OUTLAW KING(14)

“All the outlaw bullshit in the world and we’re haggling over legal bullshit,” he said. “That’s what’s going to end this?”

“The guards were rough,” I said with a grin. “And I’m told that perhaps there’s evidence with the bullets that could prove I didn’t actually commit a murder.”

“You know what you did,” Uncle Jakey said. “A real man would take that to his grave.”

“Which I plan to do,” I said. “I just don’t plan on being sent to my grave in prison.”

Uncle Jakey fell silent. I felt the tension swirling around the room, thickening like smoke. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of the guys.

“We all vote?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Knox said.

“Good,” Uncle Jakey said. “That’s good. A good vote. An honest vote. Ain’t that right, King?”

“Always,” I said. “No matter what happens now, Uncle Jakey, I need to talk to you. The entire club, actually. This isn’t by accident that I’m out.”

Uncle Jakey held the leather cut up and looked at it. “It was never meant to end up like this. So let’s start today. No. Right now. We start right now. We fix it all.” Uncle Jakey pushed the leather cut to my chest. “You are a member until you die or you’re voted out.”

The boys started to go wild, cheering and slapping each other, hitting walls, anything to make noise.

I took the leather cut and put it back on. Throwing my arms through those cut-off sleeves was a f*cking great feeling. Better than when I got the cut the first time.

The entire group ran to me and jumped me like they had done before.

Hugs. Punches. Yelling. Screaming.

Just another day with the Reap.

Before I could really hammer my point home, Uncle Jakey slipped out of the room and was gone.

Knox had an arm around me, patting my chest. “Let’s go for a ride, brother. I’m sure you’re dying to take that bitch on the road.”

I gritted my teeth. “I still need to talk to you.”

“Of course. We’ll talk. Anything you want.”

“Bro, what can I get you?” Slam asked. “What can any of us do for you?”

I said the first thing that came to mind.

I wanted trouble.

I wanted to…

“Find Lindsey.”





10


(Lindsey) *NOW*

I HATED the idea of going to a bar to talk to Nelson. Okay, it wasn’t just a bar. There was a restaurant area too. And it didn’t help that Nelson was on his third drink when I showed up.

I sat next to him and ordered a soda.

“Not having a drink?” he asked.

“Not right now, no.”

“So that means it’s going to be rough news.”

“What news though?” I asked. “You want to talk, then we’ll talk. But you can’t act crazy on me. I don’t even want to be here like this right now.”

“I do,” Nelson said. “I can’t stand being alone in my apartment, letting my thoughts go f*cking wild.”

“I’m sorry it got this way,” I said. “This is all my fault.”

“But what is it? Tell me. I thought we were happy. We were happy, right? At one point?”

“Sure,” I said. “You could say that, Nelson. You know how I grew up…”

Nelson waved a hand. “That’s bullshit. Complete bullshit. There are lots of people who had rough lives growing up. Whatever you don’t want to tell me, that’s on you. Just know that I cared about you.”

“Nelson…”

He turned away from me. He threw an entire fresh beer back and ordered another one. At this rate, he was going to be throwing up before ten. This was the side of Nelson nobody really understood. Not that it made anything I did right, but when Nelson felt any sort of threatened, he would drink himself silly drunk. And trust me, the last thing he was when really drunk was silly.

He’d get loud, angry, and he showed no care for anyone or anything.

I had to end the night before it really got started.

I put a hand to his arm. “Come on, why don’t we just leave? We have no business being here.”

“Fuck off, Lindsey,” he growled under his breath.

“That’s nice to say,” I said. “So make me the enemy and throw me away.”

“You threw me away a long time ago,” he said. “You just kept picking at me when it was convenient for you. And I was dumb enough to let you do it. I’m the loser… no, you’re the loser. Not me. I’ll be the winner soon.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m begging you right now, Nelson. Can we just leave? Together. You and me. Why can’t we just talk like a normal couple? You realize we never actually talk.”

“I don’t care what you have to say,” Nelson snapped.

“You just said you care about me,” I said.

“Yeah, whatever.”

I looked around the bar and restaurant. It was pretty busy. People laughing. People talking. People experience something that resembled normal. Something I didn’t have right then and maybe never would. I did feel wrong with how things were with Nelson though. But if he was going to be an * about it…