Page 27 of Devil's Dilemma

He nods. None of us would. Apart from the normal rights and wrongs of it, the man would lose his patch and receive a beatdown too. Particularly in this club. Man doesn’t go near a woman who’s claimed. Hellfire’s father, Blackie, had put his hands on Hellfire’s woman and was dispatched to Satan for it.

“Hey, speak of the devil…” Beef nudges my arm.

I swing around to see which one he’s referring to, then offer a smile of welcome. “Hey, Mel. Don’t normally see you here during the week. You gonna cook for us? Skull with you?” It’s unusual, but not uncommon for her to be here on her own.

She walks toward us, and it’s then I notice the worried expression on her face. She nods toward the VP. “Beef, I was hoping to speak to you or to the prez.”

“Yeah? Well I’m here. What can I do for you, sweetheart?”

She flicks her eyes toward me, then back to the VP, then, adorably bites her lip.

“Want to speak in private?” Beef offers.

She shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. Look, I know about club business, alright? I know you won’t tell me what he’s doing, I just, I just want to know if Skull’s okay? He’s been gone since Sunday morning, and normally he’d contact me, but I haven’t heard anything from him. Can you just tell me if he’s alright, and when he’ll be back from whatever he’s doing?”

My brow creases as I look at Beef. I can almost see the wheels working in his head too. Fact is, I haven’t seen Skull around. Not that that’s unusual during the week, as nights he spends with Mel, and days he’s working with Cad and Pal. But then he does normally come into the clubhouse a time or two.

“You had an argument, Mel?”

Her eyes sharpen. “He’shere?”

“Answer the question, sweetheart.”

“No, Beef.” She looks suspicious. “Look, if he’s here, it looks like we’ve got some talking to do. I’ll go to his room.”

“Yeah,” Beef says, his gaze finding mine. “Go see if he’s there.”

We watch until she’s halfway up the stairs, then I say out of the side of my mouth. “She’s not going to find him, is she?”

“Nope.” Beef pulls out his phone. He taps on a number and holds the device up to his ear. After a moment he shakes his head. “No reply.” He then selects a different contact. “Pal, is Skull with you?” I watch his face. It darkens. “And you didn’t think that was odd? Yeah, okay. I got you.”

“Well?” I question when he ends the call.

“Hasn’t seen Skull all week. Apparently, that’s not unusual. If they hadn’t got a job on, he works at the shop, so Pal thought he was with you.”

“Nope,” I repeat the word Beef had used. “He’s not been at the shop. Think we might have problems?”

“If he doesn’t turn up at church tonight, yes.”

I press my lips together. “Not happy waiting to find out. Need to know what she knows. Might be nothing at all…”

“Or we might have a brother in the wind,” Beef finishes for me. “When I tried his number, I just got the message the call couldn’t be taken. No option to leave a voicemail.”

Melissa chooses that moment to walk back down the stairs, a dejected look on her face. “He’s not there,” she tells us, unnecessarily.

“Mel,” Beef says, patiently. “Tell us what happened, and where he said he was going.”

He’s said nothing at all, but far too much. Mel is not stupid. “You don’t know where he is, do you?” She looks completely aghast.

Beef’s calm, patient. “Not right now, no,” he admits. “Tell us what he said, and when he left.”

“It was Sunday morning. He said he had some shit to do, club business. Not to worry if he didn’t come back that night. But it’s Wednesday now. Since he made me his old lady, he’s never stayed away for the night, except… But, anyway. Is this how it’s supposed to work?” Her face tightens. “If you know anything Beef, please, tell me.”

The VP stays in inquisition mode instead. “Did you have an argument, Mel? A falling out?”

“No, not since… Well, after your patching in party, Beef, the week before last, he’d stayed out all night, but we made up. Things have been going great since then. But now I need him, I need to speak to him. I can’t contact him; I don’t know what to do.”

“Hey, hon. It will be alright. Perhaps your argument’s been playing on his mind and he’s taken off to clear his head. He’ll be back. Probably walk in the door any minute.” Over the top of her head, my eyes meet Beef’s. We both know I’m giving her assurances I can’t make.

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