Shane

"This is getting' bad brother." I say to Austin.

It's been a few hours since Lyla kicked me out of her house. Hours since I've held her body close to mine. Hours since I've calmed Adrianna down enough to begin talking again. Hours since I have felt whole.

"Yeah. Can't believe that asshole had the audacity to come after one of old ladies and her kid. Fuck man, glad you were there."

I nod my head reliving everything that went down today. The smile and joy reflecting off Adrianna. The happy go lucky and freeing look Lyla was sporting, the carefree attitude I had. It was all gone in the blink of an eye when I watched as that asshole came up with a forty-five in his hands. If it weren't for the cut he was sporting, I wouldn't have thought much of him.

Giving the description to Austin was easier than I thought. It helped that when I shot him in the shoulder, he stared right at me. Had no gun experience, that much I could tell. Someone taught him how to use it, but not well enough. Six feet tall, two hundred pounds soaking wet, and a large goatee.

It was like the asshole was wearing a bright fuck me sign strapped to his chest. Why the hell would he try and shoot someone in broad daylight? why threaten Lyla right where there are bound to be cameras? None of this makes sense, but one thing keeps each of these facts in the same circle.

Alberts.

Fuckin' Alberts.

"Me too. Too bad Ly's practically defenseless now." I look over at Austin who stands at the head of the table. His seat once seated his father and mine next to him, was once my father's. I briefly wonder what they would have thought of our current situation. Knowing our fathers, they would have called us a bunch of pussies and wondered why the hell we haven't yet handled shit.

"I'll talk to Lyla. She's scared and pissed man. Any of us would feel the same way. This club almost got her kid killed and I don't necessarily blame her for wanting to protect her child at all costs."

I look down at my hands, hating that Austin is right. Lyla was obviously scared and upset, I don't blame her one bit for being a good mother by getting rid of the darkness that is leading trouble right to her door. I've called her worse for far less. I had treated her badly when I found out about her ex and knowing what she is dealing with now, has me feeling like low class asshole.

The last few days with Adrianna and Lyla have been some of the best in my life and knowing I will be going home to an empty house filled with unaccomplished goals has me feeling even worse. Thanks to me, she wants nothing to do with us and I can't blame her. I once felt the same way when my father was murdered, and the club decided not to retaliate.

"Seems like today is turning into a shitty one. Torque told me earlier that he can't find anything on the Rejects MC. No known whereabouts, no police record on their MC, nothing. It's like they didn't exist until they started causing problems for us.

"Maybe onto somethin' there." I note causing him to turn in his chair and look at me. I can see the worry in his face, the same worry his father used to wear. Like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. "The man today, he ain't no shooter Austin. So, either they sent the worst fuckin' person to do a job that should have never been in broad daylight in the middle of the fuckin' zoo on a Saturday, or."

"Or these guys aren't an MC." He finished. "Shit, if that's the case all this shit adds up. Seems like we need to have a chat with Snake and the Road Kings. Might have some common ground with our man Alberts."

I must have made a face when he mentioned Snake's name because he quickly stands up and sits on the table facing me. Fuck, he looks like his old man right now. I remember those endless fuckin' lectures.

"Know he ain't your favorite person in the world, but I need you in on this brother. Time to finally let some shit go." I turn to him and narrow my eyes on my lifelong friend.

"Let it go? You want me to let go of the fact that asshole murdered my father? Like you let go on those fuckin' gangs that had your old man killed?" Austin looks at the door that separates us from the rest of the compound.

Austin had gone on the deep end at the time his old man was killed. Max was there for his mother, while Austin had a different responsibility. Austin had an entire club to run and his first goal, was to go after the traitors that had set up his father for profit. We slaughtered all of them.

"I get it Shane, trust me brother, I'm the only one that does. But Snake isn't our enemy right now, we need him brother. For Lyla and Adrianna."

That bastard. I snarl over in his direction and see that stupid smirk on him, then huff out my answer. "Fine asshole. I'll play nice, but if that fucker pushes me, I'm goin' in for the kill."

"Deal. Now go home and get some rest. Tonight is an important night and I'm not letting Alberts or this fuckin' Rejects MC get in the way of that."

I nod my head, thinking of Abby and Bone. Tonight is the anniversary of Cherry's death. All this shit goin' on with the club but we made sure to still put it aside for our fellow brother and his daughter. Abby has been a part of this club for as long as I have, and there was no way I was missing this. I had hoped to be here with Lyla and Adrianna, but I'll make sure to still be a part of it. Candy had thought of doing a candle lit ceremony at the grave and as fuckin' girly as that sounded, it was alright with all of us.

Austin and I part ways and I head home to my lonely house to get some restless sleep.

ùùù

Austin, Chance and I arrive at the Road Kings compound. I couldn't sleep for shit last night knowing Lyla and Adrianna were practically unprotected.

Austin spoke with her yesterday after the candle ceremony and assured me that she was good and that she accepted Miles' and Ghost's help. I didn't know which I hated more, that she no longer needed me, or that she never did.

