Page 3 of Property of Riptide
“You may know more than you realize, Zoe. A little probing may help you remember things that you tucked away into the back of your mind,” I say, keeping my volume low and tender so she doesn’t go back into her shell of protection. She reminds me of a turtle sometimes, the way she’ll close in on herself.
Letti comes strolling into the room from where she’s been standing in the mouth of the hallway observing, and clicks her tongue, stating, “She told y’all it is her mom, what else is she supposed to say that you don’t already know? She hasn’t been in contact with the bitch for years. I mean, with a piece of shit like that for a mother, who’d wanna be?”
“Letti,” Icer says, but not in a scolding manner, seeing as his lips are peeled back in a smile. “This is why you’re my new best friend.”
Zoey gasps, looking thunderstruck. “I thoughtIwas your best friend, Icer.”
He ducks his head and I swear there’s a slight blush there, but when the guys start ribbing him about it and calling him out for it, he starts letting the fists fly, hitting anyone in his proximity. So any show of awkwardness on his part is gone quicker than it surfaced. Now, he appears to be ready to rumble and if it comes down to that, Indiana and Zoey will have to redecorate and then reconfigure the foundation of their house because walls will be missing—probably structural ones.
“Settle the fuck down!” Slayer roars, jumping into the fray and knocking some heads together. “This is a goddamn meeting not a boxing ring. Settle your asses down.”
Hanging my head because we can’t conduct business this way, I take several deep breaths before calling out names as I point at the door. I need the troublemakers out of here. I’ll catch them up later once the atmosphere isn’t so fucking tense I couldn’t chop my way out of it with a butcher knife. The men rumble as they head out, and when I cut my eyes to Icer, his face is blank but I know that there’s no getting him out of here. “This isn’t helping matters, Icer. You can’t just start laying into people when they embarrass you.”
“Says who?” he asks, crossing his arms across his chest.
“Says me!” I holler. “Remember me? The man who wears this on his chest,” I state with a hiss, my fingers latched onto my president patch. “I’m in charge, Icer. I get the last say on shit, that’s why this is stitched onto my cut.”
“So what? I’m just supposed to do as told like a little bitch?” he asks with a storm raging in his eyes.
“That’s exactly what it means,” I remind him.
“You’re not anyone’s bitch, Icer,” Letti says, walking over to where she’s stationed behind him, nestling up to his back while placing her hands on his hips. “You’re our big, bad, Viking warrior.”
“I’m my own person,” Icer says through gritted teeth.
“Nobody said you weren’t,” I contend. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t hold some sort of responsibility to the Kings. All in means exactly that. In for a penny, in for a pound. For fuck’ssake, Icer, do you think I like bowing down to anyone? Because I’m here to tell you, I don’t. But with all jobs, there’salwaysa man in charge and higher up on the totem pole. For you, that man is me.”
He shows me his teeth and I round the coffee table and go chest to chest with him. Yes, it could mean the end of my life, but I can’t let him think he’s allowed to talk or treat me this way. I would lose all the respect I’ve earned from my men and I didn’t shovel shit for years to lay down and let him take a piss all over me. “Wanna hit me too, Icer?”
“No, he doesn’t. He absolutely doesn’t,” Letti, the brave woman answers as she places herself between us and wraps her hands around his neck, drawing him down to her. “Remember when we talked about boundaries?” He doesn’t verbally answer her outside of releasing a grunt, but she doesn’t let that deter her from speaking her mind. “This is one of those times that you need to take a step back, count to ten, and breathe through your anger.”
“I don’t like it when people act like my dad,” he murmurs, rage still pouring from his eyes.
“Icer,” Elodie calls his name from the other room. “How much longer?” she whines. “I have our popcorn and movie ready.” His entire demeanor changes when he hears her voice. He nods his head at me, the only apology I’ll get from him, squeezes Letti’s hands, and turns his back on us as he walks away.
“She’s like a balm,” I mutter. “Letti, never… ever, do that again.”
“What?” she asks, using her innocent act on me.
“You know what,” I scold her. “You could get hurt and he’d never forgive himself for it.”
“He won’t hurt me. I’m safe, you however, are not. I did you a favor, you could say thank you instead of getting onto me,” she suggests.
“Not happening, woman. This is why females aren’t supposed to get involved in club shit. It’s my fault for having this meeting with y’all around. It won’t be happening again, I can promise you that.” Turning around, I look at Zoey and ask, “What can you tell me about your mom?”
“Nothing and everything. They always kept me out of the loop, especially after I got pregnant with Elodie. But I did hear them talking when they were behind closed doors about the Onyx Dragons. It’s how I figured out they were involved with them and it’s the main reason I skedaddled as fast as I did. My parents… they’re evil, Riptide. They don’t have a good bone in their bodies. I don’t remember much, but what I do all revolves around the church and the town’s senate.”
“I’d like you to do something for me, Zoey,” I say.
“What’s that?” she inquires, looking ashamed. Only this isn’t her shame and we need to remind her of that as often as we can.
“Start a notebook. Jot down anything that comes to mind. No matter how simple or inconsequential you think it is. Friends names. Addresses of places they went that you can recall. Parties they’re involved with, those types of things. Do you think you could do that for me?”
“Yeah, I can do that,” she confirms, her pronunciation still wobbly.
“Thank you, Zoe. You guys get some rest, I’m going to go make a few calls.” I give Zoey a smile before turning a leering look toward Letti. That woman has balls of steel because she doesn’teven flinch. Instead, she squares her shoulders and keeps eye contact with me. I shake my head and sigh. “You can’t save him all by yourself, Letti.”
“Watch me,” she snaps, waggling her finger through the air, “I won’t give up on him because it’s the easier thing to do. He’s worth the work.”
