Page 21

TWENTY

Rio

“Prez, we’ve got a problem,” Pokey says, standing in the doorway of my office. I motion him to come inside and close the door.

Once he’s settled, I ask, “What’s going on?”

“Booker just reached out and advised that a local gang, the Onyx Dragons, are trying to move into Kings territory. They’re looking to take over Texas,” he informs me through gritted teeth.

I bark out a sarcastic laugh, because we have three chapters in Texas alone and none of us are pussies when it comes to protecting what’s ours. “Do they know who they’re trying to fuck with?”

Pokey nods. “Yeah, Prez. They’ve heard of the Kings of Anarchy but think we’re a joke. Booker just wanted us to be aware. Figured since Issy’s heading out of town for a rodeo, you’d want to know because they’re not too far from Dallas and seeing that’s where she’s headed, he wanted us to be prepared in case she runs into them.”

Fuck. Me. We haven’t had so much as a peep out of the Mojave Devils since Rip hand delivered Four to them. Well, pieces of Four, that is. While I had planned to go with Issy, now I need to figure out if any of the other brothers can go with us too for added protection. I know Richie Rich has a full book at Anarchy Ink, so he’s out, but outside of the laundromat, we should be good for a few brothers to tag along.

“Let’s see who’s available to head with us to Dallas. Of course, the prospects will hang here, but we’ll need to see who else can go, because we’ll need coverage at the laundromat, plus we’ve got a run over the border to deliver some of Rip’s stock.”

“I’ll also do a deep dive into the Onyx Dragons, Prez, so we know who to look for. Booker indicated they’ve all got serious rap sheets that range from assault to rape and murder,” Pokey advises.

“Fucking hell. I’ll give Rip a call.”

His club being located up in Canton puts him and his guys close enough to provide even more backup should we need it. There’s no fucking way that Issy will be unprotected at the first rodeo she’s gone to since the shitshow involving Gage and the Devils.

“I’ll see what info Booker has on the jackasses he can send me as well,” Pokey promises. “Want me to send out a group text?”

“Yeah, do you think you’ll have the information quickly? If so, I’ll call church for tonight so we can go over everything,” I ask.

“I’ll do my best,” he confirms. But worst-case scenario, if I don’t have it all, I’ll have enough to ensure we can keep Issy safe.”

“Just text me when you know, Poke, and I’ll make that call then.”

He nods, stands with his tablet in hand and heads out of my office, leaving me to face the mountain of paperwork that no longer interests me. Still, people need their paychecks, so I begrudgingly dive back in, grumbling about this new set of problems that seems to be evolving. Whatever happened to earning your shit? These Onyx Dragon pussies want to gain their shit without any effort and that’s simply not going to happen.

Not while there’s a member of the KOAMC left standing, that is.

Pulling out my phone, I call Rip and when he answers, I say, “Heard we’ve got another potential threat on the horizon.”

“Same shit, different day,” he retorts. “Fucking Onyx Dragons thinking they’re badasses. They’re gonna find out that the Kings don’t take kindly to anyone encroaching on our territory.”

“Pokey’s getting info from Booker,” I supply. “But the reason I’m calling is because Issy is scheduled to come up to Dallas for the rodeo next weekend. Need to know if you have any brothers you can spare because this is the first one she’s been to since all that shit went down.”

“Let’s see, I’ll be there, and will bring Slayer, Nova, Renegade, and Icer. We’ll make sure she’s well-protected, Brother,” he replies. “Y’all gonna stay on the campgrounds or what?”

“Yeah, it’s easier since she hates being too far away from the horses. Luis will go with us this time to help take care of them, of course, and we’ll stay in our RV. Already rented the campsite. I can add another site to our reservation if you want.”

“Good plan,” he says. “Where will Luis stay?”

“They’ve got a bunkhouse for the handlers, so he’ll stay there.”

“May let a couple of my guys stay with him, then,” Rip muses. “Fuck, I swear to Christ it’s always something, isn’t it?”

“Right? I was trying to do fucking payroll when this was dropped in my lap,” I grouse. “Whatever happened to living free and easy?”

He snickers then retorts, “There’s no rest for the wicked.”

“So, that means the rest of us have to work hard too?” I ask.

“Always. Shoot me the dates and what campsite we’re in when you’ve got the details ironed out,” he instructs. “We’ll see you there.”

“Appreciate it, Brother,” I reply.

“Got your back, Rio,” he states before disconnecting.

“Well, that’s one problem down, now let’s finish this shit up so folks get paid, and no one quits on me,” I say out loud as I return to my laptop and the payroll program we use.

“Okay, Pokey received credible intel from our East Texas brothers,” I state after banging the gavel on the table. “Seems there’s a local gang trying to make a name for themselves called the Onyx Dragons. They’re moving in on Kings territory and have high aspirations of taking over the state.”

