“She’s at the beach with our son. Don’t f**king change the subject. Why the f**k are you leaving? Did you hand in your cut?”
Letting out a sigh, Butch felt a pain bloom inside his chest. He’d given up his cut, and he also had an appointment to have his ink changed so he didn’t hold any symbol of his involvement with The Skulls. In a few weeks’ time all of his involvement with the club would cease and his past would be dumped like his childhood.
“Who told you I was out?” Butch asked.
“Nash let it slip ten f**king minutes ago. You’re out, and you’ve got no plans of coming back.”
“It’s not the life I want anymore.”
“Bullshit. This is the only life you’ve ever wanted. I remember when you were a prospect, Butch. You’re five years older than me. You wanted in the life. It’s in your blood. You told me back then that you’d do everything to get patched in, and you did. You cleaned more shit toilets and whores off the floor than any other f**king brother. Every shitty assignment Tiny gave us, you took. All of that hard work for nothing?”
“Not anymore. Time has changed, the fun has gone, and I’ve got nothing but pain to look forward to.” Butch looked toward the door knowing he needed to get back inside. He didn’t need the money, but he refused to sit on his ass all day while Cheryl was out working. Butch was not the kind of man to sit on his ass all day while the woman worked.
“What made you quit?” Lash asked.
“I found a woman. I’m not willing to risk her life being part of a group who has enemies as magnets.” He started walking back to the door as Lash cursed over the line. “She’s got a kid, and I can’t ask her to be with me at the risk to her kid.”
“We can’t have your back if you’re not part of the club.”
“I don’t need you to have my back. Unlike most of you I don’t actually have a past with enemies.” He had a past filled with pain, but no enemies. No one knew he was alive. He was dead to the whole world. The Skulls didn’t need to know what his past was all about. Butch held the memories close to his chest, where they’d stay.
“This is insane. I should come back and beat the crap out of you.”
Butch laughed. “Angel wouldn’t be happy. She wouldn’t say anything to you, but you’d only hurt her by cutting your vacation short. Leave my decisions with me. I’m not going back to The Skulls. It’s over, and you all should realize I’m happier for it.”
Hanging up the phone didn’t ease the tension inside him. He missed the life already but he was determined to create a new life. Butch knew from harsh experience what it was like to have his loved ones torn away because of a bad decision. The Skulls were getting more dangerous, and there was no hope for Cheryl if he continued with the same kind of crap. For all of his good intentions, it didn’t stop him needing more, the curiosity to know what’s going on with Tiny and his brothers. It had been a month, and already he wanted to know what was going down so he could help his family. The Skulls gave him back the family he’d lost so many years ago, yet he’d pulled away from them for love.
Closing his eyes he recalled the screams of his sister when he couldn’t save her. The curses his father yelled, threatening all the men who were hurting them. All of his family was dead, and there would be no chance of them coming back. Watching his sister get raped and killed was just par for the course at the age of thirteen. Butch knew when he saw her brains getting blown apart that his life was never going to be the same. There was nothing he could have done, not even at thirteen. Going from one foster home to another until he was out of the system at eighteen, he’d already been on the path set for The Skulls.
Pushing his finger and thumb against his eyes, he fought the pain the memories gave him. All the time he kept them locked in a box. Not one of his brothers knew the truth about his past. Neal Coal was dead along with his family, and all of them had died long ago, and he wasn’t ever going to be returning to that life. Becca had told him to forget, and he had to a point.
Unlike his brothers Butch’s enemies remained in the past with no hope of ever returning. Over the years, even without his father or the Savage Brothers, he’d trained to fight and learned to take a beating. To earn money, he entered into illegal fights. He was a fierce fighter and made sure he would come out the winner or die f**king trying. The only way for him to live in this world was to leave his enemies six feet f**king under. He couldn’t avenge what happened to him as a young boy, but he could make sure all of his present enemies were dead. Entering the back of the coffee shop he set back to work, cleaning dishes from the cakes they made in the shop. No one approached him, which he liked. If anyone was to even say a word to him, he’d go f**king crazy. They talked amongst themselves.
The moment the box opened in his mind and the old memories started to work through, he lost it. Becca had told him to keep everything locked up inside. There was no need to go out and seek the truth. He believed and trusted her.
“Butch.”
He turned at his name to see the manager, Langnor, staring at him.
“What’s up?”
“Tiny and Alex are out there to see you. They’ve asked for a minute of your time.”
He cursed, staring up at the ceiling. The last thing he needed with the memories slowly coming back was the two men looking over his shoulder trying to bring him back into the fold. What made it worse was the respect he had for Tiny and Alex. Both men were worth his loyalty to the club. He’d never turn his back on them, not for anyone.
Think about Cheryl.
Cheryl Barnes and her sweet boy were the only good things to happen to him since The Skulls. The danger the club faced was not something he wanted to bring to her. Butch wanted a chance with her, a real chance to have a family of his own.
Wiping his hands on the towel, he threw the towel on the counter then headed into the main coffee room. Alex and Tiny were sitting in the far corner in a private booth. Ignoring all the gawping and stares, he took a seat opposite them. Both men were sitting on one side. Butch just knew a confrontation was about to happen.
“You’re working in a coffee shop?” Tiny asked, grimacing. “Your talent is f**king amazing at cars and in the club, and you’re serving f**king coffee. This is sad. You didn’t go through all that shit to become a f**king dishwasher.” Tiny shook his head, clearly angered by what was going on.