Page 6 of Filthy Savage
“Axe, are you coming or what?” Tate asks from his seat closest to the meeting room door. Everyone but Cole and Dean is inside. “The Prez has been pacing around like a caged predator.”
“You look just as impatient as Si is,” I answer.
“I’ve got shit to do, fucker.” The proud papa has been wound tight since his old lady, Molly, had their baby a few months ago.
I roll my eyes and step into the meeting room. “I’m here, ain’t I? Got held up in traffic. Why are we all meeting again, and who else are we waiting for? Cole?”
Sabrina shakes her head and explains that she has clients to deal with. She quickly rises from her chair and leaves the room in a huff.
Grunting, Silas straightens up in his chair at the head of the table. “We were waiting for you. Cole’s busy taking care of something for Jenny’s mother in Vegas. All right, let’s get this shit done. First things first. Your assignments for the next two weeks are on the roster. There’s a copy for you here on the side table. Grab a sheet to get moving. Axe, get Dean’s copy over to him at the warehouse.”
“No problem, Prez.”
“Tate, we have you doing double time this week, because you fucking begged for it like a little bitch—”
“Get back to me when you have to afford diapers by the crate, brother,” Tate says with a broad smile on his face. “I need the goddamned money.”
Silas runs a hand through his hair. “I’ve got some serious shit to go over with Axe, but let’s settle what we’ll do for Dean’s post-initiation ceremony. We need that shit tied up with a bow. Is everyone ready? Do we all know what we’re doing?”
I lean back in my chair. “Fuck yeah. It’s all set.”
That’s about the point where I tune out. Frankly, I’m more interested in how exactly Silas will try to get me to agree to applying for a security clearance.
Tate gets to his feet after the run-through that I’ve mostly ignored. “Get your shit together and play your role, motherfucker,” he says to me before leaving.
Silas turns to me. “The buck stops here, my friend. I’m not going to sit here wasting your time or candy-coating anything. We need this contract, so you’re going to have to take one for the team.” He points at a stack of paper about an inch thick. “Fill out this background check.”
My eyes narrow at him. “It sounds to me like the discussion is over, because what I’m hearing is an order from my Prez.”
“That’s fucking right. It’s how it has to be,” Silas confirms, leaning forward as he taps the documents.
“Fine,” I answer, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’ll fall in line, but don’t expect me to like it. And definitely don’t freak the fuck out if it turns out that I’m the deal breaker because I can’t get cleared for whatever reason.”
“I won’t. And thanks. Before you storm off, you should know that Sabrina worked it out with Vincent. It turns out that he’s only looking for extra perimeter security for his home. Nothing too complicated. We’re taking him on as a client.”
I smile, pleased that at least there’s one piece of good news to help me swallow this security clearance shit show. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
“Can you make time in your busy coffee schedule to do a visual assessment of his property today?” Silas adds.
“Yep,” I answer. “I’ve lived at that house countless times over the years.” I take out my phone and send a quick text to check on whether Vincent is home. “Glad you and the old lady came to your senses. He’s good people.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. Vincent Belmont comes from a long line of arms dealers. Last time I checked. I’m not sure he qualifies as goodpeople, seeing as how his ancestors gave a lot of countries and nations the means to go to war.”
“Stop busting my balls, Prez. You know what I’m saying. And besides, there’s only one difference between his family’s business and what our club just transitioned from. The difference is scale. Sure, compared to his massive operation, we were tadpole in the swamp. But we’re still in the same fucking swamp, man. We were fucking gunrunners, for fuck’s sake. We’re no better than him.”
“All right. Go make us some fucking money from the dirtbag,” Silas shouts, scowling.
I hold out an awaiting fist bump that he ignores. “Done. You need anything else from me today? I’ve got a few things to check out, so I may be off the radar tonight.”
“Let me guess. You’re chasing tail again.”
“Well, there’s that,” I admit. “But what choice do I got? I’m pretty much the last man standing around here without an old lady…except for Dean.”
“That just means you’ve got your pick of the sack demons.”
“Come on. They’re the entertainment, not old lady candidates.”
“I don’t know,” Silas mutters, shaking his head. “I noticed Dean eyeing the one with the bright pink hair.”
