Page 12 of Pound

“I don’t believe that to be the case, but yes, even then. You can try to predict someone else’s actions, but you have no control over them. Lea attacked you while driving. Don’t you think the responsibility is hers? She knew the possible consequences of her actions.” Priest’s words made sense.

“But she’s dead.”

“What, and dead people are all saints?” The question posed by Taps was shocking, to say the least. “If that’s the case, my old man must be sitting at the gates with Saint Peter, enjoying his afterlife.”

No fucking way was his old man in heaven. That fucker was rotting in the worst corner of hell. If he wasn’t, there was zero justice in the world or the afterworld.

“Point taken.” What he wasn’t about to share with anyone, not even Granite, were the things she said while she was bleeding in the crumpled car. If they were true, she had reason to be the way she was, and Leone Moreno was that reason.

He wanted to gut Leone Moreno with a rusty knife. That’s when it hit him. Pound sprang up from the couch, heading for the door once again. This time with purpose. “If that fucker has her… we have to get her away from that sick prick.” His eyes found Trip’s.

“Brother, we can’t… now.”

His desperation was confusing to everyone, even Granite. Hell, himself included. Leanna could’ve been lying, but to what end? Why would she lie about something like that, especially when she was in such a situation? No. It all added up. And the sum was getting Meri the fuck away from that disgusting excuse for a man.

He hoped Trip read the plea in his eyes because he couldn’t speak those words. He just couldn’t. He’d already opened up his very soul, it was impossible to go deeper, but they needed to have a sense of urgency.

Trip’s hand landed on his shoulder, and he gave a slight squeeze. It was mending, a start anyway. “We’ll get her back. She’s tough and smart. Even if this dickbag has her, we’ll bring her home and you’ll end him, brother.”

Pound’s shocked gaze turned toward Trip. “But it’s your sister. You have first-blood rights.”

“Yeah, but your debt precedes mine. Besides, if Meri’s stupid enough to accept your claim, that trumps mine too. Until she denies it, the president and club have recognized it.”

It wasn’t joy on his part, but Trip was accepting it, so maybe he should too. It was shocking how much Trip had grown since Pound brought him in.

Joseph Matthew Blackwell, Pound, vice president of the Desert Phantoms Nevada, did something he’d never done as genuinely as that moment.

He wrapped his arms around another man and poured some of himself into the embrace. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Trip didn’t speak, just returned his embrace and pulled back. But that was acknowledgment enough.

“We leave in an hour. You good to ride?”

The question was posed to a few of the brothers, but eyes turned to him. Between the alcohol and emotions, he should’ve been a wreck, but he was pretty fucking sober. Go figure.

They would head to the Iron Travelers clubhouse in Reno. Morningstar offered it up as their base of operations until they could bring Meri home. The president of the Iron Travelers was out for blood too, one of his guys was killed and another, Buddy, was hurt pretty bad when Meri was taken. Some internal bleeding or some shit. But he deferred to the Phantoms drawing first blood. And Trip had granted that to him if it was Leone who’d taken her.

Most of the Phantoms were lingering around the picnic tables while Priest was ready to bless their ride the way he did each time they set out. Priest would stay back and watch over things in Vegas. Blast and Davis would bring a cage, and the rest of the brothers would head to Reno.

The twins appeared from around the back of the clubhouse followed closely by Trixie. “They wanted to say goodbye before you headed out.”

Crissy and James, both named for their uncle, ran to Trip and wrapped their arms around him. “Be careful, Uncle Trip.”

They had kept the information for the kids to a minimum, so all they knew was the club was headed to Reno to get their mother. Not that she was in danger or anything inappropriate for their age, but they were smarter than they should have been.

James broke away from Trip and approached Pound. “When you bring mom back, are we staying here with you?”

Pound looked to Trip for support or answers or, shit, he didn’t know what he was looking for. He didn’t want to give them, or himself, false hope, but he also didn’t want to deny what he felt anymore.

“Well, James, that’ll be up to your mother. I’d love it if you all stayed here with me.”

All the air left his body once he spoke the last syllable. The crushing weight of the thought of having an ol’ lady and ready-made family didn’t push down on him. Instead, it lifted him up.

“Would that be okay with the both of you? If I asked your mother to stay here… with me?”

Crissy unlatched herself from around Trip’s waist and attached herself to his. “Yes. That would be awesome. Can we get a pet pig?”

Pound was not prepared for that, at all, but it still made him smile.

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