“Course you think that,” Clutch said. “You’ve never seen war.”
Rutt was a relatively new member. I remembered when he was a pledge only a couple months earlier. He didn’t know shit about war.
“So?” he asked. “Doesn’t mean I won’t die for my club.”
“Nobody’s dying,” I said, “so shut the fuck up, Rutt.”
“What’s your problem, Ford?” he asked. “You suddenly a fucking pussy?”
I stared at him and then stood up. Clutch laughed at Rutt and Thade shook his head. I walked over to Rutt and stared him down. “Motherfucker, what did you say?”
“You just seem hesitant about all this is all I’m saying.”
I smashed my head directly into his face. He fell back off his stool, clutching his nose. He made to get up and come at me, but I slugged him once in the jaw, knocking him back down.
“Watch yourself, Rutt,” I said. “Few guys in this club ever drew more blood than me.”
Clutch laughed again, and I returned to my spot at the bar, feeling even more angry than usual. Normally smashing someone’s face like that would put me in a good mood, but for some reason that just wasn’t happening. I kept seeing Tyson getting gunned down for no good reason, kept seeing the bullets fly.
I wanted revenge, and I wanted it badly. I wasn’t interested in getting drunk and talking shit in the clubhouse. I wanted to get on the road and fuck some guys up.
But I had more to think about than just that.
“Careful,” Thade said to me. “Larkin isn’t going to give you a pass forever.”
I shrugged. “Whatever, man. He deserved it.”
Rutt had walked off to the bathroom to plug up his bloody nose.
“Yeah, he did,” Clutch said. “But now’s maybe not the time to fight each other, eh, Ford?”
I gave him a look but said nothing.
“Did I hear you’re getting married?” Spoil asked.
“Who fucking told you that?”
“Larkin. Told us boys to show up early tomorrow for the ceremony.”
“Fuck,” I said. “Yeah, it’s tomorrow.”
“We knew it was happening, but man, tomorrow?” Clutch laughed. “Your life is over, man.”
“You’re locked into one pussy forever,” Thade said. “Fate worse than death.”
“Not like it’s fucking real,” I said. “It’s to keep the girl safe.”
“Still, you’re a man of your word,” Thade said. “You’ll stick it out if you have to.”
“Yeah, Ford. We never thought we’d see you saddled with an old lady,” Spoil added.
“Like I said, not my choice. It’s to protect the girl from the other clubs.”
Clutch nodded. “If there’s a time someone needs to be protected, it’s definitely now.”
I held up my glass. “Cheers to fuckin’ that.” I drained it and TomTom poured me anther one.
“What I don’t get,” Thade said, “is why the fucking Mexicans started running like that.”
“Because they were getting shot at,” Clutch said. “Usually people fucking run from bullets.”
“Yeah, can’t say I wanted to stick around,” Spoil added.
I looked at Thade, frowning. I had noticed something weird about the Mezcals too, but at the time I hadn’t thought too much about it. I was distracted by Caralee and thinking about the upcoming fight.
But he was right. It was strange the way they just took off like that. They weren’t taking much fire from the Snakes and were hardly shooting back. They really just up and left us there to get gunned down.
I looked at Thade, frowning. “It is weird,” I said finally.
“Come on,” Clutch said, “you think it’s some conspiracy?”
“Anything’s possible in a war,” Thade said.
“Wasn’t a war then.”
“Was, we just didn’t know about it,” I said. “Look, you guys can’t deny that it was weird the way the Mexicans just up and ran.”
“They were barely getting shot at,” Thade said.
I nodded at him. “I’m with Thade on this one. I think it was strange.”
Spoil shrugged. “Go tell Larkin, then. He oughtta know.”
“Fine.” I slammed back my drink and stood. “Save my fucking seat. It’s my last night as a free man.”
The boys laughed as I stalked off to Larkin’s office. I knocked on the door and waited for him to call me in before opening it and stepping inside.
The man looked haggard. Normally he was unflappable, but it had been a long fucking day. He was dealing with Tyson’s family, dealing with the war, the club. Guy had a lot of shit on his mind.
“What do you want, Ford?” he asked. “You’re marrying tomorrow. I don’t care if you smashed Rutt’s face.”
I laughed. “Heard about that already?”
“Saw the guy in the fucking toilet. Wasn’t happy with you.”
“I’m here about what happened,” I said.
“I’m listening.”
I took a deep breath. “I think the Mezcals might be involved.”
“Why?” He peered at me over his glasses.
“Thade saw it too. They acted weird today, just up and ran when the shooting started. It was like the Snakes weren’t aiming for the Mexicans at all, almost like the Mexicans knew it was coming, too.”