Ride Steady(172)

He didn’t want to lose face but he needed an escape plan, because he knew if it came down to fists, he’d take a beating.

But Joker didn’t move an inch toward him.

“Didn’t wanna get into this, and you don’t get it all. It’s mine and Carrie’s. But she gets from me what she didn’t get from you in a variety of ways, Neiland. She loves it. Some, she begs for it.”

“Crass, but not surprising,” he hissed.

“You mistake me,” Joker said quietly. “Part of it I see you get, but you don’t get it all. You’re so up your own ass you think she’s gotta work for it to make her deserve you. You go your own way, do your own thing, get off with who you want when you want. Test after test, and she passes, accepts you as however you wanna be, or she’s out. With me, she told me, straight up, it’s easy. I give her easy. We’re easy. And that’s because she knows where she stands with me and that ground I put her on, man, is not shaky. Now, I ask you, you want her back so bad, you want your family, then I gotta think you got some feeling for her. Some small amount a’ feeling. If you don’t, then this is not about her but about you havin’ a need to best her, or me, or both of us. But if you feel something, what I’d wanna know is, why wouldn’t you want her to have easy?”

Again, unable to counter, Neiland announced, “We’re done,” and turned away.

“Of course we are,” Joker muttered, looking to his boots.

“Man to man, as you obviously want this to be,” Neiland said and Joker looked back at him. “Once I’m done with you, Carissa won’t want herself or our son anywhere near you.”

“Good luck with that, friend,” Joker replied.

Another sneer. “You’ve no idea.”

Without hesitation, Joker gave him his ideas.

“She knows I was a fighter. She knows I smoked pot. She knows and likes every member of my Club.”

“She know a hooker had your name carved into her belly?” he retorted.

“I didn’t share the location, but yeah, she knows that too.”

Neiland blinked.

“Got more?” Joker asked, but he knew he didn’t, so as Neiland stood there staring at him, Joker shook his head. “Then I guess we’re done.”

“We’re far from done.”

Joker kept shaking his head and started to turn to his bike.

“She has a man with a criminal record looking after our son,” he bit out, and Joker grinned but he did it so he wouldn’t laugh.

He looked back to him. “Good call, go after Pete. That’ll work.”

Neiland exposed uncertainty for only a beat before he hid it and said, “That doesn’t say Carissa’s able to make appropriate decisions about our child’s upbringing.”

“You sure you wanna share your whole strategy with me? If you do, I’m cool, but give me a second to get some paper so I can take notes.”

“You’re an *,” he sneered.

“I’m in love with your ex-wife,” Joker returned, no amusement in his voice, his eyes locked to Neiland’s. “I’ve loved her since high school, man. She means everything to me. You gotta drag her down, that’ll suck, but I’ll pick her back up. You gotta rip her apart, I’ll f*ckin’ hate watchin’ it, but I’ll put her back together. Do what you gotta do to make you feel like you got the bigger dick. But know this, in the end, it’s gonna be her and me. So take your shot. Spend your money. Score those marks on your soul. Scar your son. Push her to the point she can’t stand the sight of you. But do it knowin’ that’s all on you. Just like everything that went before, it’s all on you.”

With that, Joker dismissed him. Turning to his bike, mounting it, switching the ignition, backing out, he didn’t even look at the man.

He rode away knowing that wouldn’t be the end. He also rode away knowing he had to have a chat with his brothers.

But he rode away hoping that whatever end that man pushed for, it didn’t scar his son.

The rest, Joker had in hand.

*

He wasn’t surprised Carissa was tense that Monday while waiting for Neiland to return Travis.

He just didn’t know all the reasons why she was tense.

When the man showed, like he’d been making a habit of doing, Joker stood back, making sure she knew he had her back and Neiland registered his presence.