Page 80 of Lost Soul

“Fuck.” Prez rub’s his hand through his beard when he’s done, and I wait in silence, giving him the chance to take in for himself what he’s just seen.

I hand him a beer from the fridge, and he takes a mouthful before looking up to ask if I got anything stronger.

“What we gonna do? This is gonna destroy Skid.” I reach into the cupboard and take out a bottle of Bourbon, pulling out the cork with my teeth I place it in front of him.

“Why though? Why would he risk running into the feds to come back here?” Prez asks taking a long swig, then lights up a cigarette. I don’t tell him that I’ve stopped smoking in the house since Maddy moved in, it’ll make me sound like a fuckin’ pussy.

“He sounded like he was looking for something when he first came in. He asked where it was. Maybe he came back for something important?” Second time around I’d paid more attention to his words.

“Yeah, but what?” Prez asks, then takes a long drag of his smoke. And I wonder if he’s missed the Mary-Ann mention through shock or if he’s choosing to ignore it for now.

“We're gonna have to ask Skid. Chop didn’t rush off, he was there for a while after, maybe he found whatever it was. Skid may be able to figure out what’s missing.” Prez points out.

“You realize once Skid finds out about this, Chop better hope the feds get to him before he does.”

“Son, Chop took one of our own. Carly wasn’t just Skid’s wife, she was our family. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a dead man running. We make sure we get to him before the feds do. Tear him apart piece by piece, and then Skid can shit down his throat.”

I couldn’t put it better myself.

“Send out word I want everyone around the table at three today, everyone needs to be there… no excuses.”

“You got it.” I take out my cell, bring up the group message and type out a text to everyone with Prez’s orders.

“It’s done. What do we do now?” I ask, though I already know what has to come next and I’m not looking forward to it one bit.

“Right now, we grab our fuckin’ dicks and go tell Skid what happened to his wife.” Prez stands up and takes a long swig of the bottle. “And I think we’re gonna need a whole lot more of this shit,” he says, slamming it back on the table.

When I check on Maddy she’s sleeping, so I call Nyx to come wait at mine. Then together, me and Prez go to find Skid.

He isn’t at home or at the club, so we check the garage. Rolling up the door and letting daylight into the dark space, we find him. He’s propped up against a Snap-on toolbox, overalls on, and an empty bottle in his hand. He doesn’t respond to our intrusion, not even raising his eyes off the ground when we both move and stand in front of him.

“You got some fuckin’ balls getting in my space, Jessie. You shipped that fucking bitch of yours out of here yet?” he asks, raising his head and finding me with dark, hate-filled eyes. Prez takes hold of my wrist to prevent me lunging forward, with a look that reminds me what he’s been through and what we’re about to tell him. And it prevents me grabbing a spanner and lobbing his face with it.

“Skid. It wasn’t the Bastards who killed Carly,” Prez tells him, letting go of me steadily.

“Bull-fuckin’-shit. I always knew you were soft when it came to the kid, Jimmer. But to be standing up for his bitch now too? Come on. You’re losing your touch, old man.” Skid goes to stand, but Prez squats down to his level and pushes his shoulder back down.

“Stay there a second and listen to me,” he tells him. “You heard from your brother?”

“No, and what the fuck’s that got to do with the fact we're still protecting the hacking bitch?”

“There anything you think your brother would need or want that he might come back here for?” Prez asks.

“No, what the fuck’s this about?” Skid looks confused, and Prez looks up at me like he’s run out of words. The silence is deafening and running real thin as Skid’s eyes roam between Prez and me. “Does someone wanna give me a clue into what the fuck is going on here? Have you heard from chop? Is he okay?” His sudden panic makes me feel sick, he’s worried something has happened to his wife raping brother.

“Chop came back,” I tell him swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Fucking idiot, he must have heard what happened… wants to be here for me. I got to tell him I’m fine, get him back on the road before the feds get a sniff that he's back.” Prez stops him from getting to his feet for a second time. Leaving his hand rested on his shoulder as he speaks, his eyes closed, no doubt because he knows he won’t want to see the look in Skid’s eyes when he’s finished saying what he has to say.

“Chop came back the night Carly was mur… taken.” I watch as Skid’s eyebrows draw together with confusion. “He was the one who took her, brother. I’m sorry.” Prez’s voice is raw with pain, and there’s no going back now. The words have been said, they’re out there whirling around us in the air just waiting to be taken in.

“Fuck,” Skid laughs. “Does she mean that fucking much to you? You would protect that bitch over family? Come on, Prez, why you protecting her? It was the Bastards, they came for Maddy, and they took my Carly.” He’s up and on his feet, his finger pointing into Prez’s face. “Chop's laid his ass on the line for this club for eighteen god damn years, me too since I’ve been old enough, and you’d put protecting her over us?” Prez takes Skid’s anger without flinching, and I can tell he’s lost for what to say next, so I step in.

“He’s telling the truth, Skid. It was Chop. He killed her and he…”

“Jessie,” Prez warns me, but he knows as well as I do that Skid has to know.

“And he raped her, and we know this because we just had to fucking watch the whole thing.” A long silence falls after my words.

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