Chapter 21

(Sinn)

Trapping a Lying Bastard in his Untruths

There were moments, like this one, when Sinn was alone on the dunes, staring out over the water, desperately yearning to see the fine details of the waves, that he wished he had spent more time by the ocean when he was young. It sounded magnificent, but his memories of it were spotty. Oh, he could see the rolling, differentiate between the white caps and the darker pull of the ocean deep, but he couldn’t see the mist as anything more than shimmering blotches hurled skyward. He could see the shadow shapes of the gulls and remembered from when he was a kid, what their feathers looked like and the determination in their eyes when they’d attempted to steal part of a sandwich from him.

It was a blessing and a curse that this disease of his was a slowly progressing one. It meant that he had memories of a time when he didn’t struggle to make out the world around him. He’d been able to run without the fear of tripping on some unseen thing, his odds the same as any other child his age. Now though, he was learning to be creative in the face of adversity, and thanks to Night and one of the tales he’d spun about backyard wrestling and the occasional events he snuck into, Sinn now had a means of ensuring that he could fight his own battles without having to worry about losing track of his opponent.

The issue now was how to lure that opponent into the combat circle, or at the very least, trick him into revealing his deception so he could finally be dealt with. With no way to squash the beef with an unwilling Teddy, Sinn had resigned himself to having to beat the shit out of him instead, if only to bring some measure of peace to the household.

Kat’s concern for Mark’s ulcer had shone through when he’d overheard her talking to Night about food options her stubborn husband might eat and if it was possible to dilute his Crown Royal with sweet tea and mask that by mixing him sample drinks they planned to unveil on club night. Night had assured her that he’d figure a way to make that work. It wasn’t like Sinn would ever say anything. As far as he was concerned, she was acting in her husband’s best interests in order to give him the best chance at being around for her, their children and their club longer. A healthy Prez was something every last one of them wanted, including Teddy, Sinn was certain, even when the man was being surly and avoiding his Dom and Dominatrix.

Learning that Teddy was bunking with the hang-around kid, Scout, had come as a bit of a shock to Sinn, who hated feeling like he’d contributed to Kat and Mark’s unhappiness. He knew the mistake he’d made when he climbed in the wrong bed wasn’t what had kickstarted their issues, but it was the one Teddy had latched on to and was willing to ride to his grave if need be, if only to get his way.

If the man would just stop being stubborn and talk to Kat and Mark about whatever the real issue was, Sinn was certain they’d do everything in their power to try to make things right because no way was it all a jealousy issue.

Saint moving Sinn into his room hadn’t come with any special position within the household, or inside the club. Hell, Teddy had wanted him gone before that point anyway. Saint claimed that he hadn’t touched the man in years, not since deciding that sharing what his brother had wasn’t as appealing as building a relationship like that of his own. According to Creature, who never minded sharing history or gossip with him while they worked together, Teddy had never acted that way towards any of the other men Saint had toyed around with.

Maybe because that’s all it had been, toying around, while with Sinn and Night he was serious, right down to the collar he’d secured around Sinn’s neck. They were already searching for one for Night, something with two strands of metal entwined, one to represent each of them. But if they were going to enjoy the connections they’d forged and all the potential that lay in it, then this bullshit with Teddy had to end.

Which brought Sinn back to what had driven him to seek solace among the dunes in the first place.

Confronting Teddy had failed.

Ignoring him had failed.

At the rate Sinn was cycling through ideas and dismissing them, he was sure he’d look like a madman if anyone was out there watching him scowl, frown, sift sand through his fingers and run his fingers in slow circles over shells. Everything from unleashing mini plagues upon Teddy in the form of fire ants in his bed and bed bugs in his underwear to repeatedly spiking his coffee with Ex-lax until he didn’t dare leave the bathroom again flittered through Sinn’s mind, providing some small measure of amusement while he sought out a serious solution.

Then it hit and he damn near face planted scrambling to his feet as fast as he could. As quickly as he could manage, he made his way back to the house, the voices drifting from the kitchen making it a simple task to track his prey.

Teddy was in the kitchen with Kat and Mark, so Sinn sauntered that way, heading to the cabinet for a glass, completely ignoring the intensity of the conversation the trio was engaged in.

“Excuse you!” Teddy snapped, unable to hold his tongue for more than the ten seconds it took Sinn to retrieve it and head for the fridge. “This is a private conversation!”

“Which is why I didn’t say hello and interrupt,” Sinn said. “Though I am glad that I ran into you.”

He wished he could see Teddy’s face, though his pause and the way he sputtered a little were clear indicators of his shock at hearing Sinn’s words.

“Why?” Teddy asked, his voice holding notes of both hesitation and suspicion.

“To thank you.”

“The fuck are you thanking me for?” Teddy snapped.

