Page 50 of Paladin's Hell

“Still say the timing’s a coincidence,” Taser snarls, sending me a dirty look. “Got a new member arrive who seems to have acquainted himself fuckin’ fast with our lack of security. Now he’s here, we have more trouble than we’ve had for a very long time.”

I raise my hands but have no chance to speak as Hellfire jumps in, snarling, “Only fuckin’ coincidence is that Paladin may have brought Tucson’s bad luck in his luggage. Drummer vouches for him. Might be new to us, but not to the prez of the motherfuckin’ mother chapter. I, for one, believe I can fuckin’ rely on his word.”

After a moment of silence following Hellfire’s vehement and welcome comments in defence of me, Sparky wonders aloud, “We tellin’ the cops about the other businesses?”

“Nah,” Hellfire tells him. “Couldn’t keep a citizen’s murder from them, but if someone’s coming for us, I want to handle it ourselves. I want us to find out who’s fuckin’ with the club. Once we know we’ll send a message that teaches people not to mess with us.”

They start having a discussion about who it could be. All I can do is listen and learn. It’s like being a new patch all over again, but at least in Tucson, even as a prospect I’d had some notion of who the local players were, long before I’d been invited to sit at the table. Here I’ve no idea, and don’t want to keep asking for explanations of names they’re throwing around.

As I keep my mouth closed and my ears open, I notice Taser’s not the only one who’s been giving me looks of suspicion. Maybe, as Hellfire suggested, they just think I’m a bad omen, bringing bad luck along with me.

It comes as no surprise they’re going to have more eyes on all the businesses. When tasks are assigned, I put up my hand to volunteer, but it’s telling when I have nothing given to me.

They don’t trust me.

Part of me wants to give up and go back to the brothers I know and love. Another part wants to earn the trust of these men, to show who I am and what I can do. Not that I’m free to leave in any event. I’m bound by my promise to Jayden.

I’m not in the best of moods when church comes to an end. An even worse one when I collect my phone to find a reply to my text.

Jay: Don’t bother. I’ve got a headache.

Fuck this shit. I’m stuck here with men who don’t trust me. The reason why, Jayden, is giving me the run around. Fine and headache are female speak for being pissed off. It’s not my fault, I’d have moved heaven and earth to see her, but I can’t put her in front of my club. Angry, I decide to have a drink and drown my sorrows now I’ve no reason to stay sober.

I’ve seen the way the club girls look at me. I’m fresh meat to them, the unknown. I’m not surprised when I walk into the clubroom that one of the scantily clad women comes over. Breezy, I think her name is.

“Hey, want to have some fun?” Her hand lands on my back, slides down to my ass, and moves blatantly around to my cock.

I snatch her hand away. “Nah,” I tell her. As her face falls, I soften my response. “Not tonight, babe.”

She huffs, but soon finds another victim. Or lucky guy, I suppose. As I watch what I’ve just turned down, Lizard now getting an enthusiastic blow job on one of the couches, part of me wonders why I had.

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