Page 31 of Undone

CHAPTER FOUR

Gobsmacked

Four weeks later…

“YOU RIDIN’ UP TO SPRINGDALE AGAIN?”

“I am.”

“I don’t like it, brotha. You’re too exposed. You need to take a man with ya’.”

I ignored Will as I tucked my Glock into the holster under my cut. “I ride alone. Rog has Mac and Federico up north with him.”

“There’s a lot of road between here and there. Besides, you need to pick a VP. Shit is brewin’ down at the border and our brothers from Southern Cali need more men to help out. You can’t keep puttin’ off club business for pussy.”

I turned and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, lifting him three inches off the ground. “Don’t ever refer to my woman as “pussy.” She’s gonna be my wife—my old lady—someday.”

He shook his head as I lowered him to the ground. “Then wrap it up. Put a damn ring on her and bring her here. You can’t keep courting this girl by riding hours alone; exposed in either direction.”

“I like the solitude. It gives me time to think. She acts tough but she’s a skittish one. We’ve only been seeing each other for about a month. She doesn’t trust that what we’re building is the end game for us both.”

“Fuck that shit. Back in the old days we took what we wanted. Women, money, drugs, cars—you name it. It was ours.”

“Yeah. That was before electronic surveillance and the digital age. What did you use, pagers?”

“Yup. Those were the days… when you could get away with everything… and we did.” He shook his head, inhaling his cigarette. In his eyes, I saw the longing for the old days he spoke of.

“Why didn’t you ever take an old lady, Will?”

“I never met a woman who made me want that. But now that I’ve met your momma…”

“Fuck no!” I charged forward, ready to grab him again.

“She’s a hot piece. My own age, too. I chased that preppy, old bastard outta her house the other day.”

“You’re still going over there? I only wanted you to check on her when I’m outta town.”

“You’re never here. The men are noticing. Claim your woman and get your head screwed on right, brotha. Besides, your momma is a damn fine cook.”

Jesus. I shook my head. But he was right. My head and heart have been north. I need to go retrieve them both before I fuck-up the Club because my head isn’t in the game.

“Did the last shipment make it south of the border?”

“Yeah, we ran the parts through the tunnel, but the cars we need to ship on a barge. But getting containers passed customs is gonna be tough. Our man on the inside is gettin’ skittish. I offered him a bigger cut, but I don’t think it’ll be enough. His balls aren’t big enough.”

I frowned, my hands automatically reaching for the beard that’s no longer hanging off my face. I never realized how much I would miss the damn thing. I took quite a ribbing for my “pretty boy face” after Luce shaved me. I’ve been trying to grow my beard back ever since.

“I’m going to Springdale and bringing her back with me. Tell the men I’m calling them all to the table when I get back. I’m picking my VP and then we’ll handle shit at the docks. We need to move those cars. I don’t like keeping them in the warehouse longer than a week. If we get busted, that’s some serious time for us.”

“I know, brotha.”

“Duke is still in the dark about this?”

Duke would flip his shit if he knew the MC was back in the business of re-fitting stolen cars, chopping them up, and shipping the south for a profit. When I became Prez, I moved our clubhouse from Sacramento to Oakland. The move made sense. We were closer to Springdale, but more importantly—to the huge shipping containers where we could send and receive “hot” merchandise under the noses of the feds. Duke would flip his shit. But taxes in California are high and my men… most either grew up on the streets or came home from wars they didn’t even understand anymore. They needed cash for homes, health care, and a good life. I’m providing all of that.

“He is. He’s out anyway.”

“Good. He has a wife now. I heard she’s expecting.”

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