Page 3 of Property of Scythe (Kings of Anarchy MC: Ohio #1)

“ H ow’s the supply this month?” I ask, focusing my attention on Sasquatch since he’s our primary grower.

And then there’s the plants we cultivate below ground.

That’s the extra money maker we don’t allow anyone to see.

Only patched members can access the underground cannabis farm.

It’s under strict controls, including temperature, humidity, and artificial sunlight, and features a ventilation system that ensures air flow that prevents mold or disease.

The indoor plants have a higher THC level, which means higher potency for our products, especially for our customers who prefer to purchase their weed without having to provide any personal information.

Not that we disclose any of that to the feds.

But we do keep our own records, just not in a place where they can find them.

The farms aren’t in the same location for a reason.

We’re known for our high-yielding plants and quality. That’s thanks to Sasquatch and the members who help cultivate and care for both our farms.

“Good. Real fucking good,” Sasquatch answers with a grin. “This next crop is the best yet, Pres.”

“Good to hear.”

“But we’re low on edibles,” Moonshine informs me. “Had a bus of college kids come through and buy a bunch of it up this morning.”

We sell a fuck ton of edibles, and it always makes me laugh since it’s grown so popular. Everyone wants a dick shaped sucker filled with THC. We sell hard candy and gummies in a variety of shapes and colors. I also employ a baker to prepare baked goods for our dispensary.

Granny Jo is my preferred contact for cannabis brownies, muffins, and cupcakes. No one makes them more delicious than she does, and she gets a cut of the profits while also enjoying as much of the product as she wants.

I’ve joked with her more than once that she puts the bliss in the dispensary’s baked goods. With a name like Butter Bliss Bakery, she knows I can’t resist teasing her about it.

“Get on it, Moonshine. I want those edibles fully restocked before the weekend.”

“On it, Pres.” He’s already texting employees to get the job done.

That’s why Moonshine oversees the store’s product supply. He knows all the employees and the recipes better than any other member of the club. He’s loyal and never fails to get the job done, no matter what I ask of him.

“What other business do we need to discuss?” I ask, glancing at the clock on the wall. We’ve been in church for an hour, and I’ve got shit to do, like taking Mila back to school shopping since she wants new shoes .

“Nothin’, Pres,” Mountain assures me, glancing at our Sergeant at Arms. “Phantom?”

“We’re good.”

I pick up the gavel and slam it down on the table that’s been inside this room since its conception. It’s a huge slab of oak with nicks and scratches that give it character. “Church is dismissed.”

Around the room, framed in black, are all the brothers in the club that are no longer with us. It’s a tradition that started with my grandfather when he sat in the president’s seat. I glance at his cut and scan his name, wondering if he’d be proud of the man I am today.

The chapel empties as I stand and push off the table, pulling out a cigarette as I head from the room.

I’ve got to get one in before I pick up Mila and take her out because I won’t expose her to secondhand smoke.

She’s too young and already has asthma. I keep that shit away from the house, so nothing bothers her lungs.

Half an hour later, I’m pulling up to my house and gliding to a stop in front of the garage. I shut down the engine and rise from the seat as the front door opens and Mila scurries out to greet me.

“Daddy! You’re back!”

“I am, munchkin. You ready for new school clothes?”

She jumps up and down, wiggling her little bottom as she squeals with delight. “Yes!”

I pick her up and spin her around, laughing as she giggles. “Then let’s find your shoes.”

“I don’t wanna wear shoes.”

“Well, it’s hot out, which means the ground is extra hot. You step on it, and it’ll burn the bottom of those perfect feet.”

Her lower lip juts out. “Can I wear my Crocs?”

“Yes. ”

She squirms as we enter the house, and I set her down, watching her tear ass across the floor toward her room. She’ll find what she wants to wear and come out in a few minutes. It will probably be a combination that includes a tiara and a princess dress. It always does.

For now, I turn to my housekeeper and nanny, Emma. “How was she this morning?”

“Impatient,” she laughs as she finishes unloading dishes from the drying rack beside the sink. “She barely finished breakfast.”

“Sounds about right.”

Mila is a bundle of energy, and she never stops from the time she’s up in the morning to the minute her head rests on the pillow at bedtime. She’s been active since she learned to walk at ten months. I love it, even when it’s exhausting.

“I’ve prepped meals for the next few nights. There’s lasagna, chicken casserole, and baked ravioli for dinner. All you need to do is heat them up.”

