“It’s nine in the morning,” Savage protested. Kill wanted to take the guy up on his offer. Hell, he could do with a shot of whiskey or two, but Savage was right. They needed to keep their heads straight if they were going to get through this little meeting.
“Of course,” Outkast agreed. His smile was warm and Kill could tell the guy was trying for friendly, but it was a lie. His smile didn’t reach his eyes and Kill knew that the Dragon’s new Prez was putting on a show. Kill almost wished he wasn’t privy to the news that Outkast was an undercover cop. Their meeting would be easier to get through if Kill could just hate the guy.
“Let’s just get down to business,” Savage challenged. “Why have we been summoned here, Outkast?”
“I’ve always liked your no-nonsense way of ruling Savage Hell, man,” Outkast said. On the flight home, Savage filled the guys in on the research he had done on Outkast. He seemed to have a complete disregard for the rules, both written and implied. There was usually no room for someone like that in the MC world, but Outkast wasn’t a part of that world. He was straddling the right side of evil and he had to make his own rules. Otherwise, he’d be discovered. Savage’s MC world didn’t work quite that way. Kill knew that his friend valued loyalty above all else and trust was king. Without those things, Savage Hell wouldn’t exist.
“Funny,” Savage spat. “Usually, when someone admires someone else, they don’t stab them in the fucking back,” he growled. Savage took a step towards Outkast and his enforcers blocked him with their bodies. Outkast had the poor judgment to find the whole scene funny and for just a minute, Kill was sure things were about to turn ugly. Savage was certainly playing his part in all this. Hell, maybe he was looking for someone to take his anger out on for taking Chloe. He still hadn’t worked through all that and now, with Dante gone, Outkast was the next best person to pound his anger out on.
“Easy man,” Kill warned. “This isn’t why we are here, Savage.”
“You should listen to your man, Savage,” Outkast said. “He’s not wrong.”
“Fine, let’s just get this over with,” Savage ordered. Even when he wasn’t in charge, Savage seemed to take the position of power. He was just one of those guys and Kill would follow him to hell and back.
“Okay,” Outkast agreed. “I called you here to make sure that we understand each other, Savage.”
“What’s there to understand?” Savage asked. “Your club took my little girl and threatened our women. There’s nothing to understand here, Outkast.”
“This is on your club, really,” Outcast said.
“How do you figure?” Savage barked.
“Cut off the serpent’s head and two more grow in its place, Savage. Did you think that Dante was as high up as they run in the Dragons? Like your Savage Hell club is just a small piece of the Royal Bastards, the Dragons are a part of the Anarchy Kings. We answer to them and they make sure that everyone on our end is on the up and up. Dante wasn’t, so they took care of him. Good news for you is, I don’t have a problem with you, Savage. You keep your little gang out of my way and out of my fucking business and I’ll leave Savage Hell alone. You good with that?”
Savage looked at Kill and God, he wanted to believe Outkast. All they wanted was to live in peace and that’s what he was offering them. But, at what price? Kill knew what was waiting in the basement. Could they turn a blind eye to the fact that the Dragons were trafficking women and girls, just to save their own families?
Kill watched as Savage seemed to struggle with the same thoughts. Outkast held his hand out for Savage as if waiting for him to accept his deal. Savage didn’t take it. “You can’t believe you’ll get away with it, right?” Savage asked. “Trafficking women and children won’t be tolerated—not by Savage Hell.” Jesus, Kill wanted to tell him to back down, but his friend was right. They couldn’t allow something so evil to exist in their town. It wasn’t who they were as men or as a club. The guys in the club weren’t angels by any stretch of the imagination but they weren’t evil assholes either. Trafficking women and children was just plain evil.
Outkast lowered his hand, his smile was mean. “Suit yourself, Savage. You can’t say I didn’t warn you. You come after my club or my business and we won’t pull our punches. Is Savage Hell a sacrifice you’re willing to make to bring down my little business? Is your family something either of you is willing to forfeit to bring down the Dragons?” Outcast challenged.
“We’ll see,” Savage shrugged. “If the Dragons keep their noses clean, we won’t have a problem.”
“I’m sorry that this meeting didn’t go the way I was hoping for, Savage,” Outkast said. “You can see yourselves out, I’m sure.” Outkast turned his back on them and walked back to his office, leaving his two sentries to stand guard. Savage chuckled and turned to leave.
“This is over, Cillian. For now, at least,” he added. Kill hated that they were leaving their meeting without resolving the issues, but he followed Savage’s lead. He smiled at the two goons staring him down, even winking at them before turning to walk out the front door. Kill had a sick feeling that wouldn’t be his last run-in with the Dragon’s enforcers, but that would be a fight for another day. For now, he’d have to settle for the promise of tomorrow with Viv as his wife. He was going to meet his woman at the courthouse and make her his, officially.
“Well, that was a shit show,” Kill grumbled. “I have to give it to Outkast, he was pretty damn convincing. You think that was all for show or what?”
“I have no idea, man,” Savage admitted. “I guess we only have Hart’s word to go by and well, time. If Outkast is one of the good guys, we’ll know sooner or later.”
“So we wait?” Kill asked.
“Yeah besides, we have bigger things to think about today. You ready for this?” Savage asked.
“If you mean marrying the woman I want more than my next breath—then yeah,” Kill admitted. “I think I’ve been waiting my whole life for Viv.”
“Then let’s go and get you hitched,” Savage said, patting Kill’s shoulder. “We’ll worry about all this other shit another day.” Kill nodded and smiled, knowing his friend was right. The rest of the crap could wait. Today, he was going to begin his forever with his woman and that was enough for him.
_______
Cillian stood at the front of the courtroom and wanted to laugh at how different things were from the first time he was in that same room. Last time, he was being sentenced by a judge for grand theft auto. This time, he was going to be professing his undying love for Viv, in front of the justice of the peace, making her his wife. Viv walked down the short span of the aisle, wearing a beautiful white lacey dress she borrowed from Dallas. It was the same dress she had worn for her commitment ceremony with Bowie and Savage. Kill loved the sweet friendship that was forming between his and Savage’s woman. It was fitting that their two families would be close. Kill could see their kids growing up together, family birthday parties and even vacations. He wondered how his parents would feel about the way things had turned out for him. Kill knew his father trusted Savage with his own life, time and again. He had to believe both of his parents would approve of him leaning on Savage and offering him his friendship. It was what his father had asked of Savage before heading back to Ireland; him keeping an eye on Kill. Now, it was his turn to help Savage keep an eye on the people he loved and his club. It was the least Kill could do for his old friend after he stood by him for so many years.