Looking around the room, I wait for someone else to speak, but everyone is pretty quiet still.
Then Mountain clears his throat. “What are the options? We can’t let him back in the fold, no matter what. Even if I respect him a little more than I feel like I fucking should.”
“Agreed,” I say, nodding my head.
“How do we know he’s not spying for the Donkey Punchers the way he did for us?” Hawk asks. “Or that she isn’t? That they aren’t in on it together. She’s the princess of the whole fuckin’ club.”
As someone who hasn’t been around much and literally came walking right back in, I’m surprised he even has an opinion on the matter. Then there’s the fact that the Punchers fucked with his own fucking family, and Jaguar was there for that. I’m surprised he didn’t kill him in Cali.
“Take his phone away, keep a tail on him, make him prospect again,” Coyote suggests. “She doesn’t have a phone, came with just the clothes on her back, nothing else.”
I look over at him, my brows raised in surprise. Not only because the idea isn’t half bad but also because he hardly has anything to say when we’re in church. He sticks to himself, sticks to his Old Lady who lives just a few feet away from the clubhouse on the grounds.
“That’s not bad,” Taz says. “Look, we’re all pissed at Jaguar. But it’s been a while and he was telling the truth about everything. Worm even saw what they did to that other girl.”
“What happens when he loses his shit again?” Wolfe mutters. “What happens when he doesn’t get his way and loses his fucking mind?”
There are rumbles and grumbles from the men as they shift in their seats. Turning to Dragon, I jerk my chin in his direction. I want to know his opinion. I didn’t hate Coyote’s suggestion. Having the blood of my brother on my hands, deserved or not, isn’t something I really want to carry with me.
“There’s no clear answer,” Dragon begins. “I wasn’t going to weigh in at all. I figured you could come up with a plan together, something you could all agree on. Seems we’re all conflicted.”
There’s a knock on the door, and our heads all swing around to look at the closed door. Gator walks over and opens it, just enough to stick his head out. I hear him murmur something, but then he grunts and steps to the side.
Della is standing in the doorway, Santiago in her arms. He doesn’t leave her side and I have to admit, I love that. Just another reason why I’m in love with my nena. But love her or not, she can’t be here.
Jerking, I unstick my feet from the floor and stomp over to her. “There an emergency?” I demand.
She shakes her head, her eyes wide as she tilts her head back and looks into my eyes. “I know you’re talking about Jaguar’s fate. I feel like I should be able to weigh in,” she murmurs.
“No,” I grunt. “Club business. What happens in this room is not for you to know.”
“Let her in,” Dragon calls out.
Della’s lips curve up into a sexy grin and I decide I’m going to fuck that grin off her face, gonna make her scream my name later, punish her in the best way for this. Stepping to the side, I dip my chin and allow her to pass.
“You have something you want to say about Jag?” Dragon asks.
“I do,” she says. She clears her throat, then she begins to speak. “I was angry with him. Hated him for what he did, but the thing is? I allowed a lot of it. I didn’t stand up for myself, didn’t fight hard enough. Didn’t tell him no. Then I ran, then I married Santiago behind his back. All the while, right or wrong, he thought I was going to be his.”
“Sounds like you’re makin’ excuses for him,” Mountain points out.
Shaking her head, she licks her lips. “I’m not. He was wrong, without a doubt. I’m just not sure he was so wrong that he deserves to die.”
“Sounds like we have a new little bitch,” Coyote chuckles.
“What?” Della asks, her brows snapping together in confusion.
Chuckling, I slide my hand around her hip and squeeze. She shifts her head and looks up to me, her face still clouded in complete and total confusion.
“Coyote suggested we take his phone, keep someone on him at all times, and drop him to prospect status again until we can decide if we can ever trust him again.”
Della’s eyes light up immediately. This is the clear winning scenario for her. “I don’t hate that,” she whispers. “Pamela wouldn’t either.”
“That’s what this is?” I grunt. “You want to give him a slice of happiness since you feel guilty?”
Della shrugs a shoulder. “You should see the way he looks at her.”
“Yeah?”
She smiles. “It’s the same way you have always looked at me.”
My torso jerks and I close my eyes. “Go on now, nena. You said your piece.”
Dipping my chin, I touch my lips to her forehead and she lets out a sigh before she quietly takes a step back, then leaves the room.
Turning to the men, I chuckle. “Leave it to Della to make us all change our minds,” I state.
“Guess the fuck’s staying… for a while,” Mountain calls out.
We have a formal vote and decide that once we lay out some ground rules, Jaguar will live—for now.
PAMELA
I watch in complete horror as Della knocks on the door of the room where they’re clearly holding church, then I gasp as she’s actually let inside of the room. At home, a woman would be brought down for doing what she did, and she would never be allowed inside of the room.
“You okay?” Pinkie asks, concern clearly laced in her voice.
Turning to her, I’m sure my eyes are