“Thanks. It’s gonna be a busy week.”

“It will.” She gives me a warm smile. “For her lunches, I’ve prepared fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, veggies and dip, and several sandwiches with the crusts cut off.

I did add some of the cookies I baked yesterday to her lunch sacks.

Oh, there are juice boxes inside, too. You shouldn’t need to do anything but grab and go in the morning. ”

“You’re an angel. Seriously.”

She snickers. “I do my job, but I do love that sweet little girl.”

“I know. That’s why I trust you with her.”

“Mila is family. Caring for her is a gift.”

“How did I get so lucky with you?” It’s a rhetorical question, but she answers me.

“My sister left the job opening.” She says the words in a flat tone, and I know I’m not the only one who thinks it’s complete shit that Sarah walked out like we all meant nothing to her.

“Yeah. Too bad she ran off with a fucking trucker.” I’m not bitter, but it still stung even after all these years.

“She’s gone. We don’t have to like her choices, but we can forgive her and move on, Scythe.”

Yeah. I made my peace with it. I don’t have to like it.

“She’s the one missing out on Mila’s life. That’s the part that fucking sucks, Emma.”

“I know. It’s her loss.”

It is. My daughter is beautiful, intelligent, and amazing. She breathes life into every room she enters. Mila, other than the club, is my entire world. I can’t imagine not wanting to be with her every day and watching her grow up. What kind of mother abandons her child like that?

It’s a sore subject and one I don’t want to continue to discuss. “Well, thanks for all the help. I sent your deposit through for another month. Appreciate you, Emma.”

“I know you do.” She kisses my cheek. “Try to stay out of trouble.”

I snort. “Sure.”

Emma pops into Mila’s room to hug her goodbye, and I lean against the wall outside in the hall, waiting for my little girl to finish her costume. Once Emma is gone, I struggle to forget our conversation. Thinking of Sarah always pisses me off and puts me in a bad fucking mood.

I don’t need this shit. I’ve got to focus on Mila, or she’ll pick up that something is wrong. She’s far too intuitive for a kid.

When my daughter finally emerges, she’s wearing her favorite Elsa dress, black biker boots with silver studs, fake clip-on diamond earrings, her gold tiara with the blue and white rhinestones, and two beaded necklaces.

She spins in a circle in front of me, flaring out her dress as she gazes up at me with an expectant and toothy grin .

“Wow,” I say, widening my eyes and dropping to one knee. “Who’s this princess in my house?”

“Daddy.” She giggles. “It’s me. Mila.”

I slap a hand over my heart. “My Mila?”

She erupts into a fit of more giggles, snorting with her humor. “I’m always yours, Daddy.”

Man, I hope she still thinks so when she’s a teenager. I’m fucking terrified I’m going to shoot or maim some stupid motherfucker for hurting her or pissing her off. The whole damn club will have her back. We’ll all go to prison. She’s a biker princess through and through.

“I think I need a hug to be sure,” I tell her.

She launches into my arms, and I wrap my arms around her, squeezing a bit too tightly because she loves it when I do. “Daddy! Too tight!”

I loosen my hold and release her. “I can’t help it. You give the best hugs.”

“No. You do, Daddy.”

She takes my hand and drags me toward the door. “I need a new princess dress for school.”

She’s forgotten something important.

“We don’t go anywhere without your inhaler, princess. Go get it.”

She pouts but nods, rushing into her room. It takes her five minutes to find it, but I know she will. She’s had a few severe attacks in the past and knows her inhaler is medicine that helps her lungs. I don’t have to fight her on it.

When she returns with the inhaler, I tuck it into my pocket. “Where to first?”

“The mall!”

It’s a drive, but there’s no better place to find all she needs.

In town, there’s only a consignment shop and a Halloween- themed store for clothing.

We’ve kept this town small on purpose, so the shops that are here and thriving are chosen for that purpose.

We cater to the tourists. The citizens of Raven’s Crest drive to one of the neighboring towns or toward Columbus if they want more variety.

By the time we’re done, it’s nearly two in the afternoon. I held church early at the clubhouse today because I knew shopping with Mila would take hours. My little munchkin is asleep in her booster seat behind me, her head straight back as she lightly snores. It’s too fucking adorable.

I never take her on my Harley unless we’re riding around on my property. I’ve got twenty acres and a pond, which Mila loves to explore. We drove in my old Ford truck today since I can strap her booster seat in and I park as she sleeps, shutting off the engine. She doesn’t stir.

