“We have the information about Melody. Prez wants to see you before you leave the clubhouse. Crocker was extinguished after giving us the information we needed. He’ll not be killing any more kids with his fucking shit.” Lethal has that look on his face right after he made a kill, so I know what he means by extinguishing, and that his body will never be found.

  Slapping Lethal on the back, I head to Bolt’s office, knock on the door, and open it when I hear ‘Enter.’

  Stepping inside the office, I see Gunner standing in front of the window. I give him a nod before taking the seat and relaxing back, while I wait for Bolt to lift his head from the paperwork he is reading.

  Looking at me after placing the paperwork into the top drawer of his desk, Bolt speaks. “Crocker’s gone. We got all information we could from him. It seems your baby momma is the old lady of none other than Sting from Death Dealing Dogs MC.”

  “Oh, fuck, what have we done?” I can’t help but ask. Now the three D’s, as they are known, are a 1% club that doesn’t seem to have dragged themselves out of the past. Getting mixed up with them was something we never wanted to do.

  “Jax has contacted Beast, and he’s going to make his way here tomorrow. He, as the National President, will decide what happens going forward. I have spoken to Bones, and he’s already taken a sample from Melody two days ago, knowing we’d want to make sure the kid was yours. Go see him after you leave here and get yours done too, then we’ll know for sure.” Bolt looks tired, with dark rings under his eyes, and when he looks up at me again, I can see he isn’t finding any of this easy to deal with. “I’m sorry to have gotten you mixed up in all this, Sacks. You lost your old lady, and I put a target on your back. Once Sting finds out the bitch was messing around with you, he’s gonna want you dead.”

  “May pay for you to go back with Beast to the National Chapter Clubhouse. It could be the way to keep you alive until this mess is cleared up,” Gunner states, still standing in front of the window but now with his arms folded across his chest.

  “Call Melody back, tell her you feel bad or some shit. We need her as collateral in case the shit hits the fan.” Bolt has eyes and ears everywhere, and to know Melody left so quickly has to have someone inform him. “Lethal sent me a text,” Bolt grins.

  Shit, can he read minds now? Shaking my head, I leave the office and make the call, but I don’t like it. Melody answers after only three rings, “What do you want, Sacks?”

  “Look, I feel bad for what I said. That could be my kid you’re carrying. Come back to the clubhouse and we’ll talk in my room where it’s quiet.” I’m holding down the bile that I’m feeling at this conversation, but when she coos in return, I retch slightly.

  “I’ll be back in around fifteen minutes, baby.”

  I don’t wait for her to say more, but give Lethal a small nod that she’s coming back, and that fucker grins because he never could stand Melody. He also didn’t agree with the order to cheat on Alice, either.

  Chapter 6

  Alice

  It is surprising what you learn about yourself when you decide on a different path from what you were walking. Instead of planning a future with Sacks, I’m now planning a future without him, and I’m okay with that, funnily enough.

  Work today is going to be busy. I have a conference meeting with four staff members who are not consulting as they should be. I’ve spoken to Ronald, and he isn’t happy with their performance, but luckily for them, I picked up their slack and got the client the advice they needed.

  With the four necessary folders in hand, I leave my office and head towards the conference room. As I pass Sadie's desk, I give her a friendly smile and finger wave to acknowledge her presence. She gives me a giggle and an eye-roll in return. We have a good relationship, but we've never become close friends, perhaps because of the age difference.

  Taking my seat next to Ronald, who is ready and waiting at the long conference table, I hand him the files.

  “Do we need to get rid of anyone today?” Ronald asks. I give him a half-hearted smile because I hate it when he places these decisions in my lap, and from the grin on his face he knows it too.

  “I don’t think so, but we could give them warnings? It’s maybe time they were aware their jobs could be on the line.”

  “Okay, I’m going to sit back and let you deal. I need to know that you can step up because I have some plans I’ll need to discuss with you later. Jeffrey and I may have plans that will alter your life, too.”

  Before I can ask what’s going on the door opens and our four consultants walk into the room. We give them the usual good morning greeting, but all four are subdued.

