Page 16 of Inglorious (Unwanted Bastards MC #1)

Inglorious

“A re you joining us this Sunday?” Vortex asked as I worked out in the gym.

I put the weights down and wiped my brow. “Yeah, I’d like to, but I don’t want to leave Kya alone,” I replied.

“Nanci has offered to stay with her.”

“Then, yup, I’ll ride with you.”

Vortex turned around and faced me. “No drink driving.”

It was hard to control the urge to punch him.

“I’ve been sober for two weeks now. If you wanna include the cold turkey week, that makes three.

You and I have issues. Vortex, you’re an asshole who ran when the going got tough.

Don’t expect to keep that VP patch under me.

Nanci might be fooled by you, but I ain’t.

As soon as shit gets hard again, you’ll be off like the yellow belly you are. ”

“Dude, I wouldn’t wish to be VP under you.

You’re destructive and a fool. The world was your oyster, and you became dark.

You’d carved out the filth from the MC, but you didn’t stop.

Who’d want to be a party to cold-blooded murder?

Not fuckin’ me or anyone else. The club split because of your actions and orders. Remember that,” Vortex spat back.

“If we’d left any of them alive, we’d have another Fury situation on our hands.

Those assholes we killed had souls that were devil-spawned.

Yeah, I’m a drunk, addicted to booze; I can admit my faults, and I’m in therapy for my grief.

Each night I go to bed sober, I thank my lucky stars for making it without a drink.

I’ve got problems. What about you, Vortex?

Are you getting help?” I snapped at the smug asshole.

“Don’t need it,” he hissed.

“No? That’s why you’ve not talked to Rhea in over a decade,” I spat, and my barb hit home.

Vortex visibly flinched and then stormed off.

“Why bring that up?” Nanci demanded from behind me.

“What? Vortex came at me. Nanci, I ain’t taking Vortex’s bullshit. Don’t tell me I wasn’t right in what I said. Fucker hasn’t spoken to Rhea in well over a decade,” I retorted, turning to face her.

“Vortex feels guilty.” “Everyone fuckin’ felt that. But none of us turned our backs on Rhea. My little sister needed Vortex, and where the fuck was he? Climbing on his hog and fleeing. Same as Hercules and the others. Now you’re here, welcoming them with open arms.”

“Hercules left for his own reasons, which aren’t mine to share. And if you believe Vortex isn’t haunted by what happened… think again, Inglorious. Vortex left Rhea alone, and he blames himself daily,” Nanci retorted with fire.

Nah, I wasn’t standing for that piss-poor excuse. Irately, I leaned into Nanci’s personal space and saw surprise flash into her eyes.

“Back off,” she warned.

“You forget, Nanci, I was the one who interrupted it. I found that cunt on top of my baby sister, raping her. That should tell you something. Because I didn’t turn to drink then, and you know how devastated I was at what happened to Rhea.

But the fact that I couldn’t handle those deaths meant I was beyond destroyed at losing my brothers.

Sit on your pretty throne, Nanci, and judge me for being a weak assed man, but remember what I came through.

Shit, I walked through fire to protect this club and the women associated with it.

“You’ve taken one life, woman. One . And that was simple.

Slip a needle into Manda’s veins and walk away.

Try counting the blood I’ve got on my hands.

At night, I dream of a sea of red. Vortex was fuckin’ wrong to just cap that raping cunt.

The lot of them needed killing because if we hadn’t, they’d have risen from the dead, same as Fury.

Easy to judge when you ain’t the one who has to make the decisions,” I snarled.

Anger was coursing through my veins, and I wanted to shake and kiss her at the same time. I wasn’t finished, however. Nanci deserved some home truths.

“Want to know why I refused your advances? Why I didn’t take what you put on a fuckin’ platter for me?”

Nanci winced at my words.

But I continued, “You were a stupid kid playing at adult games. Sure, I could have fucked you stupid, not a hardship there. But you were Psych’s sister, and that meant something.

“Clearly didn’t to you, but it was a matter of honour to me.

And if I had screwed you and claimed you like you wanted…

what then? You wouldn’t have had the career you had.

Bitch, you had an amazing life because of me, because I sent you away with a flea in your ear, and you made something of yourself.

“That kept me warm at night. Psych was so damn proud of you, too. Admit it, you were a fuckin’ child playing at being an adult.

You didn’t care if my fucking you broke up a lifelong friendship between Psych and me.

