The Intuition - Debra Kayn Page 0,11

stopped and measured the length of the pole. "Now isn't the time to have that conversation."

"When will it be time?"

Trip peered down the fence line. "When the gate is on, and the property is secured."

Knowing he wouldn't get an answer, he strolled a few feet away and checked his phone. Trina had enough time to get to the bridge and should be walking up to the clubhouse any minute.

Johnny motioned him over to the steps of the clubhouse. He weaved his way through the crowd of locals mingling and waiting for the grills to heat up for the burgers and hot dogs that'd feed the crowd.

Stepping up to the top step, he turned and put his back to the building beside Johnny. Behind him, he could hear the clink of bottles inside the clubhouse as some of the members used their Friday night off to relax together.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"There are thirty-six members inside, half shit-faced." Johnny gazed out at the others. "The last thing the club needs is for them to come out and cause havoc with the locals."

Speeder slipped his hands into his pockets and rocked back on the heels of his boots. As an original, he was incapable of getting drunk.

He'd tipped back more alcohol than he could count, trying to escape something he failed to understand. It wasn't pain. It wasn't fear.

He'd lived through more torture and tests than humanly possible—but he'd survived. He'd witnessed others do the same.

No, he never got drunk and experienced the euphoria others achieved. All he'd done was throw up and get the alcohol out of his system.

He suspected the cocktail of drugs he took daily through the Alpha Bio Project made it impossible to alter his state more than it already was.

"We'll need to keep them inside." He searched the line of motorcycles in front of the building. "Is Franco, Rat, and Chip with them?"

"Rat's with them. Franco hasn't arrived yet. Chip is on the grill."

"Call Franco and spread the word around to the members who aren't partying." He stepped down. "I'll let the originals know."

"Prez isn't here," said Johnny.

He stopped. "Where is he?"

"Don't know." Johnny lowered his voice. "He questioned Trip about the fence earlier and took off."

"Fuck," he muttered. "Alright, let's get control here and get through tonight. Then, we'll deal with Trip."

"He's not one of us."

Speeder faced Johnny. "He is. You need to remember that."

Johnny's mouth tightened. Speeder left his MC brother standing guard in front of the doors and headed toward the others. He would always remain loyal to Trip.

While out of the Alpha Bio Project, Trip remained a patched-in member of Avery Falls MC. The originals had gone through everything together. More profound than his dedication to the project, he would never step away from one of his own.

Trip, Johnny, Hank, Keenan, Prez, they were his family. Even more so than his daughter, who he hadn't raised or known for most of his life.

"I don't like this." Johnny crossed his arms in front of his chest. "The controller wants us to run Avery Falls, and yet we have one of our own making decisions for the rest of us? We don't know what the consequences will be. It blows. I don't want to be re-trained."

There was one thing they hadn't talked about in a while. "Have you had any more changes?"

Johnny shook his head.

"Yeah, me neither," he whispered, catching sight of Trina on the road, approaching the clubhouse. He quickly took in the others with her. "What the fuck?"

"What?"

"Trina's with that woman who was in the wreck. Laurel Tower." He stayed on the step.

"What would she be doing here? She's not a local."

The only ones invited to the Friday get-togethers at the clubhouse were the locals. It was a way for them to approach any MC member and dissolve any grievances about the town and the trouble that came hand-in-hand with a hectic tourist season. That way, the rest of the week could be used for the Alpha Bio Project and running the town.

"I'll find out why she's here." He bounded off the steps and strode straight toward his daughter, meeting her at the edge of the parking lot.

Grabbing Trina's upper arm, he pulled her away from her friends and Laurel. His daughter was pushing the boundaries. With her punishment in place, she understood the only outing she could go to was the get-together because he had to attend, and he wasn't going to let her stay home alone.

He'd even allowed her to hang with