Page 76 of Axle
A couple seconds later, I saw Butch walking through the store. He grabbed a beer, which Rose let him have for payment later. He came back to me, took the cap off his beer, and nodded to me.
“Axle.”
“Butch.”
He came to the table and sat across from me.
“You already got out of the sling, huh?” I said. “I’m still protecting mine, as you can see.”
“Wasn’t anything,” he said. He hummed for a second before speaking. “How are you?”
Butch, asking questions? Next thing you know, I’m going to learn he owns a purse dog.
“Doing good, man, doing good. Made up with the lady, so things are great there.”
“And Jerome?”
I shrugged.
“We’ve talked a bit. I called him out for what he did. He’s not particularly apologetic, but it’s not like we’re sworn enemies now. I think we’ll figure out a proper middle ground and go from there.”
“Makes sense.”
He again cleared his throat.
“Sorry,” he said. “For what I said.”
I actually smiled. I fucking smiled at Butch.
“Thanks, man,” I said. “All water under the bridge now.”
I held out my bottle, and he did the same. We clinked, and just like that, we’d moved past our fight. We wouldn’t forget it—some of the bruises and scars from that fight were still visible anyway—but we’d moved past it.
Just like I had moved past my history with Rose, and her with me.
Just like, hopefully, Lane and Cole had moved past their past with each other. And speaking of...
“You hear anything about the Carters since last Tuesday?”
“A bit,” he said. “No surprise, there’s major conflict. Cole wants me to mediate. We’ll see.”
I nodded. I suppose, for now, that was enough. It was one thing when lovers reunited because there was something very special worth chasing after. It was another when brothers did because two strong-headed men like that...
It would take time. But at least the effort was being made.
“Well, the good news is we haven’t heard shit from the Saints since then. I wouldn’t dare assume they’re dead until I see their bodies on the ground, most of all Lucius Sartor, but... ”
Butch nodded. He took a sip of his beer. I did the same, reminiscing on the battle. For a battle that was supposed to end in our destruction, the Saints sure had done a good job of having the opposite happen.
But these types of battles went in ebbs and flows. We’d have to kill Lucius ourselves.
But for now, I’d take the respite.
“Also,” Butch said, hesitating for a second. “I only say this because I know this for sure.”
“What?”
“I mean it. I know this for a fact.”
He swallowed.
“I know who the rat is. It’s the person we’ve least suspected this whole time. It’s…”
Butch swallowed.
“Red Raven.”