Raucous laughter reverberates throughout the room while I smirk at my brothers. “Fuck that noise,” BamBam replies. “It’s not the first time we’ve faced shit like that, and it won’t be the last, that’s for damn sure. Everyone wants dibs on the pipeline we’ve created.”

“Gotta admit, it’s a good one,” I reply. “Pretty much a straight shot to the border which means we can move product easily for our other chapters.”

“Are they based up near the East Texas chapter?” Abyss questions. “Doesn’t Issy have an event coming up?”

I smirk while looking at him. “And this is why you’re my VP. Yes to both and we’re putting shit in place to make sure she’s protected while she competes.”

“Fuck, I love those funnel cakes,” Nighthawk mutters, unconsciously licking his lips.

“I like the sausage with onions and peppers,” Doc chimes in. He looks at me and asks, “Who’s going?”

I glance around the table and see Richie Rich looks worried. “I know you’ve got a full appointment book, Brother, so you’re going to stay.”

“I love watching her compete like everyone else who’s sitting around this table does, but with business booming… I hope she understands,” Richie Rich replies, deflated.

“I’d offer to bring you back some food, but it’d get eaten,” BamBam teases.

Richie Rich pats his flat abs and retorts, “You don’t get a physique like this eating rodeo food.” Then, his face falls and he mutters, “But those nachos with jalapenos are fucking awesome.”

I start laughing because as usual, my brothers have deviated from the matter at hand. Like Rip said, it’s probably easier to baptize a damn cat than it is to keep these fuckers focused and on task.

“Okay, y’all, let’s get back to the matter at hand. I think we need to vote on whether Mongrel is ready to patch in or not. Does he need more time? If so, say it now because if the vote’s not unanimous, he’s out. As far as I’m concerned, his assistance with Four showed me he’s got what it takes to be a King.”

“I agree,” Abyss adds, tapping his fingers on the wooden surface of the table. “Anyone have anything to say that would mean he waits a few months longer?”

“What if we wait until after the rodeo? Take him with us and see how he does protecting Issy,” BamBam suggests. “To me, that’s the true litmus test, Prez. I know we’ve got our shit as a club, but she’s your queen so anyone joining our ranks needs to act accordingly.”

I love how my brothers look out for Issy. They always have, even before I made her officially my ol’ lady. “That might be a good idea. Should we take all three of them so we can see how they handle shit? We haven’t had a rodeo here since any of them came on board as prospects, so we need to know how they’ll handle the crowds and all the shit that goes along with it before ours comes along.”

“Let’s take them all,” Q-Ball states.

“Anything else?” I question as I look around the table. “Payroll’s been done, so check your accounts to make sure I didn’t fuck anything up.” When Chick looks at me in disbelief, I shrug. “I got your spreadsheets, Brother, and went ahead and processed everything earlier.”

“Appreciate that, Prez, was tied up in town at the courthouse trying to get the permits to add on to the food buildings for the rodeo. Have we ever considered using food trucks instead?” Chick asks.

“The problem with food trucks is if it rains, they get stuck, then they tear up our grounds which means we have to pay to get them fixed,” I reply. “The buildings work just fine, and I like the idea of adding on to include vegan and also gluten-free foods. Seems like there are so many folks allergic to shit these days.”

“Y’know, I saw something during one of our recent runs that we might wanna consider,” Gopher says, adding another topic to consider. “We’ve got the porta-potties out in the parking lots, which is fine, but what if we get some of those prefabricated bathroom trailers and put those up? We’ve got plenty of space to work with, right?”

Chick pipes up and states, “Since I wasn’t completely sure about the buildings we’d be putting in, the permits I have cover plumbing buildings and shit. Shouldn’t be an issue to do those buildings and I agree, they’d be a nice change to a fucking porta-potty.”

Everyone snickers because he’s not wrong. In the Texas heat, using one is like stepping in a pile of shit while getting a shower because you come out soaking wet with that scent clinging to you.

“It’s because of the toxic environment we live in,” Abyss sagely supplies, responding to my input about the concession buildings. I shake my head since I see another useless conversation starting unless I put a stop to it immediately.

“Alright, new buildings, no food trucks, advertise for those specific vendors, and let’s check with Pancho to make sure there’s nothing that needs fixing on the rodeo grounds. If we need to get the road graded, we need to get it done. Pokey, Chick, y’all give everyone the checklist that’s in place and if you need money, get an estimate and give it to Nerd so we can make sure we’re getting the best we can while not overspending,” I decree. “Pokey will also send everyone an encrypted file with the information he gathers concerning the Onyx Devils. Meeting adjourned.”

I head out to the bar with several of the brothers, eager to have a few beers while I wait for Issy to finish up her training with Pancho and Luis.