Page 77 of The Lies We Tell

Spark rubs the back of her neck, steadying her as she speaks. I’d do the same for Briar. Then he speaks. “He wanted some specific things. Wanted her to form a relationship with me so she could spy on me and the club. As sergeant at arms, I’d have the logistics to stuff, but everything is always secured.”

Clutch’s mood grows serious. “Did you compromise us?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

“Because you couldn’t find anything, or ...” King lets the sentence hang and tips his chin at Spark.

“Or.” Her answer is quiet as she looks up at Spark.

Niro, like the child he is, makes a vomiting sound.

“You two get any cuter, and you’ll overtake Clutch and Gwen on the saccharine scale,” Bates mutters. “And my teeth already fucking hurt watching the two of them.”

I hear the slap as Clutch hits the back of Bates’s head.

King nods. “I need you to wait outside, Iris.”

Her eyes go wide. “No. I can tell you what he specifically asked. About routes and some other things. I can—”

“Out. Side,” King repeats.

“I’ll be right out, little chick,” Spark says.

She whispers something to him I can’t hear as he gently touches her chin with his knuckle.

“Safety is my specialty,” Spark replies.

The door closes, but Spark remains standing. “I propose offering a payment to Cillian and Iris to close this matter.”

“What the fuck?” Niro asks. “We don’t owe them shit.”

Spark looks to Clutch and King. “With respect, it’s your dads who caused this. Cue Ball was stealing from the club. He should have gotten what’s coming. But Camelot owed him a debt and arranged it so he’d go to prison, not die. When the Irish took part in the deal that night, they didn’t know the club had deliberately put the delivery in jeopardy.”

Clutch has the gray look he often gets when he thinks about his father’s disloyalty to the club, and I feel for him. Because I’m the one currently being disloyal.

King puts his head in his hands. “Fuck me. The sins of our fathers.”

I place my palm on the table and offer some verses. “‘As for the father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, he dies for his iniquity. Yet you say, “Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?” When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own.’ Ezekiel. 18.”

Niro slaps my back. “Nice one, preacher.”

I stand. It feels like a sermon. Like I can lead these men through darkness. “The rest of the ‘sins of our father’ Bible quote is about what it means for the children. It says the sons should not suffer. Neither should Iris. She’s the daughter of the man who died. That includes you and Clutch. The club is wealthy enough to make this right. You should, so you can all move on with your lives.”

“And if it’s not enough, I’ll pay.” Spark walks over to me and hugs me before slapping my cheek lightly. He looks back at King but stays by my side. “She’s worth more than that to me. I’ll even hand in my patch if you need me to. Just help me make it right with Cillian, without years of violence, so he leaves us alone.”

King sits back in the chair. “Five thousand a year for every year since her dad was killed to Iris. Sixty-five grand. Agreed?”

I watch as hands raise. Most without complaint. Niro and Rubble grumble but raise their hands.

King says. “Cillian, we round to one hundred.”

“And I’ll pay,” Spark says. “Might need the club to bridge me. Reconfigure how much of a share I get. But let me make it right.”

Halo groans. “Pray to God I never find pussy so good, I’m willing to toss a hundred grand for it.”

I glance his way. “I’ve seen you toss more than that over the past year and a half at the strip club.”

King laughs, and the mood is broken. “All in favor of the club bridging Spark while he pays off his old lady’s uncle on behalf of the club?”