Page 47 of Claymore
“Eat something. Meeting’s starting soon and something tells me it’s gonna be a rough one. Tank’s losing his shit and to be honest, so is everyone else.”
“Half of us wanna act, the other half wants to lay in wait. What’s new?”
A half hour later, everyone gathered in the living room. They all sported their black leather jackets and bright, eager faces like they were ready for shit to go down. Tank took a stand at the front of the room just as everyone quieted down, listening to what he had to say. He held his hands behind his back, clearing his throat.
“We’ve received confirmation that the Lions and the Kings are planning to attack. They’ve already been coming down hard on Ray’s sister, Ella, who will now be staying here for protection. As far as I’m aware, Ella’s not involved in this, so look out for her,” said Tank, giving me a single nod.
I breathed a sigh of relief that he at least understood just how fucked we were and how much Ella needed a safe haven right now.
“We need to ensure that the clubhouse remains secure. Everyone needs to be on alert while leaving and returning because if they find a way in, we’re gonna be fucked. I need you all to canvas the surrounding areas, making sure none of those fuckers get anywhere near us,” he ordered, pointing at Vegas, Ink, and Maverick.
“Archer, Wrench, and Claymore. You three are coming with me. I’ve got someone that might be able to help us locate Ray or that new bitch, Fang.”
We all nodded at him, but I furrowed my brow, feeling a pang of pain in my stomach at the thought of leaving Ella behind.
“Ripper, you’re up for the first round of babysitting duty. If Ella’s having a hard time adjusting, maybe it’d be best to call Ronnie down. She’s been here before,” Tank said.
“You got it.”
“All right, let’s get to fucking work, people.”
I followed Tank to his office door, cornering him before we got ready to leave.
“Thanks for understanding, Tank.”
“Let’s be clear, Claymore. Until I can see for myself that Ella’s clean and not involved with her own brother, I won’t believe it. The only reason I’m tolerating this is because you make a great case. I hope she’s everything you say she is.”
“You’ll see. She’s nothing like him.”
“She better not be, or she’s getting kicked to the curb,” he warned.
I pressed my lips together, sighing deeply. Everyone rushed outside to start up their engines, preparing for one hell of a long day. I returned to Ella’s room, opening the door to find her sitting up in bed.
“Ella, I have to head out and take care of a few things. Ripper’s downstairs if you need anything. Everyone knows you’re here now.”
“Where are you going?”
“To hopefully talk to the person that can help us find Ray.”
She nodded, taking a deep breath. I rushed to her side, kissing her softly.
“We’ll find a way out of this mess, but for now, I need you to sit tight, okay?”
“Okay,” she said with a smile.
***
Tank rode front down the long winding roads, whizzing past cars that honked at him, but he didn’t care. His muscular shoulders protruded through his leather jacket as his engine roared and we followed closely behind him. I wondered how long this would go on for. I wonder how long he’d punish me for falling for the woman so closely related to his greatest enemy.
It made my blood boil that he brushed Ella off, that he didn’t really care if she lived or died, because to him, she was just like Ray. He couldn’t see how divided they were, how much he’d taken from her. I was tired of being at each other’s throats, of coming down on him every time he tried to fight off giving Ella the protection she deserved.That meeting was a small win. At least I know Ella’s safe.
We pulled up outside a secluded motel right off the highway exit, nestled among some dead trees and desert plants. The large white sign was water-stained, rusting along the sides. Randy’s Motel.It dawned on me then that I hadn’t been to this side of Mascid in a very long time. There were barely any cars on the main road and the place smelled of smoke like there had to be a few factories nearby.
We pulled into the parking lot, shutting off our engines, while we waited for Tank to make his move.
“You three stay here. I’ve gotta have a chat with an old friend.”
“Let’s hope this old friend is better than the last one, Tank,” Archer quipped.
