Page 56 of Gypsy's Lady
Old enemies
Filled with static and sounding as if he were far away, a man’s voice came through the phone, “Next time, let a brother know before you get the cops involved.” That was Estavez, Mela’s father, leader of one of the largest outlaw MCs in Mexico. Gypsy grimaced and glanced at Mason before focusing on the man at the head of the table, Blue Line.
They wereback in the Malcontents’ temporary clubhouse. It had been used as overflow housing and wasset upfor this purpose with the family room converted to a conference room. The twitch of Blue Line’s lips made Gypsy grin, and he angled his head down, pretending to study the table.
“Oh, sure. I’ll telegraph how my club couldn’t handle our own shit and called in the law. That’ll go over real well inthe region. Might as well open the fucking door and hold it, ushering any wannabe in while I’m at it. Fuck.”
Mason barked a laughandthey all heard a sigh through the phone.
“Mason,I didn’t know you were there.” Now Estavez sounded more annoyed. “You should have your wizard teach Blue Line’s man some tricks. I’ve gotten used to seeing the men with whom I’m speaking. Get some fucking videoequipment, Blue Line. I’m sure Myron would be happy to point youtothe proper items.”
Myron laughedandEstavezsighed again.
“Wanna guess who else is in the room?” Blue Line’s lips spreadina mirthless grin. Gypsy darted his gaze down again, shocked at how the expression hit him. With what Norwood and his men had done to Belle, the man had been struggling. It had only been a day, yet Kelseysaid Belle was already coming back to herself, which meant Blue Line would also recover. She’d stroked a touch along Gypsy’s forearm when she spoke, the unconscious need to touch him still there.
“Just tell me, asshole.” Estavez’s words were clipped, and Gypsy decided to take pity on the man.
“Blue Line, Mason, Myron, me, Bear, Tugboat, and a couple of the Malcontents guys.” He shook his head.“Just a few of us here, man.”
“Gypsy, good to hear your voice, brother.” Hurley’s words were crisp andclear,and reminded them all the Las Cruces RWMC chapter had been patched in before the call connected with Estavez. “You’ve gotOpie and mehere.Spiderhad to step out, but he’ll be back in a minute.”
“Is that my future son-in-law? You yet live? That is…unfortunate.” Estavez’s voice shookwith laughterandthe strong sound rippled through the rooms in three locations. “So, Blue Line, it seems you’ve assembled an interesting group of supporters. What is it you wish to tell me needs so much backing?”
“Bringing everyone up to speed on the status of San Diego. It’s my territory, but you all have aninvestmentin the area.” He took a breath and glanced around the room. “It’s mine.”He paused to let the statement sink in. “It is mine. In thepastI’ve told each of you I wanted to keep thingssmall,because that suited what I needed. But—” He stared at Gypsy for a moment, then looked at Mason. “—this bullshit with the Outriders cannot stand. I won’t put up with having garbage in my backyard, and if that means I need to clear the trash myself, I’ll do it.”
“What does thatmean, exactly?” Mason’s question came out in a rumble and Gypsy didn’t need to look at him to know his brows were drawn togetherina heavy scowl.
“Means I’m going to do my damnedest to control southern California.” Blue Line glared a challenge at Mason. “Also means there won’t bean RWMCchapterhere,unless they wearmysupport patch.”
Oh, fuck.
Silence shook the walls for a moment, and Gypsywondered if there’d been an earthquake he hadn’t noticed, and then Mason laughed. A chuckle, heavy and solid, and he turned to look at Mason, wondering if the man had lost his mind.
