Chapter 25

~Ax~

 

I drag on my smoke as I pace up and down by the porch steps. Runner’s lounging on ‘em, resting back on his elbows, too fucking relaxed as usual. Smiter’s leaning against the railing, his arms folded across his chest.

“Nah. Ain’t gonna do it,” I tell ‘em, shaking my head.

“It won’t come back on you. We’re all gonna back you. Even Grit. He might be pissed at you over the biker princess, but he knows what’s good for the club,” Runner tells me.

“And that’s you, Ax,” Smiter adds.

Fuck. They want me to challenge Trig for the Prez role. Ain’t no way. I been thinking ‘bout leaving the club, so why the hell would I wanna become club President? I’d never get out then.

“I got a temper, remember? You think that’s a good quality for Prez?” I scoff. “Come on.”

“You only got a temper when downright stupid ass stuff happens that you got no control over. Like this situation with the Mavs. Trig refusing to go to war and putting us on the defensive by taking over the businesses your girl’s got under her protection in Brockford. Gonna leave us as sitting ducks,” Runner tells me.

“Not if I kill Skinner.”

Runner shakes his head. “You don’t fucking believe it. Smiter told me the shit you said ‘bout Broker taking over the club the second you bury Skinner.”

“He’s right, Ax,” Smiter says. “What’s going on with you? You were all amped up and ready to take ‘em out. We all heard you and Trig getting into it in his office before you walked out. Walls are fucking thin as paper, remember?”

“He send you guys down here to bring me back in?”

“Yeah, but we got our own agendas too. This,” Runner says.

“He knows you. We all do. Figured a few days was enough time for you to calm down,” Smiter adds.

“Is it the girl?” Runner demands, getting to his feet and walking over to me.

“What?”

“Her golden pussy fucking with your head, or what?” he asks, angrily.

“Runner,” Smiter cautions him.

“Nah, I’m serious. Come on, Ax. It’s her, right?”

Dickhead. “No. You wanna know what it is? It’s the fact that two years ago when my mom was murdered, the club didn’t have my back! Trig stopped me from going after Skinner by giving the order to Broker to take me down. Put me in a fucking coma. You remember that? And neither of ‘em had the decency to just let me walk. They both knew me real fucking well. They knew no way I was gonna go to the cops or to another club. Yet, they both decided to fuck me up…” I gesture angrily to my chest, “…cut my fucking club tattoo outta my goddamn chest. Broker had four prospects hold me down while he did it. Real fucking slow too. Sadistic bastard.”

I stop and scrub my hand over my face, tryin’ to reel in my temper before I put my fist through something. Taking a breath, I continue, “A few months ago, Trig begs me to come back. Offers me the VP role and the backing to kill Skinner, cuz I know the asshole better than anyone, him being my old man and shit. So, I come back. He sends me into Brockford not telling me the contact—Rox—had connections to Skinner and my mom’s death. Then Broker delivers a warning. Trig finds out and decides he still ain’t gonna do shit.”

I glare at the two of ‘em. “So, you wanna know why? That’s why!”

“So…what…after you take out Skinner, you’re gonna settle down or some shit?” Runner asks.

“Maybe.”

Smiter steps up to me and eyes me calmly. “You gotta do what’s best for you now.”

“Oh, fuck that. The club is what’s best for him. He’s family,” Runner says.

I know Runner’s upset, cuz we’re so close. When I left the club the first time, he had a real hard time with it. “Let’s just see how shit plays out, brother,” I tell him, slapping his shoulder.

He grunts a response.

“You okay with us crashing tonight?” Smiter asks.

It’s getting dark and it’s a few hours’ drive back to the clubhouse. The roads ‘round here are treacherous for a bike to navigate at night. “Yeah. For sure.”

“I’m starving. Get your girl to cook us up something, yeah?” Runner says, following me back towards the house.

“Don’t cook,” I tell him.

He rolls his eyes. “Told you she ain’t Old Lady material.”

“I think that’s what he likes ‘bout her, Runner,” Smiter says, laughing at his cluelessness.

“I don’t get it.”

“Ax likes a lot of fire. Girl’s got it in spades.”

Runner just shakes his head as I lead the two of ‘em back into the house.