Page 147 of Malice and Surrender
I kept looking out of the corner of my eye to see if anyone was more interested than they should be, but I didn’t see anything unusual. Didn’t mean shit, as I found out, but I felt like I needed to interrogate all those left here while Chase was away. I bitched about Chase, fuck, I didn’t even like the guy, but it took next-level scum to switch clubs and do what Sparky had planned. If I left, it would be to lay my pale white ass on a beach somewhere for the rest of my breathing days.
Once inside the meeting room reserved for church sessions, I closed the door so no one else could eavesdrop.
“Where the fuck is Beast? He wouldn’t let you treat me like this,” Tanner complained as Mannix released his arm.
“Beast had other things to take care of, and my guess would be that he didn’t think you’d act like a newbie and force me to drag you in here,” Mannix drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. Being called a newbie or a bootlicker was a huge insult to anyone in the club once you’d been here for over a year.
Tanner had been a breath of fresh air after being in prison for ten years, but I quickly learned that the immature and fun side got old when that was all he ever did. He was always looking for trouble or getting drunk and doing shit that would normally get him punched in the face or a bullet between the eyes. Chase was the only reason the other members held back.
I was shocked that Chase hadn’t given Tanner his one percenter patch regardless of how he acted. It gave me hope for our Prez.
Beast had gone home for the night. I couldn’t blame him. All the dead lying around was bound to stir up memories of his wife. As tough as he showed himself to be, I knew he was still hurting. Raine had only been back in my life a short time, and I couldn’t imagine losing her. After years of marriage and the kind of love Beast and Jaz had…the guy was lucky he could put a foot in front of the other.
Didn’t mean I went any easier on him. Beast would’ve found that disrespectful, and someone needed to make decisions with Chase gone. Beast had volunteered himself, and that came with assholes like me pointing out shit, such as we were vulnerable. If I didn’t point out the crap, people died. We got lucky tonight. I’d gotten lucky, but I didn’t like luck. It tended to shit in your face and then drink your beer.
“Did I piss in your fucking beer, Mannix?”
“Tanner cut the attitude. There is no one in here for you to show off for. I need you to focus on the questions. What is the ETA for Chase and the rest of the crew? We now have multiple bodies to clean up, cops to keep away, and more than ever, we need to build an alliance with a local club. We have a huge target painted on our backs. So, tell me what you know,” Mannix said, his voice as calm and firm as ever.
“Look, I don’t know why you’re all in such a twist. I’m back, and so are some of the men. Chase will be back soon enough,” Tanner said, crossing his arms. “It’s not like he gave me an itinerary.”
“Tanner, for fucks sake. We’re still breathing because you took them by surprise when you came back, and they thought the entire crew was home. The Vipers have ninety-seven members more than us at the best of times,” I said.
“A few less now,” Tanner mocked and sat down laughing.
“Do you ever take anything seriously?” I growled. I lifted my T-shirt to show off the bandages. “I almost fucking died. Does that not register with you?”
“Fuck Snake, you can remove that stick from your ass any time,” Tanner said. “Maybe we need to get you laid.”
I looked at Mannix. “I’m going to kill him.” I reached for my gun, but Roach grabbed my arm.
“You could, but we all know I’m Chase’s favorite. He’d send the whole club after you.” Tanner smiled and reminded me way too much of the jerks I used to beat the shit out of in school. I was tempted to do it again now. Ribs be damned.
“The only reason you’re his favorite is cause he sees you as a charity case. You’re the piece of shit he pulled out of the garbage. Ever wonder why you need a babysitter Tanner? Why you never get sent on important jobs alone? Why do you think you don’t have your patch yet?” I growled out. “Even the man you follow around like a pathetic dog knows you’re not worthy.”
“Fuck you, man!” Tanner burst from the seat like he’d been ejected and was in my face a moment later. Our noses touched as he tried to intimidate me.
Ten years in prison had done many things to me, but one thing it had done right was to teach me to shut off my humanity. That place and those that thought they could control me taught me how to kill without remorse. A deadly calm washed over my body, and I needed to get away from Tanner, or there was no telling what I’d do. It would certainly be something I couldn’t come back from with Chase, even if the rest of the club would cheer. Roach touched my shoulder, and I remembered I had something else to live for. Someone else, and I took a deep breath.
“Both of you knock it off and sit down,” Mannix ordered.
Tanner backed off first with Mannix’s meaty hand firmly on his arm. “You too, Snake. Sit the fuck down.”
“Sitting hurts,” I said and wandered over to the wall to give myself space from Tanner. I didn’t normally give a shit about whatever crazy antics he got up to, but this shit was getting annoying fast.
“Do you live in the real world, Tanner,” I asked, and he crossed his arms and glared at me.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“You lack the ability to understand what is real life and what is one of your video games. We lost people tonight. People that someone loved, people that Beast is planning a service for, and you’re acting like this is all a big fucking party.” I pointed out toward the clubhouse. “You’re more worried about getting fucked.”
“It’s how we deal with shit. All those guys out there are acting the same way. I’m not doing anything different.”
“But we’re not out there. We are in here asking you a few simple questions, and you’re being evasive.” I shook my head. He just didn’t get it. Then again, anyone that would light a Molotov cocktail and toss it in a room full of chemicals while we were all in there was a case in point that he couldn’t see past the end of his nose. We were all fucking lucky he didn’t kill us that day, and the fucker only laughed like we’d regenerate.
“I’m telling you, Snake, you’re too tense. Just have a drink and relax.”
“Don’t bother wasting your breath,” Roach whispered. He was right. There was no point trying to explain something to someone that had no interest in seeing the bigger picture.
