The brothers were already loading the guns onto the truck, ready to take them to a secure warehouse that he used as a front for storage. They wouldn’t stay too long in his possession.
He’d learned long ago that to keep the law off your back, you had to move shit quickly. Don’t allow anyone to get too cozy having shit lying around.
Standing back, he waved the brothers off. Their lights glowed in the distance until they disappeared.
“Sweet is ready,” Grant said.
“Then get them moved,” Bull said. “Let me know when they’ve landed.”
He stepped back into the main reception, which strangely smelled like his new employee.
Maddie had been so freaking happy to get this job.
“I had no idea you had a thing for Maddie French,” Grant said, entering the reception room.
Bud and Rip, who’d been sitting in the waiting chairs, got up and left.
Bull turned toward his brother. “What is it to you?” he asked. “I don’t recall ever asking you who you’re into.”
“That’s because I’m into all chicks. You know they want too much of me to give it away.”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“You know she’s never going to go for you, don’t you?” Grant asked.
Bull stared at his brother. The split lip clearly hadn’t affected him. After he heard what Grant was calling Maddie, he’d been so pissed. His brother should consider himself lucky that it was only one punch, not the multiple blows he wished to make. Grant was still his brother and he had promised him many years ago when they were kids that he would always protect him. There were times though that Grant didn’t need protecting. He needed his ass royally kicked.
“I don’t recall asking for your opinion.”
“Oh, come on. I know this kind of woman. Maddie is a good girl, Bull. She is the kind of girl who has to bring the nice boy home to mommy.”
“Then clearly you don’t know everything about Maddie, do you?”
“What?”
“Her parents are dead. Have been for some time now. She’s all alone. There’s no parent for her to idolize.”
“Shit, man, that don’t change anything.”
“I’m done with this conversation with you. When you’re here and Maddie is here, you’ll treat her with respect, am I understood?” Bull asked.
“You can do so much better than her.”
“Am I understood?” He had no choice but to raise his voice as he repeated his question. He hated saying the same thing twice, and it would only ever be Grant who got away with it.
“Fine. I will be nice to her, but don’t go holding your breath that she’s going to look at you like you’re a fucking god.”
Grant stormed out of the reception area.
The boys had already started to leave, but as usual, Pat stayed behind and entered the reception desk. “You know you’re going through a lot of changes for this woman, Bull.”
“Has Grant got you all questioning my motives?”
“Not questioning them, man, just making sure you know what you’re doing. The matters of the heart interfere with the head more often than people realize.”
“I know what I’m doing.” If they became too comfortable with having the shipment in the same place, cops figured it out.
The gun runs were an extension of the deal he made in order to keep Chaos and Carnage out of debt. His and Grant’s old man had nearly run the club into the ground. There was no telling what would have happened to it if he hadn’t taken over when he had. The club wouldn’t have lasted.
His father had been reckless with the club, with the men’s lives. He had them into drugs, women, and everything that earned a quick buck, but could also send them all away for the rest of their lives. Just knowing what their father had done for money sickened Bull.
Grant didn’t know the full extent of it either. Not many of the guys did. They knew some of it, and some had an idea, but again, they were happy to be ignorant of the truth.
He rubbed at his temples. He didn’t have the first clue what he was doing with Maddie.
Seeing her at the diner with the pancakes that had become a signature for Carl after Valentine’s Day, he knew he had to help her.
It made no sense. They weren’t together. They had spoken more in the past week than before he offered her the job. She wasn’t his responsibility and yet, he’d been unable to walk away from her.
“I’m heading back to the clubhouse,” Pat said. “My not sleep won’t happen by itself.”
Bull burst out laughing.
Pat never slept well. The guy tried to, but he’d long given up the notion of sleeping well, so his new normal was bad sleep.
Closing up the reception office and the shop, he then made his way toward the main gate and locked it up.
Tomorrow was Sunday. He didn’t get a chance to see Maddie on a Sunday, and he didn’t like how fucking alone that made him feel.