Page 38 of Resurfaced Passion

“Holy crap, really?” Ellie exclaimed. “This is better than Days of our Lives! Tell me you’ll have a happily ever after with your sis in law? It’s kinda romantic.”

There was nothing romantic about death and betrayal.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“How many undeserving jerks do I need to run off?” - Reaper

It wasn’t the typical run of the mill meeting around their sacred church table behind the locked doors. If Reaper was one for emotional outbursts … like Snake or Arson, he would have declared it tense as fuck.

He sat in his usual seat with an olive-green skull cap pulled down over his ears, arms folded across his chest, relaxing back in the chair just listening to the voices raise their loud opinions.

The meeting was different because Rider was visibly edgy, his jaw ticking wildly. And the reason being because Mad-dog was sitting in for this one.

“It’s fuckin’ suicide, Mad-dog.” Rider spat out through his tightly clenched teeth, the intensity of his blue eyes matched the color of his father’s, but whereas Rider was pissed, it was Ajax the calmer.

Their dynamic was a strange one. Father and son and yet their lack of closeness was apparent whenever they were in the same room. They acted like enemies sometimes, especially the way they banged horns, but with any blood, it was hard to see them put themselves in danger and not do something to prevent it.

As the case may be now as they argued.

“It’s the only way.” Ajax stated.

“There’s literally a million other ways. I told you, I’m dealin’ with this.”

“He’s my fuckin’ brother, and he’s betrayed the whole family, not just you. This ismybrother.” Ajax threw down his fist and rattled the table, fury in his stare. Pain too.

“Listen to me, old man. You putting yourself in his path as his confident, pretendin’ you’ve turned on me, will only bring about your death. You know it, or you wouldn’t be fuckin’ pale underneath your tan. I ain’t having your blood on my hands. Rex is a piece of shit, he’s also proven he gives no fucks for family, and that most fuckin’ definitely includes you, dog. You think he’d go easy on you once he found out you’re squeezing him for info and bringing it back to me?”

It was Ajax again who slammed his hand on the table and looked like if he had the strength he would have flipped it over. He stood quickly and paced just a few steps, huffing and cursing about it being his duty.

In this case the old man was wrong, Reaper thought. The hierarchy started and ended with Rider.

Every eye around the table was on Mad-dog, watching and waiting for what he’d do next. No doubt about it, every member would side with Rider and that was probably why Ajax was so frustrated. He was coming at this problem from a father’s perspective when it needed to be all about the club first.

“I agree with Rider.” Hawk cut in; his pale eyes unreadable.

“Of course you do, you’re—”

“I’m what? His VP? Fucking A. His friend? Right again. Your son in law? We all know what you think about that, old man, but it changes nothing about Rider being right, you’d get yourself killed and what would Annie do then? What would it do to my Gia? This isn’t some simple family squabble, this isclub business, think rationally for fucking once.”

The air was taken out of Ajax’s sails and every man around the table, Reaper included, who was watching this conversation unfold, wondered if Ajax was about to throw a punch at his son in law.

Preacher caught Reaper’s eye and winked. Big dumb joker loved a show.

“Mad-dog, sit down, we haven’t finished discussing the details, you asked to sit in, and I allowed it.”

The prez had fucking spoken.

Ajax scowled, but sat.

“I’ll get a prospect to grab you a drink, what do you want?”

“I’m not a damn princess, Ambrosio.” The father hissed, scowling some more.

Rider lost all his patience. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Scotch. No rocks.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ. Arson, can you get one of the boys on it?”