That’s why he held his ground and asked for Devlin, while technically the man indeed didn’t need to be present for this talk. In their dog-eat-dog world, him sticking to his guns was more respected than being compliant, like some pansy-ass bitch. Even though Zeus made a point of having the last say in the matter.
Devlin meandered into the room and Dragon closed the door behind him, taking back his spot at the wall behind Ronan.
“Hey, man. You wanted to talk about something?” Devlin said, sitting down next to Demon. If someone told him the two of them were also brothers by blood, he would have believed them.
Demon brought a hand through his half-length black hair and said, “Okay. Out with it.”
If these hardened men were in on selling drugs and marked him as a threat to their business because of his next words, this meeting could end up being his last. His gut told him he could trust Devlin. He’d hung out with him and Zeus frequently over the past few years. He’d been fighting in the club’s fight club for almost a decade now.
He took a deep breath, deciding to go all in and give these men the respect they deserved by bringing them up to speed.
“A little birdy told me it’s snowing right on the club’s doorstep.”
Ronan glanced around the room and only Devlin showed his surprise by saying, “Fuckin’ Hell.”
In all his years of dealing with the MC, Ronan had almost never heard one of the men voice their thoughts in the presence of an outsider. And while Devlin acted surprised, he got the distinct impression that Demon and Zeus were not.
“Did your little birdy say anything else?” Demon asked him while cracking his knuckles in front of his face with his elbows resting on the tabletop. It irked the fuck out of Ronan.
“That the person who’s spreading this snow all over town got it from your club. He’s the one who stabbed me. But you probably already knew that.”
Zeus rumbled, “We didn’t. You’ll need to give us more info, Ro.”
Ronan wasn’t about to get involved any more than he already was and wanted to leave it with his cryptic line about snow on the club’s doorstep.
For fuck’s sake, their own VP was the one meeting with Hank every Wednesday in that filthy alley. He still couldn’t be sure if the rest of them weren’t in on it. He needed to get a feel of the club after he’d dropped this bomb.
From what he could tell, the club’s Enforcer and Sergeant-at-Arms weren’t all that surprised. This could be bad for Ronan if they thought he had messed up their dealings with Hank.
“Nah. That’s all I got,” Ronan said, and he stood from the table. A firm hand on his shoulder pushed him back down again. He allowed it. For now.
“Have a seat. Zeus hadn’t said anything about being done,” Dragon said from behind him.
He’d been afraid that it would come to this. “Look. I’m not a member of the MC. I’m not even a hangaround. I respect your club and I’m willin’ to go a long way with you, but if this fucker doesn’t take his filthy hand from my shoulder within the next three seconds, I’m going to slam my fist into his windpipe.”
Demon actually laughed from across the table. Said hand left his shoulder and Ronan grumbled, “Good. I have something else to tell you. I’m quitting the fight club. I’m done with everything. I’ve got a woman now and I’m not willing to risk her safety. So this,” he whirled his index finger around the room, “Has to stay far away from me and mine.”
“Who’s the broad?” Dragon asked.
“Non of your business,” he spat over his shoulder.
“Is it my sister?” Devlin leaned in on his under arms that rested on the tabletop. If he hadn’t kicked his arse a few times before, he might have been shitting himself by the look Devlin gave him.
And for the second time this evening, something happened that actually surprised Ronan. When he glanced over next to Devlin, he witnessed Demon fighting hard to keep his restraint.
While his nostrils flared and his cold gray eyes glared at him, Demon said in a carefully controlled tone of voice, “Catriona?”
Ronan laughed as it only fitted this beast of a man to fall for the little spitfire that could even take on Ryleigh in the ring. Catriona Walker not only fought dirty, she had a dirty mouth to go with it as she swore like a sailor.
The twenty-year-old didn’t even weigh a hundred-twenty-pounds, but he was sure by the look of it she had Demon by his balls. He couldn’t believe that this thirty-something-year-old Club Enforcer had the hots for his club brother’s younger sister.
“No. One of my half-sisters: Fianna.”
Ronan heard Devlin talk but watched closely for Demon’s reaction. When the smallest puff of breath escaped his lips, Ronan knew he got him pegged. Ronan cocked his head, and an understanding passed between Demon and him. He wouldn’t say anything, as it was clear that Demon rather not spread the word about whatever he felt about Catriona.
He wondered if Demon would go there with Catriona once she would turn twenty-one. He figured that was the reason why he hadn’t laid his claim, as she obviously held the man’s interest.
“Fair enough. I reckon you’re out for months to recover from your surgery, anyway,” Demon said.