“I don’t know, honey. You’ve got to give the man a chance. He’s with The Skulls, so he’s always got something going on. Doesn’t he own a fancy casino back in Vegas?”
She shrugged. There wasn’t much she did know about Alex. Their relationship had been fleeting, and the only lasting consequence sat in her lap. Cheryl hadn’t been sitting around mourning for Alex, or wishing for him to come home. There were a few times she wished he turned up as she’d been terrified of raising a child alone. She’d never been alone though, as her mother had stuck by her through thick and thin.
“I want you to be happy, Cheryl. I really do.”
“I’m happy, Mom. Butch makes me happy.” She smiled, tightening her arms around Matthew. “Alex wasn’t anything special. I mean, he was there, and then he wasn’t. There were no lasting feelings. Butch, I miss him all the time. He’s out now, and I hope he’s okay. I’m not going to stalk him or anything. I don’t know, maybe we’re moving too fast after finding out about Alex, but I don’t think we are. He means everything to me, Mom.” She pushed her hair off her face.
When Matthew started to get restless, she placed him back in the high chair.
“I don’t know what you’re going through. If he makes you happy then I’ll be happy for you. I never want you to suffer, Cheryl. Never in all this world did I want you to go through what you’ve gone through.” Her mother placed pancakes in front of her son then handed her a plate. She took the food, diving into the fluffy pancakes. “When you told me you were pregnant, I was worried. Raising a child is tough. Raising a child alone is even harder.”
“You did it for the most part.”
“But your father couldn’t hack it, honey. He was happier going out and sleeping with everything than sticking by his woman,” her mother said, reaching over to touch her hand.
“Butch would never do that to me.” Cheryl knew without a shadow of a doubt that Butch would love her and be loyal to her. The Skulls were many things, but they were loyal to each other.
“I know. I’ve got the right to worry about you. You’re my daughter, and I’ll keep worrying about you for many years to come. I should warn you, I’ll always worry about you.”
Cheryl smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
****
Frederick chuckled as he entered his hotel room. The scent of bleach overwhelmed him the moment he closed the door. “Fuck, Ronald, it stinks.”
“Tell that to Homer. He got in a mess with the girl, and now he’s cleaning up the mess.”
Ah, the smell of victory. He was going to have The Skulls and Chaos Bleeds eating out of the palm of his hands.
“What’s the next stage of your plan, boss? We’ve got another delivery of coke due and a shipment of at least a hundred girls that need to start earning their keep,” Ronald said.
Walking to his supply of scotch, Frederick poured out three glasses. Homer appeared wearing a blood smeared apron. The sight appalled Frederick, but there was nothing he could do. That ship had already sailed.
“We’re putting pressure on Tiny and his men. Gash will be out within three weeks, but he’s going to be coming out to a whole load of shit.”
He took another sip of the strong, expensive spirit. His father didn’t have the first clue of how to handle an MC group. All of the men who’d come before him really thought they knew their shit. They were all mistaken. Frederick knew how to get what he wanted and kill every motherfucker who got in his way. Devil and Tiny were only the first. Soon he’d own both MCs, both towns, and along the way he’d get Vegas and start to expand his business out. He’d be more powerful than any f**king criminal known to mankind. Whoever thought of trying to sell shit on his turf would have to pay their dues. Gonzalez didn’t intend to come cheap. After his father had taken out the Savage Brothers over twenty years ago, Frederick thought it would only expand from there. Instead, his father had gone back home, leaving it all dead. He was going to change all that. “Daddy left a loose end from a long time ago. I want you to find Becca Stanford, kill her, and send the head to The Skulls. When you do that, send Ashley’s to Chaos Bleeds. We’re going to get what we want, boys. I can almost taste it.”
Chapter Eleven
Two days later
After bailing those bastards out Butch hadn’t heard a peep out of them. They had their kids back with the help of Rupert, but did he get anything? No. No one had come to see him, not to even thank him for what he did. His hard work had come down to nothing.
“Come on, Butch, we need those dishes, pronto.”
He glared at the boy demanding he work faster. In the beginning working at the café had been fun, a change from the norm. Now, it pissed him off. It was hot outside, and the back of the café was steaming hot from all the hot water and food being cooked. He hadn’t seen the sun in almost three hours, and he was pissed. The only consolation prize for him was Cheryl. Going to bed with her every night made up for the hours spent in the café.
The problem, it was getting harder to want to go to work. The Skulls were his home. He wouldn’t go back; he couldn’t go back. Cheryl was going to be in too much danger if he joined The Skulls.
“Butch?”
“Get the f**k out of my kitchen and f**k off,” he said, yelling out at the other man. Ten minutes later the manager walked in.
“Butch, we need to talk.”
Throwing the dishes to the floor, he heard every single one crash onto the tiled ground. “Fuck you and f**k your job.” He removed the apron and slammed it against the man’s chest.
Why did you think this was going to work in the first place?
The Skulls is your place.
Walking out of the café he didn’t stop until he was in the florist. Cheryl was serving Nash as she finished wrapping a bunch of roses in a bow.
“Butch, what are you doing here?” she asked.
Nash was staring at him.
“I quit my job,” he said, moving closer to the counter. Matthew was with her mother like he was most days Cheryl was at work. In a year he would be in school, and neither of them would have to worry.
“You quit? How is that possible?” she asked, handing the bouquet to Nash.
He watched the other man pay, clearly listening to the conversation.
“I couldn’t stand it anymore. I can’t work there.”
Cheryl gave him a pointed look then focused her gaze on Nash. He shook his head. No, he wasn’t going back to The Skulls, even if he wanted to. Butch knew he was being an ass, but he had his reasons for doing what he was doing.