  “I’m not going to mess around with you. All of you are on last warnings because the mess you have made of your accounts is more than a little disturbing. If I had not been on the ball myself, we would have lost large clients because of your ineptitude.”

  I turn when I hear Ronald huff, and hold back the smile when I see he is sitting with a pout on his lips, squinting his eyes, and as he’s holding his glass of water, he has his pinky finger sticking out at an angle. Frowning because damn, I think he is wearing mascara, and his eyelashes are better than mine!

  For the next ninety minutes, I take the four through all the accounts I found issues with. Pointing out their errors and making sure they realize how much money they would have cost the company, had I not been alert.

  Ronald stands and cocks his hip while folding his arms under his chest, honestly if he had boobs he would have shoved them under his chin. “You all be warned, if we have another mess to clean up, you will be gone. I will make sure that you never work in this industry again. Now scat and get some work done, and do it efficiently.”

  “Do you think you scared the pants off them?” I ask while smirking.

  “Shush…you! Honestly, I should fire you and find another to do your job.”

  Giggling because we both know he’d never get rid of me. We are more family than anything else. “Now, what did you want to talk to me about?”

  Taking his seat again, Ronald gives me a serious stare, which tells me he’s trying to find the right words before he speaks. “Jeffrey and I are thinking of opening a new branch. If we do, then we’d like you to take over this place. We’d only need updates every quarter, so you’d be running everything yourself. We are not fully behind the idea yet, but we wanted to warn you.”

  “Okay. I had been thinking of moving away from here, but I would stay if you needed me to.”

  “Hm, I’m sure we’d rather you stay and run the established business. We enjoy the setting up of a new business and all it entails. It will be the same business, of course, just another office, and we are thinking it could happen within three months.” Ronald is giving me a grimaced look because he’s dropping this on me. We both know now that they’ve been thinking of this for a while and already have irons in the fire.

  “Well, I would expect a pay raise, an extra week's vacation a year, and a big bonus at Christmas.” I know I’m pushing my luck, but if you don’t try, you gain nothing.

  “We were going to do that anyway, and we were going to throw in a brand-spanking-new Toyota Camry in red.”

  Before he can change his mind I loudly blurt out, “Yes, I want the Camry. You know I love mine but a new red one. Wow, can you just imagine?”

  Ronald bursts out laughing and steps over to me, giving me a hug and a kiss on my forehead. “Yeah, I can imagine. Now come on, let’s get back to work. Jeffrey is coming to take me to lunch.”

  The rest of the day flies past and as I leave work, I decide to grab a takeout meal from the diner. Joe and Mary’s Diner has been around since before I was born. It’s their grandson who runs the place now, but it’s still making the best meals you can get around here. I love their chicken pot pies, smashed potato, and greens with a pot of gravy to pour over it all. My mouth is watering before I even get the meal purchased.

  Walking into the diner, I walk straight to the counter and give Blossom my order. I take a seat at the nearest table while I wait. That’s when I cringe, hearing my ex-friend's voice from somewhere behind me.

  “Shame when you can’t hang on to your man.”

  “Aw, momma gave you shit about stealing someone’s man.”

  “He’s good in the sack. No wonder he was given Sacks as his road name.”

  I ignore it all because at this point I don’t care about Sacks or Melody, or anyone else. I’m done with the club and I can easily pretend they are invisible.

  “Baby is coming along nicely. We’re having a boy. Got an old man now, and marriage is next on the cards.”

  Blossom delivers my order, casting dirty glances at Melody as she approaches me. However, I respond with a cheerful smile as I receive the bag and gratefully squeeze her hand.

  Turning to leave, my vision is filled with Melody and two club whores. Both are trying not to look at me as I’d done both of them favors in the past.

  Not looking away from the three of them, I step near and pretend-whisper, “Shame the baby is going to be a crackhead. Maybe you should wipe your nose.”

  The way Melody throws her arm up and runs her sleeve under her nose is telling, very telling, and everyone who is here is now aware of it. Giggling as I walk out of the diner I can’t help but wonder if she’s even pregnant.

