Page 152 of Salvation

But Rachel was the master at that. She had this unique ability to make me doubt everything about myself and overthink myself into an early fucking grave.

“Dante?” Ant cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to the room. I silenced my phone and put it face down on the table.

“Sorry. What were you saying?”

“I was just going over the plans for Shark and Vienna’s coming home party. Do we have a date yet?” Riley asked.

“Not yet.”

“Imogen wants to start making shit. Balloons or some crap like that.”

“Vienna isn’t breathing great, and Shark still looks like a murder victim. I’d be damned if I knew when they were coming home, but it doesn’t look like it will be soon. Those nurses tell me fuck all,” I shrugged. “Tell the ladies to make their shit. It’ll have to be stored until they’re ready to come home. Other than that, I got nothing.”

“Did Vienna fight the infection?” Pivot asked.

“I think so. Hacksaw, you were there yesterday. How was Vienna doing?”

Hacksaw simply shrugged. “Didn’t ask him.”

“Well, that was short and to the point,” I frowned. What the fuck was happening with my club lately? The last Church meeting, Vienna had been sullen and withdrawn, and now Hacksaw was taking over the role. They were worse than kids sometimes.

“He’s been like this for days now,” Chris muttered, sparking a cigarette and offering the packet to the table. I took one, shielding the cancer stick as I lit it and then took a heavy draw.

It might kill me, but not before this fucking club did.

“How’s Bambi doing?” Monster asked. “Has he settled in?”

“Don’t you even speak to me,” I snapped at him.

“Me?” He asked, grabbing his chest with both hands. “What did I do?”

“Not you. Snow White. Did you know she had printed off tiny little club patches?”

“No.”

“Did you know she had stuck said patches to a bunch of plastic pigs and set up a scene of the clubhouse?”

“Also no,” he said, squirming in his seat.

“Some people recreate the scene of baby Jesus in the manger. But no, not your old lady. She’s made it her personal goal to piss me off. Look at this shit,” I snapped, pulling out my phone and showing them the picture.

“Hey, I think that’s me!” Doc grinned, pointing at the pig holding a medical bag.

“That’s me right there!” Ant said proudly, zooming in on the pig at the mini pool table.

“Oi, oi!” I snatched my phone back. “You’re not supposed to be impressed!”

“It is pretty creative. We should put that behind the bar.”

“Where?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “It’s already filled with the other fucking animals she’s super glued down! The woman is a menace!”

My phone rang at that moment, and once I saw it was Vienna, I answered and put him on speaker.

“Brothers,” he boomed. “I know you’ve missed me. Pivot, I bet you’ve not been able to so much as jerk your dick you’ve missed me that much.”

“I, err… I don’t think of you when I jerk my dick,” he muttered, his eyes scanning the room nervously.

“Excuse me?” Vienna said, sounding affronted. “Are you saying there’s something wrong with me? I’d make a fine lover. I’m very gentle.”

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