“I’m not. I’m not. I’m just a little behind. I don’t deserve to be cut.”
“You’re right,” Reese said. But he didn’t take the knife away. “You deserve to be shot. So, cutting this reminder into your hand is a favor.”
“Please, no, come on.”
Reese pressed the tip of the blade into Jefferson’s hand.
The door blasted open and Hawk stood there. “We got a problem, Prez.”
“What’s that?” Levi growled.
“Badges are here… looking for trouble.”
* * *
It was a fucking mess.
Reese stepped out of Jefferson’s office to see a handful of police officers running through the strip club with their guns drawn, shouting orders. Parker stood behind the bar, hands up, eyes wide. The girls on stage quickly covered their bare chests and just froze, unsure what to do. Brett and Jason were pressed up against the bar at the stage, their lives threatened. Hawk started to move toward them when another officer ordered him to stand still.
“What the fuck is this?” Reese asked Levi.
“Not sure,” Levi said. “Hey, Jefferson, what did you do here?”
“I don’t know,” Jefferson said. “This is you. You did this. Your MC.”
Reese saw Harvey moving through the mess of people. When Harvey spotted Reese, he drew his gun and came charging at him.
“Turn around!” Harvey ordered in his aged voice.
He and Winston were the old timers with the police. They understood more about the town than anyone else. While time pushed it forward into some cliché suburban bullshit life, Winston and Harvey had always been willing to work with the club. They were from back in the early days of the MC, when charters were forming around the original outlaw idea.
Harvey pushed Reese and said, “Don’t fuck around right now.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” Levi asked.
“Colt ordered it.”
“Of course he did,” Reese said. “Prick.”
“What right does he have?” Jefferson asked.
“Confidential,” Harvey said.
Reese turned around and faced off with Harvey. “Bullshit. You can’t just bust in here without cause.”
“Cause?” Harvey asked. “Weapons. Prostitution.”
“Garbage charges,” Jefferson said. “He’s shaking me down.”
“Punishing us,” Levi said.
“Just your friendly heads up,” Harvey said as he backed up a few steps.
“Heads up would have been a call, in advance,” Reese said.
“Didn’t have time. My advice? You clear out and if I take your guys in, I’ll let you know.”
Reese didn't like that. He didn’t like leaving anyone behind.