Page 28 of Born Into Trouble (Occupy Yourself)
“Ruby got taken.” Mason’s words were blunt. With a wince, Benny nodded, because he knew that much. “Man did it was Rabid.” He’d heard Andy talking about this, knew Rabid was Lucia’s father’s club nickname. He nodded again. “Luce don’t know it, can’t know it. I’m probably stupid as fuck to tell you this, but I wanna see if the man your brother loves is in there. Trusting you with this, so you better fuckin’ keep your lips zipped, but it was me. I killed him.”
This was stated so baldly, so matter-of-factly he couldn’t help his reaction. His eyes widened, and he muttered, “What thefuck?”
“I killed him. Popped a cap in his fuckin’ head. He put his hands on something he shouldn’t have even looked at, shoulda never taken his hands to.” Mason shook his head.Jesus. Leaning forward, Mason unfolded his arms, propping elbows to the tabletop, palms clasped in front of his face as he peered at Benny around those powerful hands, fingers adorned with silver rings. Covered in tattoos, he was the definition of biker and unbelievably imposing.Oh, hell yeah. I totally believe he shot a man. “Do it again.” Mason focused on Benny, their gazes locked together.And Luce doesn’t know. I can’t tell her. He’s trusting me with this.“Anybody fucks my brother over, I’d do it again.”
That didn’t make sense. Ruby wasn’t his brother, not even in the way these men used the word. “What?”
“Slate.”Oh, fuck. “My brother. Known him a longass time. Trust him more than nearly any living being on this earth. I’d do anything for him.” Mason leaned in, lips pressing against the side of his clasped hands as he paused a moment, then he sighed. “Even take out his own family’s trash if it’s needful. You gonna get this one warning, boy.”
Benny’s breath had frozen. His lungs seized in his chest as the weight of the threat crashed in on him. Mason would kill him for Andy.Kill me.
“One warning. All you’re gonna get, Benny boy. You fuck your brother over again, you’re fucking with my family, and I’ll tell you this: Blood might make you related, but loyalty makes you family. Right now, you’re nothing to me but a bug running from dung heap to dung heap, spreading the touch of shit along the way. You work at it? Put your mind to it? You might become something to me.” He leaned in deeper and Benny felt himself pressing into the bench cushions at his back, trying to gain another inch of distance from this man. “You don’t work at it? Your brother won’t ever give up on you, but you’re rippin’ him up with small doses of your shit, plain as if you killed him outright. I won’t tolerate it.”
Mason leaned back, and Benny began to feel as if he could breathe again, so he tried, but his intake of air was as jittery as a meth addict’s fingers holding a pipe. In and in, seeming never to end, his chest expanding with the release of pressure and he wondered if his muscles would be able to support him, if he could even move. Mason’s next words froze his breath again, threatening mode still fully engaged. “You fuck over our girl, I’ll own your ass in a different way. She’s had enough shit in her life, too. Don’t need you shoveling any on top of her own family’s more than ample contributions.”
“I never meant to…” His voice trailed off as Mason’s expression sharpened, focusing back on him so attentively he felt like a rabbit with a hound arrowing straight at him.
“Intent matters, but only if you’re honest about it. Meaning doesn’t count when you know full well it’s the doing that fucks people over.” Mason shook his head. “Slate won’t tell you this. He loves you and wouldn’t want to lay the burden on you of what mighta happened, but you need to know, so I will. Your brother leveraged himself for you. Him against all those fuckers you owed. Nearly a war, and if it had gone one single fucking inch to one side or the other, it would have been war. I’d have been required to bring the entire weight of the club in behind him, having his back when it counted. Because family watches out for family. All so he could clean up your drunken-assed shit.”
Mason gestured to the backs of the men standing silently, and Benny knew they were close enough to hear every word of his humiliation. That didn’t hurt as much as knowing Lucia had seen him drunk and vomiting into a bowl while she held it. But it still burned.
He shook his head and focused back on Mason, who was eyeing him curiously. Once Mason knew Benny was listening, he spoke again, “Your brother loves your ass, man. Loves you. Loves the club, but he loves you, too. He would have hated it, but he still would have pulled the club in with him. Half the men standing here would be dead right now if we did that. Would have been a war like no one’s ever seen.” Leaning back towards the table, Mason rested a hand between them, finger tapping the top of the table in an insistent way. Thudding like a heartbeat, racing faster and faster. “Men with families. Wives. Lovers. Kids. Hell, brothers. Dead because of you.” Benny felt sick, thinking about DeeDee’s face this morning, knowing she’d already lost so much, thinking,What if Jase had been one of the fallen?
“I see that’s sinking in.” The weight of Mason’s stare didn’t lessen. “See a lot of what I said sinking in. You let it get in there deep where you can’t ever question the rightness. Because I ain’t foolin’ with you, boy. You fuck up, fuck Slate over, you’ll be history in a way he can’t set right. Slate’ll hate it, but in his gut, he’ll know I did him right. Might hateme, but that’s something I can live with, knowing I done my brother right.” They stared at each other for a long time, the noise of the bar muted, seeming to not exist beyond the patched circle of men’s backs, men who might have died because of him. “We’re done here.”
With a sigh, Mason shifted and stood, looking down at Benny for a long minute. His expression lightened, and he said something so ludicrous Benny’s brain arrested for a moment. “Get the tenderloin. It’s good.”
Bitter laughter burst from Benny and the corners of Mason’s mouth tipped up, but his eyes stayed cold, evaluating. “Advice is free, boy. So’s the sandwich. On the house. It’s all on the house tonight.” A pause. “My treat.” Mason’s finger tapped on the table, echoing the rhythm from before. A reminder. “Take it or leave it.” Benny knew Mason was talking about so much more than the choice of entrees, and he didn’t mistake the look that sliced through him before the man turned on his heel and walked away.
With a scuffle of boot soles, the men retreated to the tables they had previously occupied, and Benny watched as they sat back down with friends and family. Groups of men all around the room, as Mason had said, dining out with wives and children, brothers and sisters, even what looked like parents or grandparents sitting with one man. Benny watched as he leaned in, kissing the older woman softly on the cheek, her eyes lighting as her cheeks lifted in a smile.
Lucia hurried up, gaze locked on his face and he stared as she slid into the seat opposite him. Same seat same position, but her presence not carrying nearly the fear factor Mason’s had. Luce’s presence pushed him past the threat, and reminded him of something Mason said.He trusted me enough to tell me his secret about her dad. He thinks I can do this, stay sober, stay straight. He wouldn’t have warned me if he didn’t think I could do this. Mason strikes me as someone who’d act instead of talking, so maybe he wants me to succeed. For Andy. For Luce. For me. “You okay?” She smiled, the expression strained, and he was glad when it quickly faded. “Mason’smuyintense.”
“Yeah, he is. But I’m okay. He’s got some good points, savvy advice. And recommendations.” Carefully replacing the menu between the wall and napkin holder, he said, “I’m gonna have the tenderloin.”
“Good choice.” She grinned, slotting her menu alongside his, reaching out to slip her fingers under his and he accepted the offer, curling his hand around hers and holding tight. “I’ll join you.”
