"Shit, bro, it's been a rough couple of days," he admitted, taking a seat. "But here are the highlights. West told Huck you were gone, so Florida came up to help with the search. We have made about two dozen new enemies punching our way across the East coast trying to get answers. Only to find out that this all hit a lot closer to home than we realized. The issue with Colson was, he's seeing this chick."
"Colson?" I asked, surprised. I never thought he would look twice at a woman. Jelena was the only girl in his life.
"I know. She's his neighbor. Single mom. Pain in the ass teenaged boy."
"Is there any other kind?" I asked, smirking, thinking about all the shit my boys thought they could get away with at that age.
"Anyway, through a bunch of shit going down, that kid, Jacob, was holding your money clip. Fallon saw. Got a little crazy. Colson stepped in. Then the gun thing."
"Jacob, Colson's girl's son, had my money clip?" I clarified, the pieces coming together in my head.
"Yeah. What?" Cash asked, seeing my gears turning.
"He was with the other guy. The one who really had a lot of fun doing this to me," I said, waving my good arm down my body that was still mostly pain-free, but I knew the meds would wear off eventually, and I would feel like one giant bruise once again.
"You saw him."
"He was how I got out," I admitted. "I talked him into lowering the chain a bit when the other guy wasn't around. He did it. And I got enough strength back in my arms to get free. What the fuck is her son into that he...oh," I said, sighing out my breath, the last piece falling into place. "Third Street."
That made a lot of sense.
The lack of recognition on my part, since their members changed constantly, their leadership almost as often. As well as the age range of the men.
"Yeah. Fucking Third Street. After all this goddamn time, they decide to try to puff their chests and step to us. Eva's—that's Colson's woman's—brother is a part of Third Street. And, apparently, has been trying to rope the kid into it."
"Why the fuck would Third Street want to take me, though," I wondered out loud, "when they could have just amped up their H trade or gone into other drugs? There's never a shortage of people looking for them. This is out of their wheelhouse. It doesn't make sense."
"Yeah, I know," Cash agreed. "But we have time to figure that out. As of right now, no one has tried to make a move on anyone else. The clubhouse is safe. The women and kids are at Hailstorm. We will figure it out. Once you're up to it. And that wasn't a demand for you to get out of the bed. As much as I am ready to hand the reins back to you, man, I want you to make sure you're good first."
I gave him a nod at that, figuring I could stay the night. That should be long enough to get some rest, get some food, feel human again.
But then I needed to show my face, see my men, assure them that I was fine, get a plan of action into play. Even if we didn't move right away.
"Anything else I should know?"
Oh, shit," he said, laughing. "I forgot. We had a mole," he said, shaking his head. "A fucking mole for months."
"Not Brooks," I said, wincing. I liked that kid. I thought he had a lot of potential.
"Nah. Tyler. Helped Jacob escape that night he came to steal your clip and help save your life. Got him down in the basement. I think Huck, Fallon, and Pagan are taking turns scaring the shit out of him. But I told them to keep their hands off until you were there."
"Fuck, man, you've been busy."
"Psh," he said, shaking his head. "Mostly, they threw my ass up in the glass room for my own protection while they had all the fun."
"They were being smart."
"They never would have thrown you in the glass room."
"No," I agreed. "But they needed to make sure we kept a central leadership. And Wolf, as good as a brother as he is, isn't exactly communicative enough to run shit."
"Yeah, well, your ass needs to be locked in a fucking bubble from now on, because I can't do this shit again. I aged ten fucking years in a week."
"I'm still kicking. And I have a lot of thinking and planning to do."
"Not tonight, man. Just take the fucking night. Summer is going to make herself sick if you sign out of here too fast. Give the woman a break. Lo said she hasn't been eating or sleeping. Let her fuss over you for one night. Then get back to shit."