Page 1 of Bruised MC Bear

1

Axe

Axe Voltaire draggedhis black leather swivel chair backward and shot out of his seat. His meeting with Silas, the Beartooth Brotherhood MC President, was not going to plan. It didn’t help that Si’s old lady, Sabrina, was pushing the issue too. What Silas and Sabrina had just proposed to him from their seats across the clubhouse boardroom table was ludicrous.

“Security clearance, my ass,” Axe told them. “We have no business shelling out money and time to bid for government security gigs that we have no chance in hell of winning.”

“Knightsbridge Protection and Securitydoeshave a chance,” Sabrina said firmly. “We’re on their shortlist, and it’s the third round of the selection process.”

Axe scratched his beard as he considered how to tackle this situation without getting into a screaming match with Silas while Sabrina was in the room. If Si hadn’t practically dragged him out of bed at seven this morning for a meeting that so far was a waste of time, he would have shaved by now, and he’d have coffee in his hand—the two morning rituals that helped him think more clearly.

“The thing is, we’ve made it to the third round of other contract bids before. Four or five times, if I remember correctly. We didn’t win any of those gigs. Not even one.”

“True,” Sabrina agreed. “Still, that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.”

“I get that part, but with all these talks with the panthers and the wolves, time is tight. Think of it this way. We have a horde of extra clientele for the personal protection side of the business. We’re not hurting for money, and there are a shitload of gigs we passed up that we should have accepted. Those jobs didn’t need clearances. Like those protection jobs Addison told us about. We took two, and turned away two or three. I still don’t know why. The way I see it, leaving a potential client on the lurch should never happen. Those referrals will just dry up.”

“Hang on, Axe,” Sabrina said, leaning forward. “Addison’s my closest friend. Do you think it was easy for me to tell him no? The fact is those jobs we turned down were not a fit.”

“Why not?”

“You fucking know why,” Silas shouted. “Read my lips, Axe. We arenotproviding daytime security to vampires. Not Vincent Belmont, not anyone. We’re not taking on vamps, period.”

“Fuck, how many times do I have to tell you that they’re not all evil blood-sucking parasites?”

Silas stared at him with a threatening look in his eyes that told Axe his patience was wearing thin. “Just because your best friend is one of few vamps who doesn’t prey on humans, that doesn’t mean we’ll start catering to them.”

“Whatever. In any case, I don’t see how we’ll swing the security clearances. Some of us have done time.”

Silas shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. “Not buying it. Your record is squeaky clean, Axe, so don’t try to feed me that bullshit. Why don’t you tell us what’s the real issue here?”

Scowling, Axe headed to the door. “I need coffee in me before I can continue, and not that weak, burned as fuck crap we have at the bar. Si, if you and Sabrina feel we can make it, I’m behind you one hundred percent. Just don’t put my name down as a team member on your candidate list. They’ll smell me from a mile away. I don’t want to be the weak link here.”

Silas swiveled his chair to face Axe at the door. “Good thing I didn’t bring up the psychological evaluation, huh?” he said, eyes on Axe but clearly speaking to his woman.

“Probably,” Sabrina agreed. “You think he’ll agree to it?”

“I told you he wouldn’t be up for this,” Silas answered.

“Dudes. I’m right here. And no. Just no. I am not subjecting myself to a psychological evaluation with some shrink who’ll want to make me talk about my feelings. Get another pansy.”

“Who then? We can’t send Tate. He’s certifiable. Cole’s done time, so he’s out. That leaves you and me.”

“Well you’re right about Tate and Cole,” Axe agreed. “Though Tate would probably kill to get on these gigs, with all the money he’s looking to save for Aiden’s college fund.”

“The kid ain’t even a year old,” Silas added. “Isn’t this a little early for going all out?”

“Trying to tell him that. He’ll bite your head off. Anyhow, back to this question. We’ve got Dean.”

“He’s already said yes. We need three names.”

“What about one of the officers?” He gave a quick knock on the doorpost, turning to check the faces of the members sitting at the bar. “Like Davies. He’s got to be perfect for a psych eval. I’ve never met anyone who’s more…chill. He sure couldn’t have a record.”

“No,” Silas barked. “We’re the leadership for both the Beartooth Brotherhood MC and for Knightsbridge. This commitment has to start and end with us.”

“I’ve got to do my coffee run. Be back in twenty.”

Axe grinned to himself as he left, lighting up a hand-rolled cigarette. With any luck, they’d move on to some other issue by the time he got back. Damn, if he didn’t need it. Sure, this interference had everything to do with Vincent Belmont, Axe’s oldest friend since childhood, and the only vampire he knew and trusted implicitly. Turning down his request for daytime home protection was one of the simplest gigs that had come their way. Yet Sabrina had gotten in Si’s ear and convinced him the gig was in conflict with some other clients who were already on the Knightsbridge roster.