Women aren't allowed on the other side of the double wooden doors where the club holds their meetings, but today is an unusual day.
No one speaks as we all sit around the long hand carved table, mulling over the ultimatum given to us by the violent hand of my ex husband. Me or the alliance between the club and its gun trade. Bring the ATF down on us. Reco.
I run my flat hand against my exposed chest where my heart beats loudly under. All of this would not be happening to them if I would have stayed. Or found somewhere else. All around 1 person.
One fucking psycho.
"There's no other choice." I speak out against the defining silence. They look up from the nothingness they were staring at to give me a startled or questioning look.
"No! We are not bending over to be fucked in the ass. Makes us look weak to others. To our rivals. The cartel." Lynol slams his hand down on the hard wood before him.
He's not worried about how we look to other people. He's worried about my safety and mine alone and that thinking is going to get people killed.
"Yes I will. He has to die, Lynol." I tell him. He glares at me.
"I'm not letting you do that, babe." His voice is soft but commanding.
"But I can get away with it. I go with him for a week of two, let him smack me around a little and then I'll get away with self defense and come back. It will solve everything, babe. No more problems and no ATF." I explain. He shakes his head.
"Its a good idea, prez." Patch looks to his leader.
"Letting her get smacked around? He could do worse, what if he kills her? Rapes her? Still a good idea?" Lynol snaps back, the vein in his neck throbbing. He rubs his temples with one hand. Patch shakes his head but keeps his mouth closed. Lynol is a ticking bomb waiting to go off, one wrong word and he will blow.
"Then I'll definitely get off on self defense." I answer for him. Lynol pretends not to hear me.
"Let ATF come. We sell what we have to the Prodigys and pause our deals with the Cubans. Only earn with our legit businesses." Lynol slams the gavel and leaves. Thats going to kill us financially. Two businesses have to feed ten families.
They all look at me. Not with hate because their prez isn't thinking like a leader but instead as a lover, but as if I am the new leader. I look at all of them. "Kale, close the door." I tell him. He hesitates only slightly before listening.
"You guys know this needs to happen. For the safety of all of us. You guys have families, kids. I don't want to be the reason you guys end up in jail and seperated. I hate to ask you to lie to your President but has to happen. For this club. For your safety. You know this. Anyone who can't do that, leave." I point to the door.
No one moves. No one bats an eye.
"I'll call John. Ed you'll take me to him. Kale and Panik follow. Sydney stays here with Lynol. John doesn't want her anyways, just a bargaining chip for him. You guys just act normal and keep him busy with bullshit plans or something. I don't fucking know and I'll find us all a way out of here." I cross my arms over my chest.
"You sure about this?" Patch asks.
"No. But this isn't just about me right now. I know women aren't members, but you guys are my club too and as the presidents old lady its my job to ensure your safety, When he can't. Letting the ATF piss all over our boots is not safe." I meet each and eye one of their eyes and in each I find respect.
"Maybe I'll come up with a few more legit business proposals." Whiskey jokes.
"That doesn't sound bad at all." Pat mutters. I study him. His eyes look haunted.
"You okay with this?" I ask him. He cracks his wide neck and doesn't answer. "Pat?" I call his name softly.
"No, I'm not ok with this, Margo. You're my sister and you have a kid. Lynols right, this shit could get you killed, Margo. But you're gonna do it anyways because of that big ass heart in your fucking chest and nothing I will say will stop you." He snaps. I don't say anything. Because he's right.
"Okay. Everyone go with the flow." I mutter to the rest and leave out the door.
I climb up in a chair and step up on the table in the lounge where most everyone is. "Hey!" I shout to get everyone's attention. Only a few stop to look at me. "Shut the fuck up!" I shout again. I hear Kale whisper 'what the fuck is she doing?' Behind me.
"I know everyone is getting a little antsy and pissy from having to be around your family for more than 10 minutes. So I wanna try and ease some tension with a family dinner so all old ladies in the kitchen, guys if u could help get some tables together and cleared, and anyone who isn't family of this club better be scarce by 5." I order and jump down to the floor, landing easily in the balls of my feet.
