I saw Ky shaking his head. But this wasn’t his call. If the brothers had lost faith in me, they needed to open their fucking mouths and say so.

“Fuck no,” someone suddenly said. Flame was sitting forward, glaring at my knife. “I ain’t killin’ him either. I ain’t hurtin’ Maddie. You’re the fuckin’ prez. You’re stayin’ the fuckin’ prez.”

I nodded at Flame. AK leaned back in his seat. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, Styx. Fuck the rat. I ain’t even gonna think of him no more. There’ll be plenty more cunts like him comin’ our way. I’ll just save my rage for them.”

More heads nodded. “You’re the fuckin’ prez, Styx,” Tank said. “Ain’t gonna lose you because of this shit. That fucker ain’t worth it. You’ve led us this far. You ain’t gonna jeopardize the club. I’m with ya.”

Bull and Tanner nodded in agreement.

“I don’t even know the prick,” Cowboy drawled. “Ain’t no skin off my nose. But yeah, you keep that patch on that cut. We only came here from bein’ nomads because of you. You’re not fuckin’ steppin’ down now over some psycho prophet.” Hush flicked his chin at me in agreement.

Smiler, more mute than me, sat at the back. He tipped his head toward me. He was never gonna disagree with my call.

I met Viking’s eyes. “That fucker needs to die. But no fucker wants to lose you as prez.” The redhead shrugged. “As long as I don’t gotta see his face again, do what the fuck you want. But you and that gavel ain’t goin’ nowhere.” He smiled. “And I like pissin’ you off too much to see you step down.”

“And you know I’ve got your back,” Ky added. I dropped the knife. Ky turned to the brothers. “All in agreement that the fucker is left alone?”

A chorus of “Ayes,” came sailing my way. Viking slammed his hands on the table. “Now get that cut back on, Styx and stop bein’ so fuckin’ melodramatic. Shit! Between you, your bitches and Cowboy forever bein’ all open with his hippie feelins, I’m gonna grow a fuckin’ vagina! And that’d be a shame because my dick is a fuckin’ modern marvel. The anaconda is too precious to lose.”

AK rolled his eyes.

Cowboy flipped Vike the finger.

And just like that, my brothers were back at my side.

I put away my knife, threw on my cut, and slammed the gavel down to the table.

Church done.

I pounded out of the door and down the hallway. I slammed open Smiler’s door. A shocked gasp met my entrance. Bella and Rider were lying in bed—the prick was in a bad fucking way. Bella hadn’t left his side since the barn. Mae told me Bella didn’t ever leave in case we took that opportunity to get at her man. Even now Bella jumped off the bed and prepared herself to fight. I didn’t know what the fuck she was thinking, acting like she could take me. But she impressed me. Bella was one fucking feisty bitch.

I could see why Mae liked her so fucking much.

“What do you want?” Bella asked coldly. I ignored her and moved to the bed.

Rider’s face was a bruised, battered mess. He had bandages everywhere and one of his eyes was still sealed shut. The other one wasn’t much better, but he could see me. And I could fucking see his apprehension as I stood there.

I lifted my hands and signed, “Need to talk to him.”

Bella frowned. “I do not understand you.”

My nostrils flared with frustration. Rider opened his swollen, cracked lips, and managed to rasp out, “He . . . he needs to . . . talk to me.”

“Then talk,” Bella said, folding her arms.

“Alone.” I signed, quickly losing patience with her attitude.

Rider told her what I’d said. “No,” she said. I saw the panic in her face. My teeth clenched.

“Bella?” Mae’s voice came from the doorway. Bella looked at my bitch. “He will not hurt him. You have my word.” Bella stared at me, trying to read my face or some shit. I stared right the fuck back. “Bella, please. Leave them alone,” Mae begged.

Bella’s shoulders slumped. Moving to Rider, she kissed him on his forehead, then walked past me. The bitch eyeballed me the entire way. I decided right then that if she’d have been a guy, I’d have recruited her to my club on the spot.

When the door shut behind her, I walked to the chair by the bed and sat down. Rider watched me the whole way. My attention fell to the cross-shaped scar on his chest. I felt fuck-all remorse.

“So this is what’s gonna happen.” Rider watched my hands like a hawk. “Since you’re married to Mae’s sister and it would kill my bitch if she left over your stupid ass, you ain’t gonna die.” I saw Rider’s chest lift up and down as he breathed hard. I leaned forward. “But that’s where the fuckin’ charity ends. Mae will only be happy if Bella is close. But Bella bein’ close means your rat-ass bein’ close.” I shrugged. “Then again, it means we can track your every move. And we will. Everywhere you go will be monitored. You won’t take a shit without one of us knowing about it. And if you ever try and do anythin’ to fuck with the club, there’ll be no more second chances.” Rider looked like he wanted to speak, but I didn’t wanna hear his fucking excuses. I shook my head, warning him not to even try and talk. He didn’t.