If anything happened to Jordan, Colt would never forgive me.
There’s loud music playing inside, people drinking at the bar, laughing it up when we walk in. Then it goes quiet, all but the music. Even the volume on it is turned down a few notches.
A bodybuilder in a skintight black tee with the white Devil Hounds logo on his chest is positioned at the door, blocking our entry. “Check your weapons.”
Our group all look to Remy, who nods and begins to unpack his guns and knives, looking surprisingly at ease. “What? They’re not going to murder the five of us with all these witnesses.”
“These people are all loyal to us,” the bouncer remarks.
“Yeah, but even loyal people have big mouths, as I’m sure your president is well aware.”
The muscle head doesn’t respond to that. Once he pats us all down thoroughly, one at a time, he says, “Business is taken care of upstairs.”
“Then let’s get this shit over with,” Remy grumbles.
We take the open staircase up to the second floor as all eyes on both packed floors watch us. At the top, a young guy in a leather cut tips his chin at us, so we follow him to the end of the hallway. The door is open, and inside is a spacious office large enough to suit a car dealership. Sitting in a chair in front of the huge, ornate desk is our teenage prospect. He thankfully doesn’t look worse for wear.
“You okay, Jordan?” Colt asks right away.
The kid lifts the front of his shirt under his cut to show the fresh blue bruises on his ribs. “Not fun, but my own father has treated me worse,” he responds. And isn’t that incredibly messed up? Our dad wasn’t around much growing up, but at least he never hit us.
“Why the fuck are you beating up on our prospect and holding him hostage? We let you ruin three bikes without seeking retribution. Don’t make us rethink that decision,” Remy says to the man sitting behind the desk. Isaac Perry isn’t alone today. That fucker Thane and another man stand at attention on either side of him, no doubt packing despite their check weapons policy downstairs. I’m guessing it only applies to visitors.
Isaac looks furious, even more so than the night he caught me sneaking out of his house. Tonight, it’s like he’s barely got a grip on his urge for violence.
All three men are wearing their black leather cuts. Instead of skull king patches on the back we can’t see, I know there’s a snarling, rabid dog head.
“I have a message for you,” Isaac begins. “And I didn’t trust the kid here to convey the urgency.”
Remy sighs. “Let’s hear it.”
“After your old clubhouse went up in flames, I thought you would’ve been smart enough to call it quits. But you didn’t. So now you can fold this chapter of the Savage Kings or move it out of Rockland. You’ve got until the end of the month to decide.”
Oh.
I’m ready to wipe the sweat off my brow when none of what he just said has to do with me personally when Remy responds without hesitation, “We’re not going anywhere, you crazy bastard.”
“Then the blood spilled will be on your hands.”
“What’s your problem with us exactly?” Colt speaks up and asks. “We’re not even sharing the same county zip code.”
“I don’t need a bunch of children telling me how to run my club.”
“How you run your club is your business,” Remy assures him.
“That’s not what I’ve heard. I’ve heard that the Savage Kings think they’re deputized sheriffs, a bunch of vigilantes who go around telling clubs what they can or can’t do, making them bend to their will. I’m not gonna have it.”
“Look, Isaac, we don’t want any problems with you,” I speak up to tell him. “I know you weren’t happy about me and Lyla, but you didn’t seem to have any problem with me back when I married Laurel,” I remind him.
“Back then, you were wearing camo, going to fight for the country. Now you’re in a goddamn biker cut with skull king patches, fucking my baby daughter in my goddamn house and firing at one of my men while Lyla was an innocent bystander!”
My brothers all turn to glower at me in question, no doubt wondering if that last part is true.
Before I can respond, Hugo asks Isaac, “Are you jealous we’re Savage Kings and you all are just a bunch of rabid bitches?” causing complete silence throughout the room. Nobody even breathes as we hold our breath, knowing those are fighting words he just threw down. “If so, I’m sure the mother chapter could make a patch over happen.”
“Exactly,” Remy agrees a little too quickly. “The Kings don’t have a problem with you or the Hounds. But if you touch our prospect again, there will be hell to pay. Unless you want to discuss patching over, we’re leaving.”
Isaac arches a single eyebrow at Remy. “I wasn’t finished speaking. You’re not leaving until I’m done.”
“Then spit it out already, old man,” Remy huffs, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance as he waits.
“Your prospect stays here until I get my daughter back.”
My brothers all turn to me to silently ask that question.
“I don’t know where the fuck Lyla is!” I tell them.
Isaac points his finger at me and says, “It’s your fault she left. Now you’re going to convince her to come home. The prospect stays until that happens and the Rockland chapter folds.”
“You can’t be serious!” Colt exclaims.
Thane and the other man move to stand in front of Jordan’s chair at the same time a few more of his bikers show up just in time to block the doorway.
“It’s fine. I’m fine. Don’t do anything crazy, man,” Jordan stands up and says to Colt right before Thane turns around and pushes on his shoulders.
“Sit your ass down, pussy.”
When RJ and Colt both take a step forward with their fists clenched by their sides, Remy throws both of his arms out in front of their chest to stop them. “Don’t,” he warns. To Isaac, Remy says, “Look, we’re not folding our club, and what happens between you and your daughter isn’t on us. What if she never comes home?”
“If she doesn’t, then this boy here won’t ever come home,” he says, jerking his chin toward Jordan.
“Look,” I start. “I honestly don’t even know where Lyla is staying, okay? We haven’t talked since the other day. She may not answer my calls or texts.”
Isaac looks skeptical at that before he finally says, “Oh, I know where she’s at. I’ll even give you the address.” He scribbles something down on a piece of paper, then reaches across the desk to hand it to Thane, who brings it over to me. I take it because, hell yes, I want to know where Lyla is because I want to see her, talk to her again, even though I shouldn’t.
“If you know where she’s at, then why don’t you just go drag her ass back home!” Colt yells at him.
“Because he doesn’t want to be the bad guy,” I answer for him as I fold the piece of paper into a small square and slip it into my jeans’ front pocket. “She’s already pissed at him for telling her she couldn’t see me.”
“Our club can’t be punished for your family’s problems,” Remy remarks.