Page 81 of Borden 3

They entered. The club was closed on Mondays, but Borden had the staff stay home. The only one that loitered around was Linda. Borden was certain she didn’t have a fucking home outside of Owls.

“Your wife can sit with Linda—”

“I ain’t sitting with that troll bitch,” Tyler cut in, glaring at Linda. “I talked to her once and that was enough. She called me a hillbilly. Where’s your wife?”

“She’s with Hector, visiting the wife of one of my men that got killed. It was long overdue.”

Tyler’s brows shot up. “Guess I’m stuck with you then.”

Borden was unimpressed. Hawke wrapped an arm around his wife, tugging her into his side. “My old lady has a strong stomach, Borden.”

It wasn’t her fucking stomach Borden cared about. If Hawke wanted his girl to be part of this, fucking fine. Borden learned a long time ago that bikers had a code and a primitive sort of lifestyle. These guys either coveted their missus, or fucked around on them. If Hawke was certain Tyler was part of them, Borden would treat her as such.

“You gonna tell me what’s going on?” Hawke asked as Borden led them to one of the private rooms specifically for business meetings. “I keep thinking I lost a crucial shipment.”

“It’s not about that,” Borden simply said.

“Heard some shit went up in flames.”

He was referring to Borden’s warehouses. “They didn’t find my stash.”

“Still. That’s tough.”

Borden gritted his teeth. “It could have been a lot worse.”

When he finally turned around to face Hawke, Hawke’s eyes narrowed. He felt the tension in the air. Noticed the unbridled rage in Borden that was poking around the edges. Hawke knew Borden inside-out. He’d been his right hand man for years, and though he’d been out for some years, it didn’t change anything. Once a bond as strong as theirs was forged, it never broke.

“This ain’t business then,” Hawke stated.

“No,” Borden returned.

“But you’re treating me like an enemy.”

“To keep tempers at bay.”

Hawke’s face tightened. “Is my temper going to be blowing?”

“More like mine.”

“Shit.”

Hawke knew the drill. He whistled and one of the bikers came forward. A tatted blonde man in a fucking suit. The fuck was this guy all about?

“Surrender your weapons,” Hawke said. “You’re going to be sort of fucking kidnapped right now, Jesse.”

Jesse’s confusion was apparent. “The fuck?”

“Just for a little while, man.”

“I don’t get it.”

Borden whistled and Gerry appeared. “Sir?”

Borden looked at him. “You’re going to be in the custody of the bikers for a little while.”

Gerry nodded, familiar with the protocol. “Sure thing, boss.”

And that was how the exchange happened. The bikers were in one room with Gerry, and Jesse was in another room with Borden’s men.

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