Doing as instructed, Viper ripped the lockbox open to find a single letter. “It’s addressed to all of us.”
“Read it, Viper,” Reaper ordered.
Viper opened the letter and began.
Hello boys,
If you are reading this, that means shit finally hit the fan. Prepare yourselves, but life in the Golden Skulls is about to get bloody. Nothing that none of you are unaccustomed to.
I know that as you read this letter, many of you will be pissed, and some of you may want to kill. But please don’t. You have bigger fish to fry. What I am about to tell you has nothing to do with you. Every one of you is just a victim, like me. How we survived, I will never know. So, get rid of any weapons you have on you, and try to listen.
I will start at the beginning.
The Golden Skulls was created back in the early sixties by a man named Xavier Goldman, not William Doherty, as you all believe. Goldman was the best friend of William Doherty. Both men served in the military during the Vietnam War, and when they both returned home, Goldman started the club. Goldman wanted a club where servicemen and civilians could come together and join a brotherhood without any incriminations of their past. He wanted a family, and it was for a short time before William Doherty, and the five other original members murdered Goldman and took over the club.
Goldman knew his life was on borrowed time. So, he instituted a contingency plan. When he died, that was enacted. I will get to that later in this letter. Right now, you need to know this.
When William took over, everything changed. The club was no longer about a brotherhood. That picture that William keeps in his safe, of the seven men standing before their bikes, those men are the original members. Goldman is the man standing to William’s right.
Now, this is where everything gets tricky.
When the original members killed Goldman and William took over, the remaining members split. Each man was driven by their own greed and desires but with one primary purpose. To control the narrative. What I mean by that is that each man infiltrated, coerced, seduced, murdered, and did what they had to acquire the status of their standings somewhere within the government.
That’s right boys. This whole mess is about power.
Those who have it and those who don’t.
Before you can go after the remaining original members, you first need to clean house. There are those within the Golden Skulls that are still loyal to the original six. Those people need to be removed. The biggest threat is Caroline Doherty. She was the wife of James Doherty, but she was also the fuck buddy of William Doherty.
James Doherty was never supposed to be the President of the Golden Skulls. When William died, his first-born son, Angelo, was supposed to take over, but Caroline made sure that would never happen by framing Angelo for a murder he didn’t commit.
Sorry, Max. I didn’t want you to find out this way, but James Doherty is not your father. Your biological father is William Doherty. Your mother seduced and ensured your rise to power within the club because she needed the position as the Prez’s ol’Lady and the mother of the President to bring down the club within. And she almost succeeded, too, until Goldman’s contingency plan stopped her. Since then, Caroline has been working with Angelo to wreak as much trouble she could to bring down the club. The FBI raid a few months ago, that was Caroline.
The reason she wants the Golden Skulls destroyed is that the club eviscerated her family. She and her brother were the only remaining survivors when the Skulls went to war with the Black Vultures. Her brother is now the President of the Black Vultures, Vain. Caroline infiltrated and solidified her position within the Golden Skulls by sleeping her way to the top and framing James Doherty with her pregnancy with you, Max. William knew he was the father, and with Angelo in jail, William knew that you Max would one day rule the Skulls. When James figured out her diabolical plan, he started to fix things in the club until you had him killed.
Sorry Max, but you killed the wrong person. You should have killed your mother. That bitch is the reason the club is so fucked up.
Now, I know you have many questions, but you only need to know this. Caroline Doherty is in league with Angelo Capribella. Together their primary purpose is to eradicate the Skulls. Caroline, because the club killed her family. Angelo, because he was denied what was rightfully his. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with. They have many avenues to ensure their success, but you guys have an ace up your sleeve…Goldman.
Xavier Goldman was a good man. An honest man. He loved the Golden Skulls and the family that was created. Before he died, he had someone he trusted to take his wife and son away. The club and other players have never been able to find them. Xavier Goldman is my biological grandfather. The night I was born, my mother just didn’t give birth to me. She had fraternal twins. One boy. One girl. I was raised with my mother while my twin was whisked away to safety. Apparently, having a penis is more important, even today.
Now, before you all go off half-cocked and start shooting everyone, find Caroline Doherty. Kill her and then clean house. You need to get Layla to safety, fast. If Diablo finds her, he will have leverage. I am searching for my twin. I have reason to believe he has information we need to bring down this whole house of cards. Be careful, though. Not everyone can be trusted and watch your back.
And Dylan, you know what to do. Bring Savage, Smoke, and Jake with you. I will need their unique skill set. I am waiting for you at the place where the Bells of Hell ring.
See you soon.
Kitty.
Nobody moved.
Nobody said a word.
The silence in the room was palpable.
I looked over at Reaper. He was about to blow, and God help all of us. I knew Kitty knew some shit, but not fucking this.
Holy fuck!