“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Mom said, catching me. “Who are you having these dreams about, boy?”
“Harley. I’ve been dreaming about Harley.”
“Then go and fuck her already,” Mom said, snatching the sheets from me. “Tomorrow, you’re doing them yourself.” She stuffed the soiled sheets into the washing machine and then dumped the detergent in, slammed the lid down, and turned it on. It looked simple enough.
It was giant blueberry muffins for breakfast this time. I got one and some coffee and sat down at the table.
Seth and I spent the morning getting more answers out of the kid, then we took a ride, and in the afternoon, we once again gathered everyone in the clubhouse to await Sophie’s arrival.
“What am I doing here, Tony?” Sophie asked, entering the clubhouse. She looked pissed, like I had interrupted her busy day to drag her down here. Well, I probably had.
“Your father betrayed us, so we need new leadership,” I explained.
“My father would never betray you. Kara made all that shit up. She cooked it up with the rival gang, the Blue Devils or whatever.”
“You think Kara made it up? You think Kara is in bed with the Blue Diablos?”
“I know she is. She had dealings with them before she left here for good. You can’t trust Kara. She’s the one who screwed you, not Maxum. The Blue Diablos weren’t necessarily allies, but they weren’t enemies either. Those who defected from the Midnight Saints joined them, so why is it such a big deal?”
“Okay, Kara did not make it up. We know for a fact Maxum screwed us. He isn’t the godly Preacher we all thought he was.” This wasn’t going like I thought at all. I figured she’d turn it down and then maybe she would help us get to her father, but I didn’t expect this. She even said she didn’t know where he was, so why would she side with him if he was running off?
“How dare you speak ill of my father! He hasn’t done anything wrong, and if he has, well, it can’t be entirely his fault. He got in with the wrong crowd, probably got in way over his head, and now he’s lost. He needs help.”
“He doesn’t need help. Sophie, he tried to kill me, and killed Devon in the process. He broke into our warehouse.”
“His warehouse?”
“He stole the money for the hospital. He tried to kill Seth and his girl. The man we knew and loved is gone. Look, we’re on the brink of a war, a war your father started. Now, we need new leadership, and since Kara is throwing her name in the ring, I thought it was only fair to let you do the same. Sophie, I asked you here because I want to offer you a bid to be Prez.”
“Why would you think I would ever want to be Prez? I want nothing to do with this. I’m in law school, I’m trying to better myself so I don’t end up like my mother. You want a female Prez, then go with Kara. She’ll fuck you over in the end, but hey, at least she’ll look good doing it.”
“Why are you so hell bent against Kara? What did she ever do to you?” I couldn’t believe I was coming to her defense once more, but Sophie’s anger did seem unfounded.
Sophie had been taken in by Preach when she was just a child. Her mother had been a church member with a hell of a lot of problems, and Sophie needed a new family to help her grow up and live a better life. Preach offered that, essentially adopting her and making her Kara’s sister. Kara’s problem with her, I thought, had always been jealousy. Preach doted on Sophie in a way he didn’t Kara, called Kara a rebel, a traitor, a whore. Some of those names she earned, some she didn’t.
But Sophie had little reason to hate Kara. Kara had never attacked her directly. All she did was leave.
“Nothing,” she admitted. “But she’s a bitch. Daddy always said so. She’s a whore and a disgrace to our family.”
“Your father was no saint. He is the one who is a disgrace to your family. He was no godly man, Sophie. He hid behind the holy cloth and did lots of misdeeds, and Kara did not make up this shit. Your father has been lying to you, and sooner or later you’ll learn the truth, the same way we did.”
“No, Tony, sooner or later you’ll realize who is really behind it all, and if you make her your Prez, you’re the biggest fool in the world. Don’t call me again.”
“Wait, Sophie, I need you to set up a meeting with your father.”
“I’m not going to help you set him up. You and Kara can play your stupid games without me. Don’t call me again.” With that, she stomped out.
“How’d it go?” Austin asked.
“She’s a real piece of work. I can see why Kara hates her. She has Maxum’s back, so we can’t trust her. She refuses to believe Maxum is bad. She thinks Kara made the shit up. She thinks Kara is in bed with the Blue Diablos.”
“She’s just got the MCs mixed up. She’s not part of this world, so she doesn’t understand it. It was a mistake to try to bring her in. Kara understands this world, even better than we thought she did. Sophie would be no help when it came to this war. I don’t know what you were thinking. Now, what about meeting with Maxum?”
“She won’t help us set him up. She’s got his back, not ours. I better go find Kara and unruffle some of those feathers I helped ruffle. Then, we’ll hold the vote.
