“Got a name for me?” East shakes his head. “Look, I’m trying to help you here. Help me accomplish that by giving me a name. Who was he dicking?”
“Can’t say. Nickel liked his women like he liked his ice cream. New flavor every day of the week.”
“Right…well if you think of anything, here’s my card.” He reaches into his pocket and produces a business card. “You got my number.” He tucks the card into my palm and a strangled noise leaves East’s throat.
“Sure.” I give the detective a smile then hand the card to my husband. “Can we go upstairs now?” The detective moves off and East gives me a nod and a smile that says, ‘yeah, baby, let’s go to bed.’
**
Upstairs in East’s room at the clubhouse, I strip down to my bra and panties while he digs around in his dresser to find me a t-shirt to sleep in. Turning down the covers, I study my man and I can see it, he’s hurting. He lost someone he cared about tonight.
“This should do.” He hands me a black tee that has a whiskey logo on the pocket.
Unclasping my bra, I let it drop to the floor with the rest of my clothes. I slip the tee over my head and East cracks the window and lights up a cigarette. Normally I’d make a wisecrack but now isn’t the time. He needs his space and I give it to him. I crawl into bed and settle in the middle. If East wants to talk, he will. I want to ask him if he thinks Murder will give him a promotion, but I know now isn’t the time to press.
At eight years old, I thought this room was so big and cool because I thought it felt like being in a movie. A biker’s secret lair. I had been so silly then thinking I was on an adventure. It’s nothing more than a dresser, a worn couch, and a full-size bed with a lumpy old mattress.
I toss and turn trying to get comfortable on his bed and wonder when was the last time he slept here and who slept next to him. Was it Lynn? Is this where they conceived their child? I shouldn’t be tormenting myself with such thoughts but I’m having them, and it kills me. I wrestle with myself wanting to shut this shit down, but my brain won’t shut off. East is being quiet, and I can’t sleep. All I have are my thoughts.
“Doesn’t feel right,” he says after a spell. “Doesn’t feel real.”
“I’m sorry about Nickel.”
“Nickel was an idiot. Thought he was invincible. Thought that VP patch on his cut gave him a license to operate however he wanted consequences be damned, but if you play with fire enough you get burned. Murder’s been fed up with his shit. Had been for some time. But still he was one of ours. He didn’t deserve that.”
“Any idea who would do something like that? Are you sure it was a scorned husband?”
East shakes his head. “Shouldn’t be discussing this with you.” He flicks his cigarette out the window and closes it. Lifting his shirt over his head he then kicks off his boots and drops his pants. The light goes out and the bed dips with his weight. East hooks an arm around my waist and a thick heavy leg over mine. His warm breath washes over my ear. His thoughts are turning so fast in his head I can practically hear the innerworkings of those gears moving in his skull. “Got church early. Take you home after that. Sorry you had to see that shit.”
“I’m okay, East.” I wrap my fingers around his rough ones, bringing them to my lips. I kiss his fingertips, tasting the tobacco from his cigarette.
“Baby, don’t lie to me.”
I let out a sigh. “It’s just Pam said you’ll be next in line for VP and I’m scared.”
“Pam needs to shut her mouth. What happened to Nickel had nothing to do with club business. It was Nickel getting himself into a hole and sticking his cock where he shouldn’t.”
“So, she was right. You’ll be Vice Prez?”
“Murder has wanted to demote Nickel for a long damn time. Now he doesn’t have to so yeah it’s likely.”
“What’s this mean for you? I mean I know about the club but never paid attention to anyone’s roles.”
“Would be me handling more shit for Murder. Hopefully keep me home more, but never know. Let’s take things as they come.” He rolls over me, stroking my cheek. “Gimme’ that mouth, baby.” East claims my lips, kissing me soft, trying to escape the events of the night.
I’ll make him forget. At least for a while.
Chapter 23
Easton
“Fucking Nickel,” Murder growls as he continues with church. “All he did was save me the damn headache of calling him on his shit. We all know he had gone down a bad path. One he chose not to come back from. Bitch he’d started fucking and taking money from is married to a man we don’t need to make an enemy. There will be no retaliation or retribution. Nickel paid his debt with his life and we move on with our lives. We will honor him best by celebrating the man he was and the life he lived. I already made arrangements for his cremation as he had no family but us. I know we have the matter of naming his replacement. I think you’ll all stand with my decision to name East as my acting Vice Prez. All those in favor say aye. All opposed speak now.”
The room goes quiet. Murder goes around the table, resounding ayes fill the room.
Murder slaps me on the back and hands me my VP patch. Church comes to a close. It will be up to me to organize a ride in the spring in honor of Nickel. Weather isn’t permitting for it now. Came a hell of a snow last night. All I want to do is take Wylla Mae home and make her forget what she heard and saw last night
. That wasn’t how I expected her first night in the clubhouse as my Old Lady to go, but in a way its better she knows what she married. Not that she hasn’t been around the club but never in that capacity.