Butch
“There’s a difference,” Tiny said.
“What difference? You need to act. My woman is out there with our kid.” He turned to Alex, who looked pale. “They’re in danger, and we’re not doing anything about it.”
“You quit The Skulls, walking away from us. Cheryl is not a Skull, nor is she part of the club.”
“I asked to come back.”
“You left, Butch. Letting you back in takes a f**king vote. I’ve got to wait until Lash gets back to vote you back in.”
Butch paused, frowning at him. “This is your decision, Tiny. Not the club’s.”
“No one has ever walked out like this. I can’t make this decision on my own. It took the whole club to vote Nash back in, and the same goes for you.”
“Tiny,” Alex started to talk. Tiny held his hand up.
“No, I’m not listening to any more crap about this.” Tiny kept his gaze focused on him. “We’re not a f**king library he can take what he wants when he wants. Lash has a deciding vote, and I’m not doing shit about it until he gets back.”
“What are you trying to say?” Butch asked but he knew the truth.
“You’re not a brother anymore until Lash comes back from Italy. We’re going to help get Cheryl back. We don’t get to help you with anything else until Lash is back.” Tiny shrugged. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re not sorry,” Butch said. “This is your f**king club, Tiny.”
“And I’m acting in the club’s best interest. We’re going to get your woman back, but I’m not going to risk my men for you.”
“I’m f**king begging you, Tiny. Let me back in. I’m f**king loyal, and I’ll be good for the club,” Butch said, getting to his knees in front of them. He needed Tiny prepared to do everything to save his woman.
Alex spun away, heading toward the bar. There was no alcohol to drown his sorrows in.
Staring down at the floor, Butch laughed. “I’m sorry for leaving the club. You know, Cheryl told me I shouldn’t have left. I thought I was protecting her, but I was the one who put her in danger.”
“We’re a club and a family, but you didn’t see that. This shit you’ve caused is your problem, not ours,” Tiny said. “We’ll do what we can to save Cheryl and her son, not because of you but because we’re not f**king animals.”
“Tiny?” Eva said.
The other man glared at his wife, and she stopped talking, holding her hands out, backing down.
It was Butch’s decision to leave The Skulls that had started this. By leaving he’d insulted the club, and the more he pulled away, being an ass**le, the more the club had moved on. He couldn’t hate Tiny for his decision. Any president of an MC club would have killed him by now. Tears filled his eyes at his own stupidity. He shouldn’t have left, and if Lash was pissed enough, he wasn’t going to get his place back in the club.
“Fine. I’ll wait to be part of the club. I’ll take whatever decision you all make. If I have to, I’ll become a prospect again and pull out of my shares until I earn my loyalty.” He spoke the words, terrified of his future.
Tiny left the room and returned seconds later with his jacket. He didn’t know what to say when he saw the leather jacket. The last time he’d worn this very jacket he’d been filled with pride. He wasn’t full of pride now, no, he was full of shame. No one would help him unless he was a Skull, and he’d turned his back on the club. Cheryl had been trying to convince him to rejoin The Skulls, but he’d refused even though he’d been thinking of joining them again. His own stubbornness had caused this. Cheryl must have known he was part of a club. Only he had denied while she saw through it.
“I’m showing you this jacket because regardless of what happens, I always thought you’d come back to us,” Tiny said, glaring at him. “I want to let you back, but I wouldn’t be any kind of f**king leader if I didn’t put you to a vote like I’ve done everyone else.”
He was sure he detected pain in Tiny’s face, but it was gone before he could analyze it.
“Then I’ll wait, and I’ll prove to you all I want to be here,” Butch said.
“Frederick holds all the cards here. We can’t do anything until he gets in touch,” Tiny said, taking a seat. Eva put her hand on Tiny’s shoulder.
“We can’t do anything but sit and wait?” he asked.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” Nash said, speaking up. “We’re all f**ked here. The cops have torn us apart, and we know it’s because of Gonzalez. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s going to keep doing it. Devil’s got the same problem back in Piston County.”
This was not like them. Butch knew they would all fight, but Gonzalez was playing a different game.
“What about Devil and the Chaos Bleeds crew?” Butch asked.
“They’re doing exactly the same. We’re all waiting it out.” Tiny rested his head in his hands.
There was nothing they could do. He took a seat and waited. Butch didn’t have a clue what he was waiting for. In all of his years as a Skull they’d never waited around for anything to happen to them. They’d always been the ones in charge. No one told them what to do.
You’ve got to wait to become a Skull.
Running fingers through his hair, Butch became aware of how much life had changed for the club in the last few months. They couldn’t do anything but wait. He hated this kind of control that Gonzalez had.
Recalling the memory of his father, Butch recalled the way he’d been afraid, but this wasn’t the same.
The whole of The Skulls were waiting. He stood and started to pace.
Time passed slowly. Running his hand over his face, he tried to ignore the pity on all of their faces. The club was a mess, life was a mess, and he knew he shouldn’t have left. The biggest mistake he’d made was leaving, and now he needed to find a way to prove himself. He should have rejoined of his own free will long before he did. The first time he went to work hating his life should have been the time he came back to the club. The more he thought about his mistakes, the more he regretted his decisions.
When the phone went off, everyone tensed. Tiny took his time to answer it.
Butch was surprised when Tiny put the call for the loudspeaker for all of them to hear it.
“Where the f**k is Cheryl?” Tiny asked. The man before him was the person Butch remembered. Tiny, leader of The Skulls, wouldn’t allow any man to f**k with his club.