Journey (Soulless Kings MC: Marble Falls, TX #2)

7. Journey

CHAPTER 7

JOURNEY

She could be with them for all I know.

“This shit is getting outta control.”

I nod at Crow before glancing around the table at my brothers’ expressions, and each of them mirror my own. Pres called church on an emergency basis, and when that happens, nothing good ever comes of it. This time is proving to be no exception.

“It’s been relatively quiet since we took out Niles,” I chime in. “I was hoping that’d be the end of it.”

“It seemed like it was,” Crow says. “But apparently, all we did was piss off the top dog who’s been biding his time and planning the club’s demise.”

“And Addi’s sure about the intel?” Ghost asks.

Crow scowls. “As sure as she can be.”

“I dug into it a little before church,” Tracer says. “So far, all the info she’s provided can be corroborated.”

“So, we’re fucked,” Python bites out from his seat at the other end of the long table.

Crow’s eyes darken. “We’re Soulless Kings. We’re never fucked.”

“Uh, Pres,” Fudge begins. “I’m pretty sure the fact that another MC is moving on our territory and managing to recruit people who want us dead is the very definition of fucked.”

Pres pounds the table with his fist, and drinks slosh over the rim of their cups. “We’ve been down this road before and come out better for it. It’ll be the same this time.”

“I gotta say, I’m disappointed in the doubt I’m hearing,” I add. “Soulless Kings don’t back down, and we never lose. Either get on board with that or get the fuck out.”

Crow straightens, shifting his stare from one brother to the next as if daring them to leave. Everyone remains seated, and after a few tense moments, Crow’s shoulder’s relax.

“Good. Now instead of giving in like pussies, let’s figure this shit out so we can put a stop to it.”

“I think the first step is learning everything we can about the Wingless Angels MC,” Screamer states. “Know thy enemy and all that bullshit.”

“I had Tracer email you all a copy of what Addi was able to pull together from a law enforcement perspective, and I’ve reached out to Shuffle with Limitless Throttle MC for more info,” Crow informs us. “But here are the bullet points: Drugs, prostitution, and wreaking as much havoc as humanly possible.”

“So, real choir boys then?” Poker comments dryly.

“We’re not saints,” Crow says. “But we sure as fuck ain’t as bad as them. Tracer, fill ‘em in what you’ve found so far.”

“I cross-referenced arrest records with hospital records, and I also started sifting through social media. Basically, it amounts to dozens of arrests, broken bones, branding, tainted drugs, and a whole lot of fear. These guys don’t fuck around, and their president, Stone, is the worst of them. He’s serving a life sentence for a double murder, and he still manages to run his club with an iron fist. And the members are loyal to a fault.”

“Wait a sec,” Ghost demands. “Are you seriously telling us that he runs his entire club from prison?”

Tracer nods.

“This is a whole new level we’re playing at,” Screamer says. “It’s not like we can get to the head of the snake to chop it off.”

“Maybe not,” Crow admits. “But there are other ways to kill a snake.”

“We go for every single weak spot below the head,” I add.

“Exactly.” Crow sits for the first time since we all entered the room. “We take the time we need to learn all we can, to plan, and then we strike. And Shuffle has pledged his club as backup if we want it.”

“And in the meantime, Wingless Angels encroach on our territory?” Python snaps. “I don’t think so.”

“For now, we operate as usual. We deal with things as they come. If we catch them working on our turf, we handle it. We do what we do in any of those situations. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times because I have no clue when, where, or how they will strike. But we don’t let it be known that we’re aware of who they are and their hatred for us.” Crow inhales deeply. “Fuck, I don’t even know why Stone has it out for us. But we’ll figure it out, and when we do, we take them down.”

“Why do I get the feeling that life is about to get infinitely more complicated?” Jackyl asks, speaking for the first time.

I frown. “Because it is.”

“Any questions?” Crow asks. When no one speaks up, he nods. “Dismissed.”

One by one, my brothers file out of the room, but Tracer hangs back. Before church assembled, I told him I needed a favor, and it’s now or never.

“How’d it go with Wren?” he asks as soon as we’re the only two left.

“I don’t even know how to answer that,” I admit. “It was… odd.”

“Odd?”

“She acted like she didn’t even know me,” I tell him. “And she was fucking convincing, bro. Something about that chick is off, and I need to know what. Especially now that we’ve got this new threat. She could be with them for all I know.”

“So you want me to dig?”

“As deep as you fucking can.”