Page 28 of Johnny Gun

“I’m sneaking Isolde out of the clubhouse.”

“You are? Where?”

“I haven’t decided yet. When I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Dude, what the fuck? You’re a stranger up there.

“My new friend Stew is searching for several safe spots. The ideal place would be a secluded lodge in the woods. Good for a vacation, something like—” He jerked. The sound of heavy steel-toed boots on the floor silenced him. “Hold on.” Johnny G glanced sideways at the corridor’s entryway. Gomez and Trent watched him. Trent frowned, and Gomez squinted.

“Gotta go,” he said. “I have unwanted listeners. I’ll text you later.”

“Do that,” Barron added. “Watch your six, dude.”

“I will.” He ended the call and spoke to the men. “What’s up, guys?” Johnny G kept his tone cool. He wouldn’t admit their abrupt arrival had startled him.

“Leaving us so soon?” Moving closer to him, Gomez gave him a peculiar smile. “Are you bored up here?”

Johnny G dropped his foot and sat upright. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“We heard the bit about a secluded vacation spot.” Gomez turned to Trent. “Didn’t we, brother?”

“Sure did.” Trent smirked, taking a pack of smokes out of his cut’s front pocket. He put a cigarette between his lips, lit it, and took a long drag. “Deacon swore you guys were defensive experts.” Smoke blew out of his lips as he spoke.

“Dude!” Johnny G waved his hand. “Fucking disgusting habit. Go blow your cancer smoke somewhere else.”

“Oh, dear. Aren’t we touchy.” Trent chuckled, but he squashed the lit end into the chest’s ashtray.

“Yeah, well.” Gomez frowned at Trent. “He’s right. I’ve told you before, cigarettes are gonna kill you.”

“Both of you, fuck off.” With an exaggerated huff, Trent walked toward the bar.

Johnny returned his attention to Gomez. A good offense was usually the best defense. He fired his first shot. “So you listened in to my conversation. Is that a regular thing for you?”

Gomez had the decency to glance away. “It wasn’t on purpose. Your voice carried, and we heard you talk about vacation spots.”

“And you assumed I’m going somewhere. What if I am? Ain’t any of your fucking business what I do.”

“I’m sorry, man.” A subdued Gomez sat across from him. “You’re right. We’re all very uptight with this Wolf thing. I heard vacation and jumped to the wrong conclusions.”

With Gomez brought down a peg, Johnny could put this going-away idea to rest. For the time being, anyway. In a day or so, when he took Isolde away, the whole thing would explode again.

“This can’t be easy.” Johnny paused to take a sip of his coffee. “We’re in the same MC, technically brothers, but you don’t know us. It’s hard to trust the safety of your clubhouse to strangers. Except for Deacon, none of you have spent time in the mother house, and we’re just as guilty of the reverse. Actually, I’m the only one who’s been here before. A few hours aren’t enough to build trust.”

“I see our charming ways brought you back.” Gomez smirked. “No, for real. Why did you come back?”

“Blade told us about the threats to Deacon and asked for volunteers to defend our brothers in the north.”

“And you offered.” Gomez gawked. “Just like that? Hard to believe.”

“It’s what we do for each other.” Johnny G nodded. “Lack of faith is your problem. But it’s understandable. You’re fairly new to the MC lifestyle, aren’t you?”

“I came as a prospect two years ago.”

“Two years? I don’t get it. Has Deacon explained what it means to be part of a crew?”

Gomez crossed one ankle over his knee. “He might’ve mentioned it. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

Johnny frowned. The guy was setting him up. But if Gomez thought Johnny would step into the trap and openly criticize Deacon, the Dalton president and a Devils’ Spawn original… He was wasting his time. Johnny knew how to skip around the danger zone and respond with generalities.

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