We got back to the club about an hour ago and Shiloh’s been on a sweeping spree, getting the cleaning done like she normally does at the clubhouse. I just watched her walk into the kitchen, so I’m sure she’s doin’ some deep cleanin’ in there too.
Zane comes up and takes a seat next to me on the sectional, eyes darting toward the kitchen and back to me. “You been spendin’ a lot of time with Shi lately. Got anything to tell me?”
I cackle at his questions. “Nothin’ you haven’t already figured out. You’re not a dummy.”
“Depends on who you ask. Octavia and Inc tell me I act stupid from time to time.”
“Don’t we all?”
At that, we both laugh and he leans against the back of the couch, relaxing a little bit more. “Is she goin’ with you down to Los Angeles?” I should’ve expected this question, but I haven’t even talked to her about it. I don’t know if she wants to leave Billings, considerin’ it’s her second home and all.
“We haven’t talked about it yet.”
“You need to. Breaker’s askin’ me when you’ll be there, and I tell him after everything with your dad settles down. Family is above everything else, and I’ve told him that.”
One thing I respect more than anything when it comes to Zane is how determined he is to make sure we all know we’ll never have to make a choice many do. Your family, or the club. The Reapers Rejects MC are the first people to ever tell me to put my family first, sayin’ we can handle anything. Other club members aren’t as lucky. Some Prez’s eighty-six you for even needing to take time.
“Thanks for lettin’ him know what’s goin’ on and buyin’ me some time.”
“No thanks are needed. If it were me, I’d want to be here too.” Zane’s dad has been dead for a few years now and every one of us here feels the lack of his presence every day. I only hope Fist is lookin’ down and is proud of Zane for leadin’ the club through some hard times.
“I feel you there. So, we haven’t had a second to talk the last few days.”
“Something on your mind?” Zane asks.
“Yeah, wonderin’ if you found anythin’ else out after what Razor and I got for you.” Zane now knows the General was only a second in command, while the person in charge of the entire operation is someone known as the Commander.
“Yeah, haven’t called church yet, though. I was gonna go over it all when we were altogether, but I’ll tell you we traced some shit back to Canada. We don’t have many allies up there, so I called Boss and she’s speaking to Cowboy to see if he ever heard the name around.” Cowboy is Boss’ ol’ man, and he used to be the Prez of Calgary, but they’re in the process of moving their second clubhouse to Boston.
“Hopefully, she calls you back with some sort of answer.”
“Yeah, I’m hopeful she will, but I don’t have a good feelin’. Whoever this is . . . I think they wanted people to think the General was in charge. You know what I mean?”
I nod, understanding exactly what he’s sayin’. “It’s smart to do what they did.”
“I was thinkin’ the same thing,” Zane admits, lookin’ at me for a second before Inc walks in the front door of the clubhouse. He looks right at Zane and his eyes don’t waver. “I gotta go get my dick sucked, but I’ll keep you in the loop. Just don’t say shit to anyone yet.”
“Alright,” I reply back as I rise, heading toward the kitchen.
Shiloh’s in there and Sydney’s helping her clean, and as they’re laughing, smiling with one another, I come to realize these two must have a pretty special bond. Sydney’s mom was really close with Shiloh, so I bet she’s got some good stories for this young lady. A young lady who’ll be graduating from high school in no time.
Fuck, it feels so weird. Dex and Sydney have grown up in the blink of an eye. It’s what it feels like, at least, and everyone else is havin’ kids. I remember when Noelle was a newborn, and while I might not have been in the club, I saw her cartin’ that baby around town. Now she’s what, nine or ten years old?
Time flies by. As a kid, I remember bein’ in school it felt like a million years, but it goes so quick. “I need to go. I told Jordyn and Nova I’d help them with their statistics homework tonight. I’ll see you around, though, and it was nice chatting with you.” Sydney tells Shiloh as she turns around and sees me. “Oh, hey Hammer. How’s your dad?”
“He’s hangin’ in there. Thanks for askin’, sweetheart.”
Sydney shoots me a sweet smile before she passes me and I clear my throat. My conversation with Zane brought up a good point and it’s not like I can just not bring it up. I’ll be leaving soon, and I need to talk to her about it. I need to see where we’re headed and somehow convince her to come with me if she doesn’t want to go.
I go to the fridge and pull out a beer for me and a Smirnoff screwdriver for Shiloh. She glances down at what I have in my hand and her tight-lipped expression turns into a full-on grin. “I’m shocked you know what I like.”
“I know exactly what you like,” I tease her, motioning with my head for her to follow me. She comes up beside me and I open the bottles for us, handing her
