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I rolled my lips together to keep from barking out a laugh. Pop just threw gasoline on the fucking fire.
“Send me the pictures, Pop. I like what I see, then we’ll talk business.”
“Alright then.” Pop answered.
“You lookin’ to join the Widows?”
“Depends on what you’re offering,” Pop said calmly. “I ain’t joining another club that doesn’t do things the way they should be done.”
“What way is that?”
“I’ll let you figure that out, boy.”
I shook my head. He called him boy. Jesus, he was pushing all the buttons. It’s like he knew my father personally and knew exactly how to make him play.
“I want the photos in the next half hour.”
“We’ll talk soon.” Pop responded before ending the call and sitting back in his seat.
His face broke into a small grin, and he lifted his chin. “The pictures will seal the deal.”
Bear rubbed his hand along his beard. “Let’s hope so.”
“They will,” Pop stated assuredly. “He’s always looking to improve his numbers. The more members he has, the stronger the club. Getting me and the boys to join the Widows will be his top priority.”
“You didn’t follow the plan.” I pointed out.
I could almost feel the intensity coming off Pop when he leaned forward and stared at me. “We need to get him on our turf. I meant what I said, Gunner. I like to take out my rivals personally. He needs taken out. We weaken him by bringing him here. He won’t bring his whole army; my gut tells me most of them don’t know what you’ve been up to or he’d already be dead. He gets here, sees the shape you two are in, and then we strike.”
“And the fallout?” Bear asked.
“We deal with that as it comes,” Pop advised. “There was always gonna be fallout, you two had to know that.”
I nodded. “I agree he won’t bring many. I’ve always doubted he told too many people what went down between us. Or at least the truth of it. But what makes you so confident this is going to work?” I asked.
Pop stood from his seat and put his hands on his hips, his eyes never leaving mine. “Knew you when you were a kid, Gunn.” I slowly rose from my seat, shocked that he’d known me when I was young. I sure as shit didn’t remember him. “Was a time when the Black Widows and the Sinners didn’t hate each other and were even known to party together sometimes. I met your father, Viper, when he was the VP, and you weren’t more than five years old. He bragged about your shootin’, made us all watch you shoot, and you were good, too damn good for a little kid. I always knew there was somethin’ a little off about him, but Stone loved him, thought he was the best VP he could ask for, and he was the president so no one questioned him.” Pop’s eyes grew dark. “Viper killed him during a raid. Tried to play it off like it was an accident, but we all knew the truth. He wanted to be at the top and would stop at nothing to get there. That news flew through all the fucking clubs in this country, and the good ones distanced themselves.” He frowned and dropped his head. “The Sinners didn’t, but we should’ve. Got ourselves into all kinds of shit we shouldn’t have. I even did time for the club, went down on a weapons charge, but I swore the day I walked out, I’d never do that again.”
He sighed and looked at Bear. “That’s why I’m still here, why I stayed. You two are making this club what it should’ve been, what it was meant to be.”
“Jesus, I don’t remember that,” I admitted. “But if everything you’re saying is true, then what makes you think he won’t send someone to do his dirty work?”
“Been around a long time, kid, and one thing I can promise you is that he’ll come here himself. He’s strong, and he has a huge following, but he doesn’t trust any of them. He’s going to want to end you permanently. He’ll want to look you in the eyes when he proves he was right all along, and he will personally want to end the man who was smarter than him and has had him by the balls for years.” He pointed at me. “That’s you.” He skirted the table and came to stand right in front of me and Bear. “There is one thing that will bring down a man every damn time. You know what that is?”
I glanced at Bear and noticed he was also listening intently to Pop.
“Revenge?” I guessed.
“Arrogance.” Pop smirked. “Your father believes he’s untouchable. It’s time to teach him that he isn’t.”
He lifted his hand and laid it on my shoulder, squeezing gently before he pushed by me. “I’ll send the pictures in a little while. Let’s get him real good and pissed.”
Bear chuckled beside me, and I turned my body to face him fully. “Did you know any of that?”
Bear shook his head. “No, not a fucking clue. He never talked about the club before, but after it fell apart, and I committed to rebuilding it, he was one of the first to say he was staying.” I shook my head, my mind still spinning with all the new information Pop offered, when Bear continued speaking. “He’s right, though. If Viper agrees to this, it’s because he’s coming here for you. Not for some fucking vendetta, but to personally destroy you.” His expression turned serious. “You good with that?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah.”
“You’re going to face off with him. You sure you’re ready for that?”