Lynol comes up to me with a questioning look, holding Sydney. I take her from him and kiss her cheek. "Make yourself useful and get a bunch of tables together, I want this to look like an actual family gathering." I tease him.
"Great idea, babe. I love you. Fucking Crist only know what the hell I would do without you." He kisses my forehead before leaving. My heart drop with guilt about what I'm about to do to him. But I smile away at him.
"What the fuck, Go Go?" Patch mutters to me.
"Go with it." I mutter back through a plastered smile. He grunts and stalks off. Men.
The old ladies are in the kitchen, searching through cupboards for food to make. Lynol had them earlier go on a huge ass shopping spree to last us all a few days. "Everything good?" I ask.
"We need more ice and beer. A lot more." Daisey turns from a huge pot of boiling water on the stove. Her blonde hair is tied up into a neat bun in the shape of a bow. She's Patch's old lady. A lot younger than Patch is, but the love is evident every time I see them together. Ed's wife take Sydney and plays with her at the
I nod. I'm gonna need a bigger excuse than beer and ice. I go out to the lounge where the guys are shoving tables together. Even with all the tables together, we still need a few more.
"Babe, we still need a few things from the store." I hug Lynol from behind. He turns in my arms and smiles down at me.
"Then well get it." He answers. I pout a little.
"I need air, babe. I'll take Ed, Panik, and Kale with me. Only to the store and back." I beg. He starts to shake his head.
"I got her back, Prez." Pat comes up from behind us. Lynol galres at him for encouraging me.
"He won't try anything in public." I reason with Lynol. He rolls his shoulders and sighs loudly, smacking my ass.
"1 hour, Margo, the rest of us have to go get Shank after dinner and I'm gonna need bodies here. A minute more and I'll make good on my promise of tying your ass to our bed." He tries to glare at me but it's a facade. My heart rate picks up and I kiss him long and hard, squeezing his in my arms. A temporary good bye kiss. He smacks my ass again, harder.
"Better hurry or I'll do it for the hell of it." He grins at me. "Tempting." My voice comes out bitter and not the teasing I was going for. He gives me a concerned look for a second before disappearing into the crowd to get shit ready for Shank. He wont be getting the best greeting because were on lockdown, but at least he'll have pussy and food.
Speaking of pussy... I glance around for the raven haired beauty I met a few days before but can't catch her in the crowd of people.
With a kiss to Sydney, I shrug my old lady patch off and place it neatly on the bed. Surely Lynol will find it but he'll just think it's to distract attention.
Pulling out my phone, I call John. No surprise he waits till the 5th ring to want to answer.
"Margo." His voice is almost playful.
"Where?" I ask getting right to the point.
"You're coming home?" He sounds surprised.
"You knew I would." I spit back at him.
"How about where your boy toy made his last exchange with the Cubans." He replies smugly. How the fuck can he know all this.
"I don't know where that is." I lie. My ass is not admitting to anything.
He laughs then directs me to a vacant piece of land in the middle of no where.
I pass my Patch and grab his arm. He peers down at me. "If they are not back in an hour or you don't hear from them, you tell Lynol and get your asses out to this address or to the damn hospital, Patch. You got me?" I order him, handing him a piece of folded paper. He gives me a grave nod.
"I got you, boss." He smiles but it doesn't reach his aging eyes. He has doubts about this.
"It will be okay." I assure him. He nods again but I can tell he's about as sure as I am. I pat his muscular arm once before going with Ed, Kale, and Panik.
"You ready for this, Margo?" Ed glances back at me as I strap the helmet under my chin. Kale and Pat rev their bikes to life beside us.
"It's for the club." I reply. For Sydney. He doesn't say anything else and starts the bike. With my arms wrapped tightly around him, Ed roads off into the highway, leading me to what could possibly be my very doom while my best friend and our club security follow behind us.