Page 45 of Reconciling the Consequences

Kara let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and smiled easily as she let herself relax. It was nice to be around siblings who genuinely loved each other and had friendly banter. It made her miss her brother. Despite their last argument, he was still her big brother, and she still loved him.

She made a note to herself to call him when they got back home.

Johnnystalkedaroundtheoutside of the clubhouse, feeling uneasy. He didn’t like that Kara and Kevin had gone into the city alone last night without backup. He understood the why of it, but it still didn’t sit right with him. He knew Kevin could handle protecting her, and his brother Jack was good people, but Johnny still felt uneasy with her gone.

He missed her.

He didn’t get to talk to her before she went to sleep. Kevin called him and Derrick after she passed out to let them know that they would be spending the night at his brother’s place.

That was last night. Now it was going on early morning and the clubhouse was mostly quiet, but there were always those that didn’t sleep through the night. Johnny was one of them. Derrick too, apparently.

“What’s going on with you, man?” Derrick asked, falling into step with Johnny as he made his rounds around the perimeter of the compound. It was still dark, not yet four a.m., and Johnny kept to the shadows, not feeling up to company.

Devil wasn’t one to heed Johnny’s moods, though. He often stuck like glue whenever Johnny sank into darkness.

Johnny glanced at him and shook his head. “Something’s off.” He grumbled, not sure how to explain what he was feeling. It was a gut instinct that he didn’t understand himself, but he’d learned to trust it over the years.

Derrick’s green eyes missed nothing, though. “You miss her.” He smirked.

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Of course I miss her. I fucking love her. I want her home already.”

Derrick let out a bark of laughter, throwing his head back. “I never thought I’d see the day that you, Mayhem, would fall in love!”

Johnny rolled his eyes and his shoulders, uncomfortable. This is why he kept his mouth shut about shit, fucking loudmouths like Devil. “And you haven’t?” he shot back, raising an eyebrow at Derrick.

Devil grinned broadly, his sparkling white teeth shining in the dim lighting. “Oh absolutely, but I’m not afraid of love. I’m just waiting for her to get there herself.”

Johnny smiled, thinking of their girl. “I don’t think you’ll have to wait much longer, brother.”

Devil grinned wickedly. “Oh, trust me, I know she’s itching to say it. She’s been dancing around it for weeks. It’s become a game now to see how long I can keep her on the edge of her seat.”

Johnny chuckled and shook his head. Fucking Devil, always a jokester.

Commotion at the gate had Johnny whipping around to see what was going on. The sounds of flesh hitting flesh rang across the compound lot. “Fuck.” Johnny swore when he saw his guys crowded around a lone man on the ground.

He took off at a jog with Devil on his heels only to skid to a halt when he saw a Devil’s Psycho on the ground in the circle of Ravager Knights. The Knights were stomping the holy hell out of the Psycho.

Rage rolled over Johnny. “Enough,” he shouted to his men when it was clear the Psycho was unconscious. The Knights immediately fell back, and Johnny moved in, able to get a better look at the half dead man on the ground.

Johnny didn’t recognize him. “Who is he?”

“Not sure, but we caught him climbing boxes on the other side of the fence and looking over. Taking pictures by the looks of it,” Hotrod answered.

Bandit was looking through pictures on the phone. “We might be able to get something off this.” He waved the phone once.

Johnny nodded. “Do it.”

Bandit didn’t need to be told twice. He headed for the clubhouse, and Johnny saw Marlie meet him halfway. Johnny looked away when the couple briefly kissed, need panging in his chest as he realized Devil had been correct: he was missing Kara something fierce.

“He alive?” Johnny asked, nodding down at the unconscious piece of shit littering the pavement.

“Barely,” Mammoth answered, his voice a deep gravelly growl.

“Send him back to the Psychos,” Johnny ordered. “Staple a message to his fucking chest if you have to, but tell the fucking Devil’s Psychos if they send another spy, they’re asking for a fucking war.” Johnny’s anger rolled off him. His men nodded around him, not a word of dissent spoken. “Clear out the fucking fence line,” Johnny snapped. “Standing on fucking boxes, looking over? Fucking amateur bullshit,” he grumbled and walked away.

Devil followed him. “Dude, this is getting out of hand with the Psychos. Between this shit and the trade routes being disrupted…” He shook his head.

“I know we voted with all our charters to move the trade routes to avoid fucking conflict,” Devil growled, “but at this point they’re fucking asking for it, and we’re running with our tails tucked between our goddamned legs.”

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