Page 44 of Unveiled Wishes

“I think so.” Zook’s face showed his unhappiness at being questioned.

“How do you not know? Don’t answer that.” Count set the mug down on the table. “I talked to Prez about our legal situation, and we think we have something that will help sway her to stay. As long as you approve, it should be good.”

“What about me?” How spoke up. “She’s my sister.”

“Old Lady trumps sister. You know that,” I chimed in.

How slouched in his chair, folded his arms across his chest and shot daggers from his eyes at anyone who thought about saying anything.

“You’ve been holding out.” Count pointed at How, wagging his finger. “I knew your background, but I didn’t put it together. Emily is the lead counsel for Nelson’s. I had Cyph pull up their last couple of deals, since it’s all public record. She’s ruthless. I’m impressed.” He sat back in his chair and cracked his knuckles, laying them across his stomach.

“Why does this matter?” Zook got the conversation back on track.

“I spend a lot of money on legal fees to the fuckhead in town. Cyph and I actually figure out the strategy and get the paperwork together. All fuckhead does is stamp his signature and charge us his hourly rate. If Emily’s staying, Prez and I thought she might want the job. There’s no doubt she’s good at what she does. It’s also safer for us because she’ll be an Old Lady.”

“I have the paperwork ready to start her licensing. All she has to do is sign it.” Cyph grabbed his energy drink off the table and chugged it like it was a beer.

“Is this a full-time gig?” Zook asked.

Count raised his eyebrow at the question.

This was a good deal for her, and I didn’t understand why Zook was asking questions.

“If she wants to take over our legal, I won’t stand in the way. She’s mine, and I am not afraid anyone here is going to take her away from me. You all have your own issues.” He paused, rubbing his eyes for a minute before continuing. “Emily has always wanted to defend the people who don’t have a voice.”

“You remember that,” How said.

“Yeah,” Zook directed at How. “You know she doesn’t need the money, and I am in a better position to provide. I want her to do what makes her happy, and it’s not contracts.”

How shook his head, staring at Zook.

“I look at it this way: you know she’s going to be an undeniable force for the fuckheads in town, all the while killing them with a smile. If she establishes connections, it might also strengthen our relationship with the community. Let me speak to her first, and if she agrees, then we can figure out the next steps.” Zook sat back in his chair. “Hey, Count?”

“Yeah,” Count said behind his coffee mug.

“Will you help her if she does the charity thing?”

Count’s eyes rolled back into his head as the coffee hit his tongue, evaluating the options. “Actually, I can do that. If she’s doesn’t want the club’s support, I’ll still give her a hand to get going. However, we could be her silent partners and use the projects as tax shelters. I like this. It would give me more places to put the money.” He stroked the top of his spike, thinking. “Actually, that would work out better than planned.”

Zook nodded his head in agreement. “There’s one more thing.” This time, he turned towards me. “Can anyone build a house on club land, or does it need to be voted on?”

“Oh, now he’s thinking with his noggin,” someone said.

“Zook’s growing up,” someone else commented.

I was busy focusing on Zook. “What are you thinking?”

“If Emily stays, it would be alright to live in the clubhouse for a while, provided everyone agrees, but I don’t want to raise a family here. It’s not a conducive environment for that. If I buy her a house in town, it just seems far, and she’s going to want to be close to How.” He turned towards How with a chuckle. “I don’t see you moving out soon.”

“Nope, I am going to stay here forever.” How smiled widely, causing the rest of the room to laugh hysterically.

I hadn’t seen that coming. “I don’t know, Zook,” I said. “Personally, I see nothing wrong. However, Pretty is going to need to check the bylaws and the club history to make sure there wasn’t a previous vote. As long as there’s nothing stopping us, we’ll open it for discussion.”

“I got ya, big daddy.” Pretty wrote something down. The room went silent. “What?” he said, looking up from his notepad.

“I am going to need more bleach.” How closed his eyes and stuck his fingers in his ears.

“Is Em going to clear the vote?” Zook whispered.

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