Page 12 of Sinful Deeds
Chapter 8
Chainz
Ileft Raven with Mercyto have her wounds patched up and headed down the hallway toward Church. I hate leaving her, but the club has shit to discuss, and the club comes first. I know Raven will be fine until I return. Mercy will take care of her because I told her to.
Cell phones are forbidden in Church, so I toss mine in the box at the door. It started out as a cardboard box, but now it’s bedazzled or some shit. Cat painted our club logo on the front, a skull with a red bandana, and decorated it with sparkling shit. I’ve thought about tossing it out with the trash but even beer guzzling, ball scratching, one percenters like us appreciate having something nice to look at. In a dark world, you seek the light anywhere you can get it. Cat and Mercy brought a little of that light into our world, but Raven is like the fucking sun. Her beauty could scorch the fucking earth, if it wasn’t for the storm cloud hanging over her.
I’m the first one to Church, so I take my seat at the head of the scarred wooden table and wait for the others. Running my calloused fingers across the names of the club members carved into the grain. The club lost brothers over the years, some turned Nomad, others killed. Their loss signified by an x mark through their name. The char marks tell the story of those that betrayed our club. I lean back in my chair and plant my boots on the edge of the table. The club will never be the same without Fuel, and I hope like hell I won’t have to remove his name from the table.
My mind drifts to Raven. There’s a lot she isn’t telling me, but from what she has told me, I can’t hold her responsible for this mess. The look in her eyes tells me she doesn’t agree. She’s feeling every bit responsible. I let out a heavy sigh. I need to focus on finding Fuel, not about fucking his girl.
The door swings open and the officers file in. Tank takes his seat to my right, Crusher to my left. Cobra and Freedom fill in the left of the table and Hound on the right, leaving Fuel’s seat between him and Tank empty. The other patched members Tornado, Hawk, Thrasher, Sphinx, Axel, Taz, Reaper and Gunner pile in on the sofa and armchairs surrounding us in no particular order. Only the officers sit at the table, but every brother gets a vote and if they have something to say, we listen. Church is sacred. It’s a safe place to discuss club business or anything else a brother might need to get off his chest. Sometimes that shit’s personal, but if we can help, we don’t hesitate. Sometimes they just sit and listen. Today’s going to be hard. Only the officers know what’s going on, breaking the news to the others that one of our own may be dead won’t be easy.
I set my face to stone. My brothers will see right through me if I don’t. They would see the urgency burning in my veins for Raven. It’s my right as club President to take her, if I want her. Fuel hasn’t claimed her or made any sign she was his property, but to do it behind his back feels like a betrayal.
I slam the gavel down onto the table, calling the meeting to order. The side conversations trickle down to silence as they all wait for me to begin. I draw a heavy breath. “Sometime last night, Fuel went missing.” The room erupts with tension. Growls and curses fly around the room. Some members shake their head in disbelief while others clench their fists ready to fight. “We all have questions, but right now we don’t have answers. What we know is Fuel was at the stash house. We found blood, his bike, and a witness. She knows who did this, but she’s in shock. She’s not talking.”
“Bring her to the bunker. I’ll make her talk.” Reaper growls. Several others chime in with agreement.
The thought of how they would make her talk causes the vein on my forehead to pulse and my jaw to tick with rage. I enjoy torturing the enemy as much as any of them, but Raven is not the enemy. “No one touches her.” The boom of my voice brings the room to a complete silence. “She will stay here until we sort this out. I want her protected at all costs.”
Tank leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers. He senses my struggle to remain level-headed. He knows me better than anyone. I can’t hide my feelings from him, even if I deny them to myself. “We get the message, Prez. Any of you fuckers get some crazy ass idea of your own to make her talk, it will be your ass that’s strung up in the bunker.”
“And I’ll see to your torture,” Cobra adds.
“What can we do to help?” Freedom asks.
“Crusher and Hound, see what you turn up at Raven’s place and bring back some of her things. She’s going to be awhile.”
Crusher scratches his head, “How do we find where she lives?”
I swear sometimes I wonder if he’s crushed too many beer cans with his head. “We own the Gryphon, remember? Get her payroll records from Chuck.” I pull Raven’s keys from my pocket and toss the set to Hound. “Use the door. She doesn’t need you busting shit up.”
“Cobra and Hawk, find out where we can get guns. The Demon Sons are foaming at the mouth over their lost delivery. And take Reaper with you.” I don’t want him anywhere near Raven.
“Thrasher and Axel, stake out the stash house. If this asshole comes back, find out where Fuel is before you kill him.”
“The rest of you stay here and guard the compound.” I bring the gavel down, adjourning the meeting.