No, you decided you wanted to claim me and fuck the consequences.

You’re damn lucky I was a man of honour, Nanci, because if it had been one of them, they’d have used, abused and cast you aside.

Play at being president, but you’ve never faced the decisions I have. Neither has Vortex nor Hercules.”

My barbs struck home with the venom of a snake bite. Realisation crossed her face, followed by embarrassment.

“Inglorious, you should have got Rhea out!” Nanci hissed in return.

“Think I don’t know that? That’s something I’ll never forgive myself for,” I replied.

Nanci realised her barb had failed to strike and lashed out another way. “You are weak. You didn’t honour your brothers.”

“Oh, I honoured them, you even been to their graves yet? Don’t fuckin’ stand there bitching about not honouring them. Check the cemetery before running your mouth,” I hit back.

Nanci frowned. No, she hadn’t visited them.

“Finished having a tantrum and defending those who need to face reality? Where were you when Runner was eyeing up Vortex’s cousin, Sasha?

That situation would have been Rhea all over again,” I disclosed, and Nanci stiffened.

“Oh, what? Something you didn’t know? Yeah, that’s why the decision was made to hunt and kill them.

” “Rhea was two years younger than Sasha,” Nanci muttered, her face pale.

“Exactly. Vortex had no idea because before we could explain, he ran, calling us bloodthirsty murdering bastards. Gotta admit, for a split second, I was tempted to let things play out with Runner, who was targeting Sasha, but Sasha didn’t deserve that.

I took care of Vortex’s family even though he hated us,” I explained with heat.

“Tell Vortex that,” Nanci urged.

“Why the fuck should I? Vortex judged us without knowing the full story, and you’ve done the same with the club ever since, and also with me.

Nanci, you know shit, so shut the fuck up with your judgments, which ain’t warranted.

Go play at being president and pray you don’t have to make the choices I have until I’m well again. ”

With that final strike, I spun on my heel and headed for my bike. I had an appointment with Janet. Her office was in Rapid City, a thirty-minute ride. I had forty-five minutes till I was due, but I needed to get out of here. Nanci had pissed me off

◆◆◆

made me explain things I swore I’d never do.

“Come in, Inglorious,” Janet invited as she stood in her doorway.

“Thanks,” I said shortly and headed inside her office. It was cleverly decorated, and the moment I entered, I began to calm down.

“Take a seat. Would you like a drink?” Janet offered.

“No. I’m good. And don’t worry about running through the spiel. I took it in last time, even though I was rude and didn’t acknowledge you.”

“Glad to hear I don’t have to waste my breath again. What changed your mind to embrace the meetings now?”

“Nanci’s given up a lot to be here to support the club, and I didn’t realise. If I can heal, Nanci can return to her life quicker. The sooner the better,” I muttered, and some of my anger slipped out.

“Umm, I sense you’re angry with Nanci? Why?”

“Because Nanci sits on her pert little ass and judges people. She doesn’t know the full story and thinks that gives her the right to run her mouth.

Like she claims, I didn’t honour my brothers.

Janet, I fuckin’ did. Nanci is bringing back members who shouldn’t be allowed to return.

They didn’t hesitate to run. What right have they got to return? ”

“There’s a lot to unpack there. Let’s start with Nanci saying things. How does that make you feel?”

“Like I want to shake the shit out of her and kiss her stupid.” The end part left me before I realised it was going to.

“Interesting,” Janet replied.

“Ain’t that just,” I agreed dryly. I was fucked!

Nanci

Inglorious’s words stayed with me as I headed out to the cemetery that came with Merritt.

The graveyard had been placed on a large plot of land behind Merritt’s houses, but only a tiny portion was used.

There was a little chapel that held roughly a hundred people.

I guessed the previous tenants of Merritt hadn’t been all that religious.

Metal railings, which gleamed black with fresh paint, surrounded the chapel and graves.

The chapel appeared first. It had clearly been renovated from the falling-down shack that Psych had shown me pictures of.

Attached to the side of the gate was a brass, polished plaque.

It stated when the chapel had been built and also restored.

Somehow, I was shocked to see the restoration date was after the war.

Shit. Inglorious had the chapel restored, so people had somewhere to grieve the Unwanted Bastards.

But I guessed there was more. This wasn’t the monument Inglorious had alluded to.

Quietly, I pushed on the door and discovered it was open.

On entering, I admired the woodwork and restoration efforts.

As I looked at the altar, I stopped in my tracks.