Fight(13)

Stoney then turned and let Tripp walk alongside him. Nobody dared to move without orders from their President.

I watched as Tripp walked away from me.

In that moment, I felt completely alone, cold, and completely terrified.

Not for Tripp.

But for me.

I didn’t like it when he wasn’t around me.





9.


(Tripp)



I hated the idea of leaving Winter behind. It was my job to protect her, but I wanted more than that for her. Something inside me clicked and I wanted to find out who would be after her and to see if I could get her to safety. If I could find out who was after her, I could point the MC in that direction. Then I could call Aldo and see what he wanted me to do next.

Probably eat a bullet.

Inside the clubhouse, it was like a movie when someone enters and everything stops. When you hear the scratch of a record needle, a stray cough, and a thousand eyes beating upon you.

They were all alike. Wide shoulders, messy hair, drunk faces, anger in their eyes. Jeans with black leather cuts donning the Red Aces MC logo on their breasts and backs. They all stared at me like I didn’t belong, which I damn well didn’t. I wasn’t a biker. I wasn’t a mobster or gangster or anything. I lived on my own. I functioned with the notion that it was my heart on the line everyday and nothing else mattered.

“Want a beer?” the President of Red Aces asked me.

“I’m good,” I said.

“Fucking *,” someone muttered.

I turned, left hand balled up. I tried throwing the fist and the President was there to hook his arm into mine. He spun me around so we were facing each other.

“I’ll let it slide what happened with Harlan,” the President said, showing his teeth like a rabid dog. “But you’re not coming into my f*cking clubhouse and throwing punches at my f*cking guys. Understood?”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Good.”

He broke away and walked me to a door. He opened and I stepped inside. It was a long and narrow room. There was a large, dark wood table in the center with ten chairs, four on each side and one at the ends of the table. In the center was a carved skull and the Red Aces name on it. There was a desk in a corner with filing cabinets. No windows in the room. It had the lingering smell of body odor, leather, booze, and smoke.

“This is where we come to pray.”

“Good to know.”

“Tripp, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Stoney.”

He offered his hand. I shook it.

“I’m the President of the Red Aces MC,” he said. “And you’re walking a fine line right now.”

“Is that so?”

“You don’t understand what you’re involved with.”

“I’m just doing my job.”

“Sit down.”

Stoney took a seat at the head of the table and kicked out a chair. I sat down, feeling real damn uncomfortable in the room.

“Know who used to sit there?” Stoney asked me.

“No clue.”

“Rocky. My VP. Winter was his old lady.”

“The guy who was shot and killed,” I said.

“Exactly.” Stoney folded his hands and leaned forward. “He was taken out in a real shit way, Tripp. I fear for Winter’s life.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“You’re going to do battle with MCs at war?”

“It was another club that killed Rocky?”

“He always stuck his nose where it didn’t belong,” Stoney said. “I always knew it would catch him in the ass. I loved him like a brother though. It doesn’t make sense though. I mean, it does, because of Rocky’s personality, but the timing. None of it makes sense.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I was curious to meet you, Tripp. That’s why. I heard you’re a prized fighter fallen from grace.”

“Not sure I’d value myself all that much.”

“You’re serving a punishment by doing this,” Stoney said with a sly grin. “So your death, if it should happen, wouldn’t be a great loss.”

“Agreed. But I’m wondering why your MC can’t protect Winter. And better yet, what is she being protected for?”

“How about common courtesy?” Stoney asked.

“You don’t look the part for courtesy.”

“And you don’t look the part of a fighter.”

“Want to try me?” I offered.

Stoney laughed. “Offering to take on the President of a MC is a dangerous proclamation. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Then I’ll say it louder.”

Stoney gritted his teeth. “Let me put it this way, Tripp. If my guys are poking around Winter, you stay the f*ck back. There should have been better communication with Harlan, I’ll give you that. But that cannot and will not ever happen again.”

“I can’t promise anything.”

“So you like to fight that much?”

“Never said that. But if I need to fight to survive…”

Stoney slapped his hand to the table. “Tell you what. Why not join the MC in a little entertainment? Maybe you and Harlan can square things up the right way. You know?”