Still laughing quietly, Mason wiped under one eye with a fingertip. “Touched you think so much of me, man.” Blue Line wasn’t smiling, and Gypsy waited for the other shoe to drop. “I don’t need to control an area byhaving a chapter there, although I will admit it does make it a far sight easier.” Mason leaned forwards, flattening one hand on the table, a pose Gypsy had seen hundreds of times in the past, something he’d only just realized preceded an announcement of some kind. Something which rocked the world of the Rebels, most likely. “You want SoCal, earn it. Earn it, and then keep earning it every fuckingday, because that’s how you hold a territory. Not through words mouthed at a table, not through the actions of a single night, no, you earn it every fucking day you wrestle it into what you want it to be. What you see itcanbe. You prove yourself to yourselfandwe’ll see how we continue to work together, Blue Line. Earn the territory and prove you can hold it, and we’ll talk then.”
Blue Linewas silent, mouth pressed tight, lips a slash across his face. He shook his head, gaze pinned to Mason.
Mason pushed back from the table and leaned over to put his mouth closer to the phone. “I’m taking my men and walking out, Estavez. You andmehave a pact, and that pact holds, but I won’t be ejected from an entire fucking state by a man I just helped bail out of a tight spot.” He took a stepaway from the table,andGypsy realized Myron and Bear had stood, too, and were closing in on either side of Mason.
Gypsy stared across the table at Tugboat who shook his head sadly, blowing out a huff of air. He pushed away from the table, preparing to stand. Gypsy still hadn’t moved, frozen in place at the sudden realization he had to make a choice, and that choice, like each onebeforewouldhavelong-lastingconsequences. He shoved his chair back, the legs making an obscene scraping sound. Blue Line’s head jerked sidewaysandhe glared at Gypsy, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“I’ve helped you before,” Blue Line said and Gypsy’s muscles locked, frozen in a crouch over his chair. Without looking away from Gypsy, Blue Line spoke to Mason. “Never asked for recompense. Offered your menwelcome and sanctuary.”
“Almost got them blown up.” Mason’s counter came without heatandGypsy eased back into his chair, carefully, hoping for a different ending than one that looked inevitable only seconds ago.
“By a club founded by your kin.”
Shocked inhalations circled the table, while from the phone came a low laugh. “He’sgot you there, Mason.” Estavez sighed. “Fucking wish I hadvideofor this. I’m guessing you’ve gathered your menbythe doorway, ready to vacate, am I right?” No one answered him. “I’m right.” Estavez sighed again. “Sit down, Mason. We both need to listen to Blue Line, much as I hate to admit apolicíamight have an idea in his head, much less a good one. You know he’s not my favorite person.”
“You don’t like anyone,” Mason said. Unfolding his arms, he crossedback to his chair and sat. He leaned back, elbow comfortably cocked over the back of the chair. Whirling a finger in the air, he scoffed and said, “Okay. I’m listening.”
Blue Line glanced at Gypsy then Tugboat before he turned his head to stare directly at Mason. “What I’m saying is I’m done with clubs like the Outriders making life harder for all of us. You might have cut the head off the snake,but there’s still venom in that bite. I felt it this week with their actions. One of yours”—he gestured towards Gypsy—“felt it this week, because of your actions.” Mason made a dismissive sound and Blue Line shook his head. “You aligned yourself with a club down in Oz, and that came back to roost here. That tells me your brother’s club isn’t dead. Not if they have contacts and aspirations toexpand again. No way they could have known what was going on in Melbourne if they didn’t have a man there.”
Blue Line paused and Mason snapped, his Kentucky accent thick, “Go on. Go ahead on and tell me what else I got wrong.”
“Jesus, Mason. That’s not what this is about.” Blue Line shoved his fingers through his hair, raking it away from his face. “This is about us needing each other more thanever, man. Can’t you see?”
“He’s right.” Gypsy didn’t mean to speak, knew he didn’t have a place at this table that warranted his involvementatthis moment, but once he’d begun, he couldn’t stop the words. “We’re strong, Mason. RWMC is a force to be reckoned with, and we’re known all around the world as a top player. How many committees do we have a seat at worldwide? We’re standing alongsideother clubs in foreign government hearings, riding to support the banishment of restrictive laws in other countries, and we’ve got chapters on four of the six continents in the world.”
