Page 14

I launched to my feet, along with my brothers.

Dec snarled, “Sit the fuck down, all of you.”

Cash motioned for us all to sit back down. This was fucking bullshit, but I had to remember that this was family shit, not club shit. I knew Dec wouldn’t hurt King. It didn’t mean I wouldn’t put him in the ground if I needed to.

Whispering something we couldn’t hear, he released King with a shove. Dec pushed open the doors to church and froze.

Beck and Maureen stood there, arms crossed. Both women looked furious. Thank fuck I wasn’t their target.

Beck walked forward into the room and looked around. “All of you, out.”

None of us moved but Blade.

She shouted, “NOW!”

We slowly began to move. I’d like to think we wouldn’t give in to a woman’s demand so easily, but Beck was pregnant. And the truth was, she was special.

“Beck—” King started. But she held up her hand in front of his face. “Hush, Uncle.”

“Not your uncle,” he muttered.

Oh shit!

Beck’s face fell. Her eyes watered and she sniffed. Holding her head high, she turned and walked out of the room without a word. Blade growled beside me. At that moment, I realized I might have to protect King from my brother. But what shocked us all was when Maureen marched up to King and slapped him right across the face.

The silence was deafening until Maureen spoke in a voice that would have grown men everywhere pissing their pants.

“I would call you a son of a bitch, but I knew your mother, and she was one of the sweetest women I have ever met. Too bad you didn’t get any of her genetics. No, you’re a bastard, just like your father. How dare you speak to her that way.” Maureen poked her finger in King’s chest as she ranted, “That girl loves you. You have been her uncle since she found out about you, and you just ripped it away with three words. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Um, Maureen, you can’t just slap the president...”

Jack let his words trail off when Maureen spun around on him.

“I grew up in the fucking Mob. You think I’m afraid of him?” Her arm was stretched out behind her, pointing at King. “Get out. All of you. Right fucking now!”

We didn’t hesitate then.

King was on his fucking own. Would I have put the sheriff in the ground if I thought King’s life was in danger? In a fucking second, without thought. But a woman? And a Mob widow at that? Not a fucking chance. We scurried away quickly.

All except Blade.

He stopped in front of King and snarled, “We’ll have fucking words later.” Then he stormed out of church.

Out in the main room, I sat at the bar. When Beck walked out of church, she had left the clubhouse. Blade followed after her. I knew he wouldn’t be back until King apologized. That might take a day or two. King could be a stubborn son of a bitch.

What people had forgotten was the past month had been a pile of shit for our president. It started when Maureen showed up out of the blue. Secrets and skeletons started coming out of every fucking closet in the clubhouse.

Add in a visit from Sypher and Pippen. Which had Stocks and me making an impromptu visit to the state of Kansas to blow up a government facility. Color me fucking surprised, but the kid knew what the fuck he was doing. I got him in and out of there without a trace.

Days later, Fury and the ghost of Shane fucking Keller showed up. Bane dropped in and never left. Then this shit with the Irish Mob and Declan’s secrets. The man deserved a fucking break.

Shouting was heard from inside church, and I knew Maureen was tearing King a new asshole. She walked out a moment later and stood at the bar next to me.

“You’re fucking scary.” I laughed.

“Don’t you forget it.” She smiled and took the beer the prospect set down in front of her. Walking over to the couch, her dog followed and jumped up, laying his head on her lap.

Chapter Five