Page 12 of Bear

CHAPTER FIVE

Bear

“Alright, alright. Quitfuckin’ yapping and let’s get down to business.” Chaos bangs his fist on the table and all conversation quickly dies down. I glance at the Uprising prez. He’s a good president, and though I’m not patched to this chapter, it’s easy to see why the brothers follow him. This group is like a tight-knit family. My old club wasn’t like that. My old club was chaos, but this one is sailing on smooth fucking waters when compared to the Tennessee chapter. Even with all that bullshit with the rival MC, the Twisted Snakes, coming to town and shooting the place up, Chaos and the rest of the Uprising Kings took out the fucking trash without so much as breaking a sweat.

“We got a tip that there’s another club in our backyard, boys. Calling themselves the Bayou Bastards MC.”

Disgruntled murmurs travel through the room. If there’s one thing you don’t do as a one percenter, it’s show up unannounced and uninvited in another club’s territory, but it seems we’re having to educate a lot of fuckers lately on basic MC etiquette.

“Word is they came out from Louisiana to fuck shit up,” Chaos continues. “I got a call from Bear’s former president, Anvil, this morning. He told me these fools had been up in Nashville and had a run-in with some members of the Tennessee chapter. Said he saw ’em cross into Georgia and to be on the lookout.”

“And what are we supposed to do if we find them in our backyard?” I ask. I’m not a patched member of the Uprising charter, but Chaos has made it clear I have a seat at their table as long as I’m in town, and I’m not about to let my brothers face these assholes alone.

“We show them some Southern hospitality and kick their asses the whole way home,” Sterling says. Ruin grins.

Chaos studies them both. “You do nothing. You don’t engage, but you report back to the club.”

“Why are we fucking around with this?” Ruin asks. “These assholes came into our territory. They need to be taught a lesson.”

“It ain’t that easy, kid.” Bash folds his arms and sits back in his seat. “So far, we got nothin’ on this club. We don’t know how big their numbers are. We go into this blind, tearin’ shit up, shootin’ first and asking questions later, they’re gonna retaliate.”

“Then let them. We’ll be ready.” Sterling glances at his father. Bash holds his gaze and it’s not hard to see where this kid got his stubbornness.

“For now, we watch.” Chaos points to our three newest patches. “That’s an order. You get that?”

Everyone nods, and Sterling and Ruin let out a gruff, “Got it, Prez.”

“I do want eyes on them,” Chaos says. “Bear, where’s your bike at? I didn’t see it outside.”

I graze my teeth over the bitemarks Tink left in my lip and groan. “In the shop.”

“What the fuck?” Ruin side-eyes me from across the table. “Jupiter’s never taken that long with our rides in the past.”

“I guess none of us have ever pissed her off quite like Bear has.” Sterling claps his hand on my shoulder. “Looks like you met your match, brother.”

Chaos grits his teeth. “How long before it’s ready?”

“I’m workin’ on it.”

“Well, this shit can’t wait. So while your stubborn little girlfriend is playing games, you’ll have to drive the van. Take Crow with you. I want the two of you scouring every inch of this town.”

I nod. “Understood.”

“Got it, Prez.” Crow stands behind his sponsor, North. Prospects aren’t patched. They don’t get a seat at the table, and they’re not supposed to open their big mouths during church. You stand, you watch, you listen, and you shut the hell up. The kid’s a little eager, but Chaos and North don’t correct him for it, so it’s not my place to.

I lock eyes with Crow. He gives an infinitesimal nod and seems to melt back into the wall. He’s good at following orders, so he’ll do alright. In my club, I spend as little time as possible with the prospects—because they’re arrogant little fucks who think their shit don’t stink—but that hasn’t been my experience here. I don’t actually want to kill Crow, which should make this bearable. As long as he can keep Jupiter fucking Jones’s name out of his mouth, it’ll be easy as pie.

“Sterling, Ruin, you’re with me and Bash. Saint, Sly should have you covered. Everyone else has their own shit to take care of. Prospect.” Chaos points to Mako, though Sterling, Saint, and Ruin all sit at attention. I guess being a fully patched member hasn’t really sunk in for any of them yet. “You’ll be shadowing Bouncer.”

“Alright, Prez. I’m there. Whatever you need.”

Chaos bangs the gavel, and we all stand, the patched members moving out of the room first while the two remaining prospects wait their fucking turn. I head out to the lounge. Club sluts sit around in their skimpy little outfits, eager to get the party started. They’re all sorely disappointed when Chaos tells them to get the fuck out.

“Hey, Bear,” Asia says with a little wave.

I arch a brow as I pass, but I don’t engage. That bitch is fucking thirsty for a patched brother, and I don’t fuck cling-ons, much less want to keep them around.

“I’m telling ya, brother. She is hard up for your dick,” Crow caws as he catches up to me.

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