  As I leave the diner, Belle and the other old ladies step past me to enter. I ignore all their looks and Belle saying my name. I climb into my vehicle and drive away, showing no sign of hurrying. This gives them the sign that I’ve moved on and won’t be looking back.

  After eating, cleaning up my dishes, and showering, I put the TV on and sit in my PJs to watch a nature program. Knocking on the door has me walking up and looking through the peephole. Sighing, I open the door.

  “What can I do for you, Aunt Mais?”

  “I need to speak with you, Alice.”

  Now, I’m not impressed when she pushes past and walks into my living room without being invited. I stand with arms folded over my chest and wait for whatever she has to say.

  “Melody is pregnant with Sacks' baby. I know he used to be your boyfriend, but he was her boyfriend first. Now, you need to leave them alone, Alice, let them get on with their lives…”

  Before she can spout more bullshit, I have to stop her. “Let’s get something straight right now. Sacks never was her boyfriend. Second, I’m not sure that’s even his baby because she’s been around most of the men in town. Third, don’t come to my home spouting shit at me until you have got your facts right. Now, from this minute, you are no longer my surrogate aunt. You are just Melody’s mother. So, get out of my apartment, which you entered uninvited by the way, before I call the cops for forced entry.” By now my nose is nearly touching hers and I’m snarling more than speaking. I have obviously taken her by surprise because I have never shown her anything but respect in the past.

  “Alice!!”

  “GET OUT!” I bellow, making her jump and scurry out the door, which I slam behind her.

  Again, taking my seat, I lift my legs onto the couch and take a few deep breaths. What a carry on I’m thinking to myself. Mais has known me all my life and has not bothered to find out any truths before coming to speak to me. It’s beyond upsetting, especially as she has dragged my momma into this mess.

  My phone pings and picking it up from the coffee table, I see Ronald has left a message.

  Ronald: Someone called Bolt spoke to me as I was leaving the office. He explained a few things and Jeffrey thought you needed to hear, so he told him he could come to the office tomorrow and speak to you. But one of us will be with you. No running from this. Love you, xx

  Gritting my teeth, I lean back and wonder how I can get my own back on those two…?

  Chapter 7

  Alice

  Wednesday and thankfully not a sign of Sacks catching me coming to or leaving work. I’m hoping he’ll see us as done, just as I have. I don’t want to keep telling him the same thing, or speak to Jax, who always had a minute to speak with me when he was at the clubhouse.

  I met Jax’s father once, Beast. An enormous man in height and width, but his overall presence was and is frightening. He was talking to me about a financial idea he was looking into, and when he showed me all his paperwork on it I pointed out it couldn’t work, and why, and the million dollars he was going to invest would be better in another scheme. A week after he left, Bolt gave me a message that the idea was as I’d told Beast, a bust, and the man trying to sell the idea to him was a con man, and had been dealt with. I didn’t ask how because I really didn’t want to know.

  Thinking about Jax and his father has him miraculously sending me a message. Looking at my phone with a frown because he’s never sent me a message before, I open it.

  Jax: Hi Alice. Beast is going to be here for a few days and wanted to meet with you. Can we drop by your place this evening?

  Alice: I suppose you can. I’ve no idea why he’d want to see me, but yeah, you know where I live.

  Jax: OK. See you later.

  Why is it I feel this is going to be a weird day? Bolt this morning and Beast this evening. Very odd, but I’m not going to stew on it.

  Walking into my office, I quickly get settled into work and check out an investment scheme I’d noticed last week. Seems you invest so much money into the scheme for housing. The houses are built, and then you get a choice of having one of the houses or selling to the housing company. This is a loss when you work out what they are offering, and what your initial outlay had been.

  The door opens and Jeffrey, Ronald, and Bolt walk into my office. Ronald has his pinched expression firmly in place, which I instantly can see is amusing Jeffrey. Bolt is giving me a blank look, and I give him a scowl.