My little girl can sleep like the dead. Once she’s out, she’s out.

She’ll sleep for at least an hour before she wakes up.

At night, she’ll rest for ten solid hours.

Sometimes, I sneak into her room to be sure she’s still breathing.

Mila’s scared the shit out of me more than once when she slept in late.

The rumble of an engine alerts me to a brother’s arrival as a bike crawls up my driveway. I see Mountain glide to a stop beside my truck. He must need something.

I open my door and shut it as quietly as I can, so I don’t wake Mila yet. “Mountain.”

“Hey, Pres.”

“What ya need?”

He cracks his neck, avoiding eye contact.

What the fuck is going on? He’s never this hesitant. “Rex.” I use his real name, sensing he’s got shit on his mind. We’ve been close since we were kids. I know his tells.

“It’s Cami.”

Granny Jo’s granddaughter? “What about her?”

“Something is wrong. It feels . . .dark. ”

Dark? “Get to the point, Mountain.”

The tension along his shoulders is making him so wound up that his fingers curl into fists. He’s a huge guy, bigger than most of the members of the club. When he’s agitated, it’s not a good thing. He likes to throw his axe around, and it can become a problem.

“I think Cami’s in trouble.”

Ah. Now it makes sense. “Give her a call. It’ll ease your mind.”

“She won’t want to talk to me.”

Damn. Something must have gone down that he doesn’t feel comfortable sharing. “Okay. What do you want to do?”

“Ride.”

“To L.A.?”

He nods.

“On your bike?”

“Yeah, Pres.”

It’ll take a week to make the round trip. I won’t tell him he can’t go. It’s his business. I don’t judge my brothers, and I don’t get involved in their shit. The only exception to that rule is if it affects the club or my family.

“Go. Stay in contact. No vigilante shit that gets you arrested.”

He doesn’t smile. “I can’t guarantee I won’t fuck up anyone messing with her.”

Christ. “Mountain. That’s an order.” I hate to give him one, but he’s not leaving me much choice. “Take Voodoo with you.”

He snorts. “Voodoo? He’s more trouble than I am.”

“But he’s loyal and he’ll have your back.”

“Yeah.” He sighs, finally agreeing to my order. “Alright. I’ll take Voodoo.”

“I’m not fucking around. Stay in touch. Don’t get arrested in fucking California. I need you here. ”

“I know.” A tiny smile almost surfaces before he scowls. “I’m leaving tonight.”

I figured. “Watch your six.”

“Always.” He winks at me, some of his playful nature shining through now that he knows he’ll be taking care of business. “Nobody fucks with the Kings.”

“You got that motherfuckin’ right.”

After he rides off, I carry Mila into the house. She finishes her nap on the couch as I grab a cup of coffee. It’s early enough that I wonder if Emma will come back over. There’s a stirring in my blood I can’t explain, but I need to ride into town. Once I’m there, I’ll figure out the reason.

While Mila is having a snack in the kitchen, I dial Emma’s number.

She answers on the third ring. “You need me to watch Mila for a few hours?”

This woman is a fucking saint. “Yeah. I need to ride into town. I’ll be back early. I want to be here to tuck her into bed.”

“No problem. Give me fifteen minutes.”

“Sounds good.”

Emma loves her niece, but she also comes because I pay her double whenever she has to drive back over and babysit.

As a college student and single, she needs the money.

At one time, we almost hooked up, but there’s no sexual attraction between us now.

We’re family. It’s different. She’s like a sibling to me.

Once Mila is settled in the living room with Emma, I kiss her forehead and promise to return home by story time. It’s our nightly routine, and I never miss it. There’s only been a handful of times that club business pulled me away, and I fucking hated it.

A strange feeling settles over my bones as I ride toward downtown. That same sense of foreboding I had outside of the Mayfield Inn returns. It’s getting stronger, which means the club needs to stay alert. I don’t want to be caught by surprise .

I pull back on the throttle and surge forward, picking up speed as I enter Main Street. It takes a few minutes before I feel the urge to pull over. I park my bike outside one of the shops, but I don’t bother to notice which one.

I can’t. My focus is stolen by the beauty in front of me.

She’s walking on the other side of the street, her long hair swinging behind her in a ponytail.

It’s not the hypnotic swish of her ass that’s got me rooted to the spot, although I sure am enjoying the view.

No, the reason I’m nearly salivating while also stunned is because she’s not a stranger.

It’s the girl from my visions.