"Drift is out front waiting on us, let's keep our cool guys." Austin whispers as we dismount.

I know he is speaking solely to me. Chance never hurts a fly unless it has to do with someone hurting children. I'm trying to be what my brothers expect of me, what they need of me, but as we walk closer and closer to the compound ran by the man that had no problem taking my father from me, I feel my composure slipping.

"Austin." Drift states when we meet him half way in the middle of the compound.

The Road Kings clubhouse is made up an old repair shop. There is a couple thousand square feet added onto it and has cement walls blocking the view. If they wanted to, they could easily take us out here and now, and no one would even know.

"Drift. Thanks for meeting with us." Austin states as they stare each other down. Drift is practically a mystery to us all and as much as I hate that Torque couldn't find much on the fucker, I can read people well enough to know that he has a dark past that even the likes of us wouldn't comprehend.

"Need you to know something before you come in. Snake expects no guns." Drift nonchalantly expresses.

"Fuck you." I say causing them all to look over to me.

"Not part of the plan Drift. We go in with no guns, we would be a bunch of stupid fucks. Hate to say I don't trust you man, but I don't trust you."

"Understand that Austin. But I got my orders. No guns, or we don't have this meeting." My body is feeling rigid as Austin allows these silent moments to flow by. If it were up to me, we would have pulled a gun on this fucker right then and there.

"Fine. Chance, Shane, empty em'."

"Fuck no. Are you fuckin' kidding me Austin."

"Now Shane." Austin shouts as he grabs his gun from his back pocket and the one he keeps on his leg. He places them on the ground next to Drift who then picks them up.

"Fuck." Chance murmurs and repeats Austin's actions.

"Shane, no offense brother, but we have no reason to kill you guys. Snake wouldn't normally ask of this shit, but with you here, he needs to be sure."

Austin turns back to me and crosses his arms at his chest. Chance walks over and brings his Glock to Drift and turns to me as well. Everyone is waiting on me to continue the dumbest fuckin' move known to man. I grumble a few curses then finally lift my cut and take my gun out and hand it to Drift. He doesn't question us further, simply turns and leads us to the entrance of the compound I never thought I would willingly step foot in.

We enter a small enclosed garage bay at which Drift walks over to one of the old cabinets and places the guns inside, locking it closed. A whistle blows from his lips and Snake comes out of the shadows. When I see him, my fist shake along with my body. I haven't seen this man since he helped us save Candice, and as much as he showed that the two of our clubs could work well together, I'm still pissed we needed him.

"Heard you were havin' some problems with the Rejects." He states, starring from Austin to Chance then over to me where he holds his gaze for a few seconds.

I wasn't going to come today, but since Max is still at home with Shawna I knew I had to step up. Max has given Snake the benefit of the doubt since everything with Julian, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon. He's right to study me.

"Need to know if you have some intel on them."

"Heard of em', haven't seen any of them yet. Figured they were just talk. Alberts has been comin' around here, waving his badge and his dick around about puttin' us all away. Don't buy his shit for a minute."

"Guess he fears us more, because one of our ladies was threatened by a Reject." Austin states and I can see Snake's features grow hard.

Oh, now the asshole wants to grow a fuckin' conscience. Where the hell was all that when he left a fifteen-year-old boy without his father?

"Tell me." Austin begins telling him about Lyla being threatened outside the preschool that morning that feels like a century ago. My body trembles with anger as he explains the details of that asshole marking her arms with bruises, making me want to go out and hunt them all down killing them one at a time.

"She remembers what he looks like?"

"Gave us a good idea. Yesterday there was a shooting at the zoo. Shane took one of them out, different guy, but said the guy couldn't shoot for shit. So, we figure."

"They ain't real. Heard about the zoo, sorry your old lady and kid were in the middle of that brother."

"I'm not your fuckin' brother." I shout back causing Austin to roll his eyes. I don't care, I told him this morning that coming here was a waste of time and I was right. They don't have anything on the Rejects, just like we don't.

"Look, know you don't like me boy, but you're here because like me, you have something to live for. If these assholes are a part of Alberts, then your old lady and kid are the best-case scenario. Need to keep your family safe. Just like we do. I'll let you know when we get more on them." Snake says walking away and flicks his wrist at Drift.

I look over at his VP and watch as he grabs our guns from the cabinet and walks over and places them on a half empty tool bench separating us. The place was abandoned years ago, but if you look closely you can still see the remnants of the business that was here. Scattered order forms and sales receipts, broken pieces of tools, and old calendar with some half naked bitch on it. Even the cabinets, and storage units are still inside. The people here left in a hurry, and I briefly wonder if Snake and the Road Kings MC had anything to do with that.

"Hard to believe this is true, but it looks like Shane was right. If Snake has nothing on the Rejects then either they don't exist, or they are fuckin' smarter than we're giving them credit for." I shove Chance on the way out as we head back to our bikes.

"Yeah, I agree, who the hell would think Shane would be right?" Austin snickers and I flip him off before mounting my bike.

We drive off one at a time back to our clubhouse with once again, no good news.