Page 110 of Clint & Ivy

“My mom raised me to follow the rules,” Rock lied. “She’s not a woman to disappoint.”

Though Zodiac smiled at Rock’s bullshit, Exile remained irate as his gaze scanned the woodlands. Though the Black Rainbow VP could be putting on a convincing show, I sensed he really did think someone might be watching us through a scope.

“So, this here,” Zodiac told me as he had us step away from our VPs, “is a test run. The Void did it to our club a half dozen times in Baton Rouge before they were ready to hit us in a more personal way.”

“And how did they hit you personally?”

“Exile’s sister took a bullet to the back as she put groceries in her car. Real cowardly yet personal shit.”

“How’s your sister?” I asked Exile.

Still irritated, he only muttered, “Alive.”

I turned my focus to Zodiac. “Are you saying five more attacks are coming before someone shoots my sister?”

Zodiac lost his grin. “Don’t kid about your fine sister getting fucked up. I don’t have the heart for such things. Let’s hope it’ll be one of your cousins.”

Ignoring how quickly he was willing to throw the rest of my family in front of a gunman, I realized Zodiac might actually have a thing for Elle.

“I appreciate your insight,” I said and patted his shoulder. “You’re a wealth of info, man, but you told me this thing was personal for a member of the Void. He’s gunning for Little Memphis. So, what happened in Baton Rouge isn’t what’ll happen to us. Besides, it could just as easily be Tricky’s sister who gets shot. Joker ran Little Memphis for a long time. If someone has a grudge, wouldn’t Tricky be the bigger target?”

Zodiac didn’t respond immediately. My words seemed to hit him wrong. I suspected Zodiac wouldn’t lose a lick of sleep if Tricky and the LM Jokers went down in flames.

That made me wonder if he was behind this morning’s attack. He assumed it was directed at my people since a handful of my members grew up in Rawlins. Zodiac would be right to believe that if someone hit this town, I’d show up while Tricky wouldn’t.

Plus, I was suspicious about why Zodiac made an appearance today rather than sending a few of his guys.

“I’m not fully convinced this was an attack on the club,” I told Zodiac who shouldn’t yet know about the slick-suited fuckers in their blinged-out SUVs. “Rawlins has been rowdier since Boone got locked up. He and Goldie kept things chill here. Without them kicking asses in town, I figure someone took a personal beef up a notch.”

I studied Zodiac who glanced at the smoldering house. Exile followed his president’s gaze. I couldn’t tell what they were thinking. I suspected Zodiac figured I was being a moron.

“Since we have so many people out here, how about we spread out and look for clues?” I suggested. “If this was the Void, I’d assume they left a calling card to ensure we knew it was them.”

“What about the cops?” Exile asked when Zodiac only glanced back at my people getting aggressive with the LM Jokers.

“This isn’t their problem. Once we leave, they’ll call in the local press and dismiss the entire thing as a meth lab mishap. The deaths will be brushed off within a day. If anyone solves this thing, it’ll be us.”

Zodiac studied me with the shadowed eyes of a man who’d crossed enough red lines to no longer see them. Glancing at the yelling behind us, Zodiac muttered, “Your people are getting rowdy.”

“They don’t like the Baton Rouge rejects,” I replied and started walking.

As the sun warmed the ugly morning, I felt myself torn between Zodiac and Tricky. They both wanted me to prove my loyalty. Unfortunately for them, I didn’t trust either one, and I wasn’t proving shit.

“Rowdy!” I called out over the arguing between Sabrina and a new guy in the LM Jokers. “We’re fanning out with the Black Rainbow club to look for shit left behind by the killers. Get your people organized.”

Tricky finally stopped falling for Cher’s bullshit and hollered at me, “Wait, here, fucker! You can’t trust them not to hide whatever they find!”

“How do I know this wasn’t you?” I asked Tricky, getting in his face since the jackass was irritating me. “You sure got down here quick, didn’t you?”

“It’s them,” Tricky hissed back, now close enough for me to head butt.

“Prove it,” I replied and stared into his eyes. “If Joker was making accusations, he’d have something to back them up.”

Tricky backed off, sneering at me even as his insecurities came to the surface. My friend lived in the shadow of his father in a way I never did with Ford. My dad laid out the facts when I was young.

“You’re too soft to be me. All your mom’s loving will keep you from becoming a monster,” Ford said while we were at the batting cages. “So, if you can’t be me, be someone better.”

His words left me unburdened by the issues currently plaguing Tricky. Jagger suffered from the same problem. Rather than succeed on their own terms, they forced themselves to become pale imitations of better men.

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