Road Tripped (Satan's Devils MC Utah #1) - Manda Mellett Page 0,160
can control him?”
“Yeah, Drum.” But Snatcher’s expression suggests he’s not so sure.
“Send him out bad,” Demon growls. “He’s no Satan’s Devil. What’s our motto? We fuckin’ ride together. Ride. Together. Yet he’s a loose cannon and does what he wants and doesn’t trust the other chapters. We can’t afford to have someone like him as a member.”
“I agree,” Lost says, looking disgusted.
Red grimaces and says, “I’m afraid I do too.”
“This club is all I’ve got.” Stormy tries to put his case forward. Seeing how he’s acted since I’ve been here, I’m surprised he wants to stay part of it.
Swift fidgets beside me, then tentatively raises her hand. When Drummer nods at her, she speaks.
“Stormy’s got issues, fuck knows what they are, but though he doesn’t always show it, he lives for the club. He needs us, but I think he’s forgotten how much. You say he shouldn’t be a member, well, I agree with that.” Stormy’s full on glaring at her by this point. “Why not bounce him back down to prospect? Give him six months. Let him reprove his loyalty to the brotherhood. Let him remember what it’s like to be one for all and not all for one. If he can’t do it and fails to regain our trust, then he’s out.”
“Out bad,” Lost grumbles.
“Swift’s made a good suggestion. I for one, could live with that.” Red looks at her admiringly.
A slow grin spreads across Drummer’s face. “Knew there was a reason we allowed women members,” he starts, pausing for the laughter that follows. “Demon and Lost were the ones wronged. If they’re happy with that suggestion, then I’ll go along with it.”
Stormy’s mouth drops open. I can’t see why he’s upset. Sure, six months being at everyone’s beck and call isn’t anything anyone would volunteer for, but it’s better than being sent out bad, or losing your life.
“I could go for that on the condition he gets a beatdown,” Demon suggests after giving it some thought.
Drummer eyes the men standing, and slowly a smirk appears on his face. “I’ve got a feeling we can leave that to the Utah members. And if anyone’s thinking of holding their punches, Stormy came close to losing you your charter.”
From the sounds around me, Stormy is in for a world of hurt. To my mind, he deserves the lesson he’s going to receive.
“Right. Prospect.” Drummer jerks his chin toward, and then pointedly to the door. “Leave us. Prospects are not allowed in church.” Drummer’s smirk broadens as he reminds him. Stormy, taken by surprise, opens his mouth as if he’s going to say something, then he snaps it back shut. While multiple pairs of narrowed eyes stare at him, slowly he places his palms on the tabletop and pushes himself to his feet. He throws a glare toward Swift, then goes to the door and opens it. It slams loudly behind him.
Drummer brushes his hand down his beard. “You sure you can control him, Snatcher?” But it seems he’s not expecting an answer, as he moves on. “Now we come to Road.”
Momentarily, Swift’s hand lands on my thigh and squeezes it.
“Road lied by omission.” Drummer’s eyes hold mine. “I sent Road to Utah as I sensed something was wrong in this chapter. As soon as Road arrived, he should have told me everything.”
“Er, I had his phone. I was the one texting you, Drummer.”
“I know that, Pip. I’m not fuckin’ stupid. But you gave him his phone back, and he still kept quiet.” He lets that sink in for a moment. “What have you got to say for yourself, Road?”
I lean forward, placing my clasped hands on the table. “My initial reaction was to clue you in, Drummer. But Pip asked me to give Utah a chance, to see what happens here. Once I knew Stormy had been responsible for those hits, I knew there’d be a fuckin’ shitstorm. Then I went out on a hostage rescue and knew I couldn’t be responsible for that type of good work having to stop. I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I didn’t know what your reaction would be, or what would happen if you split the chapter up.”
“In other words, you didn’t trust me. You didn’t come to me and talk it out.”
I huff. “To be honest, I got a little tied up.”
“Quite literally,” Bolt puts in, which starts a few chuckling, adding under his breath, “Hog-tied,” making Honor and Duty snort.