank recovered quickly which Crank was grateful for; he wasn't mad at the man for his vote or even his need for an explanation, but he wasn't comfortable talking about what had happened to Cathy. They weren't that close.
“I can’t even say it. I don’t think my head would be right either, but I would step down. I would let someone else take on the club and my duties. There’s just too much shit going on around us.”
“You're right, there isn’t anything I can say to that. I haven’t been good for the club or anyone else lately. All I can say is I’m working on it. If it comes down to the point where I feel I can’t handle it, I’ll step down. That’s all I can give you, man.”
“That’s all I can ask, Brother. You need me, you know where I am, all you have to do is call. I’ll be around.”
“I appreciate it, Tank.”
Crank looked around the room at his Brothers partying and having a good time in his honor, and all he could think was it was a joke, he had no honor right now. There was a small part of him which thought they shouldn't be partying or tearing up, they should be working, finding the people who caused this shit and mete out some justices. Another part of him realized his Brothers needed to let off some steam and have some fun. He still felt out of place. Tank was right, hell, so were Tuck and Link. He needed to get his head together. That started with dealing with things he’d left undone. Finding the man he needed to talk to sitting at his place at the bar, Crank walked over and sat down next to Blade.
“Hey, old man.”
“Not going to talk about it, Crank. Vote’s done, I won’t justify myself. You know what you did, I can see it on your face. The Club let you off the hook, but I haven’t. The main reason I voted the way I did is if you ain’t in this all the way, you ain’t doing anyone any good, especially your Old Lady. She’s the one who needs you the most right now, get my drift?”
“Yeah, I get you, but things aren’t that simple, Blade, and you know it. Cath and I have issues, things that I can’t move on from.”
“Things are never as simple as they sound, Crank. Sit here and have a beer, have a couple of them. Hell, boy, get loaded, you deserve it. But tomorrow, get to work, figure this shit out, and find a way to make it work because I'm telling you from experience. You meet that woman, the one who makes your days brighter and your nights better, and you let that shit go, you’re going to regret it. Don’t do anything you’re going to regret. Take it from an old man who has been there and done just that.”
Crash put a beer in front of him, and Crank drank it down fast, lifting his finger for the man to keep them coming. He didn’t disappoint, another cold was sitting there before he even set his empty down.
“I don’t know, man, I think I might have already screwed it up.” Lifting the other beer Crank said, “Some things are just not meant to be fixed.”
“Yeah, keep on saying that to yourself, boy.” Blade stood up and slapped him on the shoulder. Then he leaned in, “When you finally convince yourself there’s no going back, hunt me up, and I’ll be more than happy to beat the shit out of you until you’ve changed your mind.”
“Okay, old man,” Crank laughed, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Chapter 6
Cathy had just gotten dressed for bed. She’d waited to see if Crank would come back, but he hadn’t, and now, it was past one in the morning, so she knew he wouldn’t. Cathy knew she shouldn’t have doubted him, he never went back on something he said, but she had hoped this time he would. That he would come back, so she felt safe, so they could work this out. Maybe that was the problem. He was her safety net. Maybe she needed to figure this one out on her own and learn how to do things without him for once in her life.
Things had been bad for a while, even before that night. They’d been together for so long. She thought about it, all their time together, twenty years. It was hard to believe how the time had flown by. She remembered the first time they met, she’d been as green as could be, away from home for the first-time, a sailor trying to learn her place in the navy. He was a seasoned soldier, confident as hell, and took her completely by surprise.
Their whole relationship had been a whirlwind. They met, they fucked, they lived together while in the same state, which wasn’t often. Fought with each other and loved each other to the fullest. They served out their time in the service, her getting out first and going to school. Him doing another tour overseas before deciding he wasn't going to re-up. Then they moved to Defiance and joined the RBMC; she was there when he got his patch. So many memories, so many firsts. She wondered where all the years had gone, and when had it all changed? Why had it all changed?
The last couple of months before the attack, they fought more often, Cathy begging Crank for more time for just the two of them. She had blamed the RBMC for taking away her man, but the truth was that wasn’t it at all. They weren’t going anywhere, and she wanted things like a family or hell, even a proposal. Crank seemed happy with the status quo, not wanting anything more than what they had. He would say things like, “Why change it, babe, we’re together and happy, let's not tempt fate.” They had so many arguments over getting married, it wasn’t even funny, and children, that was a non-topic because Crank refused to talk about them at all. Said he didn’t want kids. At first, Cathy was okay with that, but as the years went by, she realized she wanted them, wanted more.
The more she pushed, the further away he pulled. Spending all his time away from her, coming home late, tired and dirty. After a while, she’d just given up. She didn’t want to lose him, so she adapted, but what they had ended up with wasn’t right for either one of them. Now, she wouldn’t have that chance with anybody. Those assholes had made sure of that.
Maybe she should just let it all be, stop hoping for something that wasn’t going to happen and move on. Sell the business and the house and leave. Because she knew one thing for sure, she would never love another man like Crank, and she couldn’t live close by and watch him move on without her. Maybe what had happened was just the breaking point for them.
When her cell phone rang, she didn’t even think just picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Hey, girl, it’s Blade. You need to get down to the club and get your man straight.”
“Blade, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It's late, and whatever is going on, Crank can take care of himself.”
“Yeah, hon, most times I would agree with you, but the demons are riding that boy hard, and if you don’t come down here and get his ass to bed, he’s going to do something he regrets. So, will you?”
“What’s going on, Blade?”
“Not going to tell you over the phone, girl, just get down here and take care of your man. The day you took that patch, you said you would have his back; time to step up.”
The phone disconnected and it took Cathy a couple of seconds to realize Blade had hung up on her. What the hell? She even looked at the screen just to make sure. She loved the old man, hell, everyone loved Blade, but damn, what was he thinking?
Cathy got up and started pacing the room; did she go or did she stay? Blade wasn’t on
e to overreact to anything. The old man was as cool as a cucumber most days, so if he said she needed to go down there, then she needed to go down there. Not bothering to get dressed, she threw a coat on and slipped her feet into her boots, grabbing her keys and purse on the way out the door.
The drive to the clubhouse was one she could do in her sleep, she had traveled it so often through the years. The Prospect guarding the gate didn’t even stop her, just waved her in. Parking her car, she got out and walked into the Clubhouse, instantly pissed.
Misty was sitting, leaning against Crank, kissing his neck. Cathy didn’t even think about it, walking right up and grabbing the chick by her hair, pulling her back, so she could look her in the face. This bitch would never learn. Cathy didn't hesitate to put Misty in her place.
“Remember me, bitch?” The saucer size of her eyes should have made Cathy feel better, but they didn’t. This chick was a menace and had been after Crank for a long time. Cathy released her hair and pushed the woman away. “I told you about messing with my man. It looks like you might need another lesson.” Before Cathy could do anything else, Crank had her wrapped up in his arms, staggering, drunk as could be.
“Baby, I missed you. Where have you been?” As he tried to kiss her, Cathy noticed Blade standing off to the side, watching. When he lifted his eyebrow, basically saying without words, what are you going to do now, Cathy knew.
Kissing Crank, she said, “Come on, babe, let’s get you to bed. It seems like you’ve been partying a little too hard tonight.” He laughed, and she couldn’t help but smile a little; she hadn’t heard that sound in so long.
“Isn’t yours for long, bitch. Heard he left your ass, finally decided he wanted something a little better than your old ass.”
“Misty, get your ass over here,” Blade ordered. “Cath, take care of your man, it’s been a long night.”
Crank_Ruthless Bastards Page 4