“Telling these guys you saw the plate of the van that snatched me,” Sinn said. “Horace freaked the fuck out when you saw him and damn near aborted the whole mission and chucked me out the side door, which would have sucked. Talk about a bad case of road rash. As fast as they were moving, I doubt a good tuck and roll would have done me any good.”

“Wh-what…” Teddy sputtered. “The fuck are you going on about! I didn’t say fuck all about any van or a Texas license plate.”

Silence descended over the room. For several seconds you could have heard a mouse fart if one had been hanging out in the corner, that’s how quiet it was.

“Busted,” Mark declared, his chair screeching against the vinyl flooring as he lurched to his feet.

“I…I…” Teddy stammered.

“You what!” Kat snapped, drumming her fingernails on the kitchen table. “Spit it out already. Spin another web of lies only this time, make it tight enough to choke you because that is what you deserve right now! How could you stay silent when everyone was running themselves ragged trying to figure out what the hell happened to him? If someone had gotten killed trying to turn up answers it would have been on your head!”

“How was I supposed to know what happened?” Teddy whined. “I didn’t see them take him. All I saw was a van shoot past me up the alley!”

“I’d have been willing to accept that explanation,” Mark rumbled, his voice having gone low and deadly as he remained standing, the table the only thing between him and Teddy. “If everyone hadn’t already been hunting for Sinn when you left that shop to make your next pickup. Now I don’t even know whether to believe you when you say you didn’t see them snatch him, not when I can picture you standing there laughing while it happened. You heard them say he went out back into the alley for a smoke, at the very least, that should have cued you in that the van and the plate were worth mentioning.”

“I didn’t know he was from Texas.”

“No, but Night would have known to reveal that bit of information if you’d told us what you saw,” Mark said. “You can try to wiggle your way out of this all you want but you made the conscious decision to keep your mouth shut even after you learned that we were headed to Texas. The only other excuse is that you are so empty-headed that you failed to see how there could possibly have been a connection which I know isn’t the case because someone lacking in the brain department wouldn’t have been able to help run my businesses the way you have for so long. You are as smart as anyone I’ve ever known, and as devious as anyone I’ve ever gone up against. You not speaking up tells me you were holding out hope for the worse possible outcome. That once we caught up to those who did it, the only thing left to retrieve would be a body.”

“This relationship is over,” Kat declared. “At least as far as I’m concerned. I can’t believe I’ve been trying to shower you with extra attention in the hopes that you’d realize how much we love you, even when you’re being a brat. I hate that I love you as much as I do ‘cause if I didn’t, I’d tie you behind my bike, drag you to the city limits and kick you over the line.”

“Bu…Kat…”

“Not another word!” Mark barked as Kat shook her head and stood. She let out a long, pained sigh then quietly left the room.

Sinn’s heart ached for her, for both of them at what the person they loved had done. Betrayal of family, which Sinn had been embraced as, was the worst type of betrayal in a close knit club like this. While it would have been insane to assume that everyone liked each other when that didn’t even happen in normal families, let alone the strange, slightly twisted makeshift one they’d created, there were still rules for settling disputes, and with the truth that had now been brought to light, they could finally move in that direction.

“Teddy,” Sinn said. “Get your ass down to the circle so I can kick it!”

Teddy let out a strangled eep, his head steadily shaking back and forth. Denial, refusal, a mix of both most likely. All Sinn knew was that he couldn’t afford to let it pass, not when his own standing in the club demanded that he take action so everyone learned that he was not a man to be trifled with.

“Prez am I allowed to make a stipulation?” Sinn asked.

“You are,” Mark declared.

“I’d like to have a length of rope brought down so one end can be tied around my wrist and the other around his,” Sinn declared. “That way he can’t run from me.”

“No!” Teddy said. “I’m not doing it. You’re not a member. You’re not even a prospect. What gives you the right to challenge me.”

“Teddy!” Mark roared, shoving the table out of the way.

Sinn hoped the flooring was scratch resistant, otherwise, it was going to need repairs after this.

“Yes, sir,” Teddy squeaked, his voice little more than a whisper.

“Oh, don’t bother with that now, you’re beyond disobedient and you’re not my boy anymore, so don’t sir me!” Mark declared. “You’ve forgotten a few very important things. One, you are also not a member, in fact, the patch on the back of your kutte says property of, which I will be removing. Two, you are also not, nor were you ever a prospect, which puts you on equal footing as Sinn. In fact, he’s now above you in rank, since he still belongs to someone and you are now free to be a hanger on, after you come out of the circle.”

“But I don’t fight.”

“You will today.”

“I can’t. You know that.”

“I thought I knew who you were too, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? Let’s hope for your sake I was also wrong about your lack of ability with your fists, otherwise shit’s about to get damn painful. As for the stipulation. It’s a fair one, considering. I will allow it.”

