Page 60 of Flint
Tommy rubs both hands down his face before shooting back, “Not even close, you fucker. You didn’t resist hard enough.” I can still hear the venom in his voice.
A short silence spins out between us as footsteps approach from behind us.
Jasper descends from upstairs wearing his president’s cut with his hair still wet from the shower. He stops in front of us and takes a sip of coffee from the mug in his hand.
“I came downstairs to see what all the ruckus was in my clubhouse. You folks are screaming loud enough to wake the dead.” Glancing at Jules, he adds, “Not you. You’re golden, as always.”
Tommy starts, “Sorry about getting loud at o-dark-thirty.”
Jasper asks, “Are you here with Mica?”
“Yeah, he’s in the back talkin’ to Rock.”
“What are you raising hell about this mornin’?”
“You can probably guess.”
“Yeah, you don’t like Flint’s name on your sister’s back, right? Didn’t think you would, but you can’t be waking people up at the crack of dawn.”
Tommy has the decency to lower his eyes.
“And you too, Flint. You should have had this conversation before you ever gave Jules your cut. You and Tommy have been best friends long before either of you came here. I want to see the two of you shake hands and make up.”
I hold out my hand, but Tommy hesitates for a second before shaking it. I can see this ain’t over in his mind because he practically throws my hand away instead of just letting it gonormally. I hate how this is playing out between us, but I’ve got to make it right, for Jules and for myself.
Jasper grins, lookin’ mighty pleased with himself. “Now let’s sit our asses down and have some breakfast before it gets cold.”
Jules steps closer and slides under my arm. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
I tug her against my side and whisper, “No, foxy, it wasn’t.”
Jules just laughs at her new nickname.
Eventually, Rock and Mica join us. Mica slaps Tommy good-naturedly on the shoulder as he takes his seat.
“How are the eggs, Deuce?”
That’s when I realize Tommy has a name patch on his cut that doesn’t say Tommy. How did I not notice that before now? “Your club name is Deuce?”
Before Tommy can answer, Mica does. “I picked it because he’s been in two clubs, been tested, and walked through fire twice. He deserves a name that speaks to all he’s been through.”
“That’s a good, strong name,” I tell him sincerely.
He just frowns and goes back to eating his eggs.
I nudge Jules. “Take your plate, go sit with your brother, and bring him up to speed on what’s been goin’ on in your life.”
She eagerly does as I ask. Jules is the kind of woman who prefers telling her own story, especially to her brother.
Tommy listens to her with one ear while pushing eggs around his plate. He occasionally turns to ask Jules a question and then listens intently to her answer.
Mica speaks up. “Deuce and I are gonna sit in the meeting with Striker and ride with you to LA this morning.”
Jasper takes the last drink from his coffee cup before saying, “I hate fuckin’ mobsters. The more brothers on this ride, the better.”
Mica lifts his coffee cup. “Glad to oblige.”
Tommy—who I should probably start thinking of as Deuce now—perks up now that he’s back in the loop with what’s happening with his sister and going along with us. I can see the relief on his face. He asks her something in a low tone while looking at me. Jules smiles and nods, whispering something back. His expression looks disgruntled, but he moves on.