  “Take a seat, Bolt,” Jeffrey offers and gives me a flick of his head to move closer.

  Sighing, I stand from behind my desk and take a seat opposite Bolt, which keeps a coffee table between us. “So, what can I do for you? Be warned, I don’t want to hear how Sacks is such a good man that he took one for the team. The team being the MC of course. Oh, and that he’s going to be a baby daddy with his new baby momma.”

  “Alice!” Jeffrey warns, but Ronald sits on the arm of my seat and throws a dirty look at Bolt, then one at Jeffrey.

  “Look, Alice, it was dire circumstances. Three college kids died with the use of a drug that Melody and one of our own helped bring into the town. The only way we could see to find out what was going on, was if someone got close to Melody. I asked everyone who she had shown an interest in, which was only three of the brothers, by the way. Sacks volunteered after the other two declined.”

  “Let’s get this straight. Two brothers of your club family refused to help by seducing Melody, but my ex-man said oh, okay, I’ll do it, I’ll screw her for information,” I snap and give him as dirty a look as I can manage. “Who were the other two brothers, the two that had common sense?”

  “It doesn’t matter who they were. They refused, and Sacks agreed. We now have Melody at the club, locked in a room. She’ll not be leaving the club now until we have things under control.” Bolt sits forward and gives me a ‘Please understand,’ look, but hey it’s not working.

  “What is it you want with me, Bolt?” I blatantly ask because I’m about done here as nothing new is being said, and I’m finished with it all.

  “I want you to forgive him. He did what I asked him to do. This is not on him, it’s on me.”

  “Now, that is the funniest thing I ever heard,” I laugh loudly and Ronald rubs the back of my shoulder, comforting me. “You want me to forgive the asshole who stuck his dick in my friend, and got her pregnant. Then you’ll ask me not to hold it against the child, and when Melody overdoses, which she more than likely will, you will ask me to rear it. Not happening, not on this green earth am I doing anything you are asking. You didn’t ask if I would mind having sex with MY MAN while he was sticking his ‘said’ dick in someone else. No, forget all this and get out. I’m done with Sacks, you, and the club. The only ones who have shown me respect are Jax and his father Beast. Now those two I have the time of day for.” I stand and walk out of my office, heading to the staff restroom, and wait a while as my temper cools. What a nerve he has to come here and ask me all that bullshit. Let’s see what Beast thinks of that tonight.

  Ronald follows me out of the restroom, grabs my hand, guiding me to his office, where he slams and locks the door. Walking briskly to his wall cabinet, he opens it and takes out a bottle of vintage brandy, pours two hefty glasses, and hands me one.

  “Up yours,” he salutes before drinking it in one go.

  “Up yours,” I repeat, and down mine, but sadly end up choking and coughing because I’m not usually a drinker of brandy.

  “Goddamn, girl, we have to teach you to drink.”

  After spluttering a while longer, I look at Ronald with tears trailing down my cheeks from the coughing and choking. “I think I’ll stick to the wine.” I giggle, then hiccup, which has Ronald placing two fingers over his lips and giggles along with me.

  By the time Jeffrey unlocks the door and enters the office, both Ronald and I are sitting on the couch, shoulder-to-shoulder and head-to-head, laughing about stupid baby daddies and taking one for the team.

  “I agree with your sentiment, Alice. The idiot thought he was helping his club, that I understand, but he didn’t give your feelings a second thought, and that’s just not good enough.” Jeffrey sits opposite Ronald and me and gives us both a huge grin. “He’s scared shitless of you telling Beast. I can’t wait for that man’s reaction.”

  Back in my office a while later my phone rings and looking down I see it’s Momma again. But I’m at work and she knows not to call me when I’m working so she can hang fire until I’m well and truly ready to speak to her.

  Thinking about Jax and Beast during the day, I decide I'll make them a chicken dinner. I can pop a chicken in the oven with veggies to bake while I have a shower and change. I have a chicken in the fridge as I was going to cut it into portions and freeze it. But I reckon it would be nice to eat with someone rather than by myself tonight.

 

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