Teddy stomped his foot and Sinn could hear sniffling coming from him that was likely the predecessor to tears. “I’m not doing it.”

“You will unless you want to add your home to the list of things you’ve lost today,” Mark declared. “You know the rules of this club. You can fight, or you can pack, it’s entirely up to you. There is no third option.”

“I’ve been here for half my life,” Teddy whispered. “I’ve got no place else to go.”

“Then I guess you’d better head for the circle unless you’d like to learn how to survive on the streets,” Mark said, not a hint of warmth or compassion left in his voice. “Pretty sure you’re not used up completely. You could always go back to the strip club where we found you or try your hand at whoring if you’ve forgotten how to work a pole.”

Whoa.

Now that was something Sinn hadn’t known. A brief flash of remorse flooded him, along with a small measure of pity. Even if Teddy had brought all of this on himself, the thought of the man sleeping beneath a bridge, or offering to sell his body so he could eat, didn’t sit right with him.

Teddy ducked his head, then looked back up at Mark. “Should I change or…”

“You can fight in that.”

“What about…you know…a…a…the person who goes with you and throws in the towel if you can’t,” Teddy stammered.

“A second? Yeah, you can have one.”

“Will you….”

“No.”

“Then who am I supposed ta…”

“That’s your problem too. You’ve got ten minutes, that should be long enough for you to get there, with or without anyone to stand in your corner. Don’t make us wait.”

“Us?”

“The rest of the club. You didn’t think this would be handled privately, did you?” Mark asked, his voice having taken on a teasingly sarcastic tone.

Beyond cruel. It was a different side of the man, and one that showed Sinn just how much this betrayal was affecting him.

“I-I’ll go ask Scout,” Teddy muttered, rushing from the room.

Mark ran a hand over his head and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I should have pressed him harder for the truth.”

“You don’t owe me an apology,” Sinn said. “The only one responsible for Teddy’s actions is Teddy. As for apologies, I plan to beat one outta him, after I go find Night to second me.”

“Why not Saint?” Mark asked, clearly thrown by the choice.

Sinn smiled a little. “Because Teddy was almost as much his family as he was yours.”

Leaving it at that, Sinn turned and headed for the clubhouse, finding Night where the man always was these days. In the kitchen. The pungent smell of onion hit his nose the minute Sinn opened the door, the strength of the odor telling him it was a red one and not a sweet yellow.

“Hey,” Night said, putting his knife down and washing his hands before hugging Sinn and nuzzling his neck. “You just missed Gracie, she was in here raving about the adjustments you made to her bike. She said those forward controls were a game changer.”

“I thought she’d like them,” Sinn replied. “With that knee of hers she’ll be a lot more comfortable now.”

“She said you installed a cane mount too,” Night said. “I’ve never even heard of those.”

“Neither had she, but my grandfather swears by them,” Sinn said. “I’ll be looking into a few other mobility adaptions too, for those who aren’t willing to give up two wheels yet. I kinda need you to take a break though, shouldn’t be for long. I just need you to second me while I kick Teddy’s ass in the challenge circle.”

“No shit?” Night said, already untying the black apron he wore over his clothes. “What popped off now?”

“The truth. Finally,” Sinn said. “I baited him into admitting he’d seen the van and the license plate too. Kat and the Prez were in the kitchen with us when it happened so there was no way he could lie and say I was making it up. Mark let me add a stipulation too, which means Teddy will be tied to me for the duration of the fight. They’ll be no way for him to avoid what he’s got coming to him.”

“Damn. I almost feel bad for his dumbass.”

“Save your pity for Kat and the Prez, they officially cut him loose and relegated him to hang-around status, which is gonna be a rough adjustment for him after all the freedom and respect he’s grown used to.”

“Rough for all of them, I’m sure,” Night said as they headed for the door. “Now let’s roll, this is one beatdown I’ve been dying to see.”

“Not half as bad as I’ve been itching to dole it out.”

“No shit.”

By the time they reached the challenge circle, which was little more than a patch of asphalt surrounded by stones, a crowd had gathered, but unlike the other fights Sinn had witnessed here, no one was laying odds or making bets. It filled him with pride to hear the murmurs around him and know that to a member, everyone in attendance was certain that Teddy was about to be treated to the ass kicking of a lifetime. With so many standing side by side it was next to impossible to make out who was who, save for Creature and Kong, who each stood almost a head taller than anyone else. Those two massive club brothers were pressed shoulder to shoulder and Sinn had begun to suspect that there was more going on there than just friendship.

Sinn stepped over the rocks and held out his arm for the rope to be attached to it while a section of the crowd parted to let Teddy and Scout pass through. