“Jocko will meet us at Atteo’s,” Macsen states and polishes off his beer.

The door swings open and we all turn to see Nell step inside the clubhouse.

“Fuck,” I grumble.

The woman turned fifty today. I know because Bodie told me this morning he needed to get a birthday present for his old lady. The asshole spent the night here, and by the way he shoved his limp dick into the sweetbutt’s mouth earlier he wasn’t going home any time soon.

“Where is he?” Nell snarls.

Lenz slams his laptop shut and shoves it in his bag. “No clue.”

Macsen shrugs while Mercer does his best to look busy. Dammit. This is why I’ll never tie a woman to me. Not due to infidelity ’cause a relationship is about commitment, loyalty, and respect. Just like the brotherhood, and if you don’t want it? Don’t fucking get into one. The real reason roots in the fucked-up relationships around me.

The way Nell stepped inside just now? Screaming for her man? It’s what my mother did when she was sick and tired of waiting for my father to get his stupid ass home. Bodie is in a bedroom fucking some cunt while my father had his cock down a sweetbutt’s throat when my mother stepped inside the clubhouse. Great reminder of my failure of a fucked-up father.

My mother, unlike Nell here, pulled a gun on my father, he did too and instantly pulled the trigger. I was sixteen years old and witnessed that shit, just like my twelve-year-old brother who was holding her hand at the time.

Then I had to help take care of my brother who walked straight through a glass door in a fucking panic. I stitched up his wounds and had to clean up the blood in the main room of the clubhouse while my father and a few of the brothers disposed of her body.

“Bodie,” I rumble loud enough. “Nell is here.”

She narrows her eyes and takes a step in the direction of the hallway.

“Don’t do it,” I tell her in a harsh voice.

“He’s fucking some whore, isn’t he?” Nell snarls and tries to make a run for it.

I manage to block the hallway and bellow, “Bodie, get the fuck down here right fucking now.”

There’s stumbling coming from behind me and I glance over my shoulder to see Bodie, pants on his knees, red lipstick covering his limp dick as he comes our way.

“We’re over, Bodie,” Nell screams right next to my ear.

I release a curse, and add another one when Bodie bumps against my back to snarl, “Get the fuck out of the clubhouse, bitch. Go home and wait for me. I’ll be there when I damn well want to be.”

“Don’t bother, asshole. We’re done. I’m going to throw your things out on the street and piss on them, you cheating manwhore.”

Motherfucker. I’m wedged in between those two idiots, and I wonder why I even care enough to intervene. Hell, they are double my age and should damn well act like it. I throw my elbow back and hit Bodie in the ribs. At the same time Macsen grabs Nell by the waist and creates distance.

“Cool the fuck off,” Lenz growls. “Both of you.”

I whirl around and snarl, “Get dressed, Bodie, and take your old lady home. It’s her damn birthday, asshole.”

I can see in the idiot’s glazy eyes he only now remembers what damn day it is.

Bending down, he jerks up his pants and grumbles, “I fell asleep. Let me grab your present and we’ll go home.”

“You bought me a present?” Nell practically swoons.

“Got something better, babe.” Bodie shoots her a grin, showing all his yellow chewing stones. “I got a nice fat roll for you.”

Money. Instead of getting his woman something personal, he just gives her cash.

“You know me so well.” Nell grins.

No surprise, she’s suddenly all smiles. Like I said, relationships around me are toxic. Done with these two, I step away and shake my head. Without a word I stomp right out of the damn clubhouse. Straddling my bike, I fire it up as I see my brothers coming my way. I wait for them before guiding the bike to the road as we head for our meeting.

From the corner of my eye, I notice the lights burning in the house located next to the clubhouse property. Slowing down, I try to get a glimpse of our new neighbor. My eyes widen when I do, and it’s not because it’s a woman, it’s due to the blood red liquid hitting the windows as she swings her arms through the air.