softly and shakes his head before he continues, “Monster’s far worse than even you know. When he snaps? It’s over. I wouldn’t wanna be on the receivin’ end of what he’s offerin’ up when he snaps darlin’.”
I eye Viking for a long second before I nod.
“I hear what you’re saying. I really do, and I appreciate the concern. I don’t want to leave him Viking. It’s the exact opposite of that, but I created this problem.”
“No. It’s not just you. We have another chapter near your hometown that fucked him over. He wants revenge. Whether you go in alone or you go in with us, we’re still goin’ in. You might think that over before you just split.”
“I have so many ghosts,” I whisper softly.
“Sit with me yeah?”
I’m torn. I want to run. I want to do what I need to do, but I nod my head and follow him to the bar instead. I sit on the stool when he slides me a drink and then grabs one for himself. I watch him as he comes around the bar to sit on the stool next to me.
“Only one person knows this story, and he’s dead. I was young. I wanted everything. This life was what I wanted, and I yearned for it. The first time I met a Bastard was down in Mexico. They were on a run down there and it went south. They were ambushed near their safe house. I just happened to be wanderin’ by there when it happened. The lady that lived in the house kept it up. Her name was Lupita,” he says as he looks off into the distance remembering the past.
“Was?” I ask Viking as he pulls his gaze back to mine with a nod.
“Yeah, was. She was killed a while ago. Anyway I was there when they got ambushed. I was right outside her house. They did a good job takin’ most of them out, but they also got their Prez shot. He was dyin’ while they were fightin’. I found him. He looked up at me and handed me a gun. He was fadin’ quickly ya know? He was shot somethin’ like four times I think. It was a fuckin’ mess. Lupita came out cryin’. She loved those guys like they were her own. His name was Tanker. He looked up at me and asked me to take away his pain. He asked me to fuckin’ kill him.”
I gasp and cover my mouth with my hand. Tears are filling my eyes. I’m suddenly very aware of how he came to be the president here.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell him.
He shakes his head, takes a long pull from his beer, and then continues, “He begged me. I took the gun from him and held it in my hands. I pressed it to his head. He gave me a nod and I did it. I took away his pain. Lupita cried, but when the other guys got back they were pissed. Their Prez was dead. Lupita told them that I did it. At first they were angry, but when she explained that he asked for it and their VP voted me in. No questions asked. No probation period. They said if I had the balls to end it for him that I was in.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask as I wipe tears from my cheek.
“Because you’re not much different than me. You did what you had to do because it needed to be done. I was haunted. Literally. I was a fuckin’ mess. My head was so fucked up, but we came back home and I settled in. I was who I was supposed to be in this life. Monster needs that in his life. He’s been haunted by shit for so many years now. Do you really want to take away the only happiness he’s had and steal it away from him? Ask yourself if he really deserves that.”
With that Viking stands up and walks away as I lay my head down on the table and just cry. I understand what he’s saying. I really do, but how do I finish this? How do I keep him and finish what my dad started so many years ago? Just the fact that he’s still out there looking for me and knows that I’m around is haunting me. Hands land on my shoulders. I jump, raise my head, then turn around.
“I get that you think you need to run Kyza.