“Just to say, we got a room at the Halcyon tonight. You guys need some alone time. And after today, we could use some space to let loose.”
Rush stopped by the bar because that was big shit.
They trusted him with Rebel.
“You know I don’t mind,” he reminded Diesel.
“I know, bro,” Diesel replied. “But we’re crampin’ your style, her style, and doin’ it’s cramping our style.”
If they’d been holding back, he didn’t want to know.
“The night. We’ll hook up again tomorrow to take the day shift. Yeah?” Diesel went on.
“Yeah. Thanks, Diesel.”
“You gonna be long?” he asked. “Rebel’s asking. She wants to know if we should go out, buy shit so she can make you dinner.”
Rush thought of the phone call he got from his dad, asking him to meet him at the Compound. So he was at the Compound, but he didn’t know what this was about.
“I don’t know. I’ll text when this is done,” he told him.
“Cool, later, man,” Diesel said.
“Later. And when I get there, don’t plan to leave right away. I’d like to hear what you two got up to with Sixx.”
There was deep humor in his, “You totally wanna hear it. Figure it’ll make your year.”
He could use his year made.
Then again, meeting Rebel, even with all this shit swirling, it felt like that already happened.
“Great. Later, Diesel.”
“D.”
“What?” Rush asked.
“Good friends, family call me D, brother,” Diesel said low.
He had no idea how he earned that.
Then again, he didn’t hide he was into their sister, wanted her safe, and was totally down with who and how they were.
So maybe he did know.
“Right, D. Later.”
“Later, bro.”
They hung up and Rush moved to the door that would lead him to the meeting room.
When he hit that room, he saw his father at the end of the table in his usual seat with a laptop open, a bunch of papers spread out, an opened bottle of beer and a spent one in front of him, head down.
Shit happening, business still needed to be seen to. Five stores, five garages and the custom shop, books had to get done, bills had to be paid, checks had to be cut. Tyra was a big help, but when it came down to the final business, the eyes on it had to be directly Chaos.
His dad.
Tack looked up at him, putting a pen down. “Yo, Rush, wanna grab a beer before we talk?”
Rush shook his head, moving to the chair next to him, Hop’s normal place.
“Not to be a dick, wanna get this done. Got some extra shuteye this morning, but Diesel and Maddox are hittin’ a hotel tonight. Means I can have some quiet time with Rebel. We haven’t had any of that, and I want some of it.”
Tack nodded, reaching out to nab his own beer as Rush took his seat.
Tack threw back a swallow, put the beer down and leveled his eyes on Rush.
“Meet tomorrow with Valenzuela, you’re goin’ in with me,” he announced.
Rush instantly went alert.
“It’s taking place in Ally Nightingale’s conference room,” Tack carried on. “Neutral ground. Knight, Rhash, Valenzuela, you and me. In case Valenzuela plans to do something stupid, Hound’ll have the underground parking garage covered. Snap and High’ll be on their bikes, riding the perimeter of the building. Hop’s comin’ up but standing sentry outside the offices. Shy’s got the lobby. The other brothers will be close and on alert.”
“Why’m I goin’ in with you?” Rush asked.
Tack sat back. “Because it’s time, son.”
“Time for what?”
“We’ve got the bones.”
Rush expelled a long breath like someone had landed one in his gut, but the blow had hit slowly.
And letting out that air felt good.
“Your girl’s brother, his man and their friend delivered them to us a few hours ago. They’re now in a pit with lye. It’s done,” Tack declared.
Apparently, D and Maddox did have something to celebrate.
They all did.
Good Christ.
Christ.
Rush allowed the relief of that to filter for a beat before he asked, “How’d they pull that off?”
“It was her way, I’d ask that woman to recruit the Club. First female to wear a patch. She’s somethin’ else.”
The little he saw, what Diesel and Maddox said, he was getting that.
Still.
“That doesn’t explain how she pulled it off.”
“She made friends with Mamá Nana.”
There it was.
Slowly, Rush smiled.
“So she’s a miracle worker,” he noted, having met Mamá Nana twice in his life.
Once when he was a kid, and she’d given him a warm smile and a bag of Mexican candy.