Page 161 of Fury

“Put the gun down,” Isaid.

Catch lowered the Python revolver he aimed at Butler and Boner.

I stood in the doorway of our clubhouse great room at the side of the two Jacks. Both of them eased back slightly like wolves straining to launch at their prey, my presence, the sound of my stern voice the only things holding them back.

I’d just gotten in from a quick trip to southern Nebraska, and found Boner accusing Catch of stealing the Python from their clubhouse. Just as I suspected he would, Catch was taunting the One-Eyed Jacks in return for getting a beating, and as a follow up to his bitterness over Jill moving on with Boner. The gun Catch had stolen from them had belonged to Dig, a gun they considered to be a club treasure.

When was he going to learn?

I folded my arms across my chest. “I’m gone two days, and you managed to bust out your balls again, bro?”

“Did what needed to be done,” muttered Catch.

“Not with that gun,” I said. “I admire your play, but this? This isn’t right.” My eyes went to Boner, a lean, hardened man with long dark hair and gleaming eyes. He’d been Dig’s best friend. “It’s disrespect to a man I knew and admired.”

Boner raised his chin.

Catch only raked a hand through his hair, considering, stalling.

“Catch,” I warned.

Sulking, his dramatic tactic being cut short, he stuck out the revolver.

“Come give it to me,” Boner said on a snarl, his distinctive green eyes shining.

Catch moved forward, got in his face, and dropped the revolver. Boner’s hand snapped out and caught it just in time.

“Party’s over,” said Catch. “I’d invite y’all to stay, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Ah, no thanks,” Boner replied. “I’ve heard the beds around here suck.”

“You motherfu—” Catch lunged at him. Two of my men dragged him back.

“How’re we going to get past this shit now? You want to tell me?” Butler’s voice thundered.

“I’m gonna need an apology,” Boner said, eyes going from Catch to me. “Then the Jacks are gonna require a sweet form of payback for this heavy transgression. But first, I wanna know how you did it, Catch. Who’d you use to get it? Are you that much smarter than I took you for?”

“Your woman did it for me. Didn’t take much to convince her either. Heart of flames, that one.”

“Son of a bitch!” Boner exploded, his hands clamping around Catch’s neck.

“Boner!” Butler yelled, pulled him off Catch.

“You lying piece of shit!” Boner said. “Jill would never—”

Catch choked and coughed, his face different shades of red, his hands shoving at Butler’s chest. “Yeah, Jill would never a hell of a lot of things, but with me, she sure as fuck did. Goes to show you.”

Shut the fuck up, boy.

Boner pounced on him, punching him in the face, and Catch fell back, grunting. Den lunged toward Boner, but I stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“Catch more than deserved that,” I said.

A loud ping sliced the air. Butler untucked his phone from a pocket and glanced at it. “Fuck.” He tapped the phone and put it to his ear. “What the hell’s going on?” His eyes flicked up at Boner. “You and Jill did what?”

Boner grabbed the phone from Butler and listened to whomever was on the line. His face darkened at what he heard, and he shoved the phone back at Butler, and approached Catch. “You been watching me? You knew about my ex, Mindy, and you got her to do your dirty work, you slick scumbag?”

Catch let out a laugh. “Aw, you thought I was talking about Jill before, huh? Nah. This other girl, Mindy, she was more than willing. She wanted to stick it to you bad.”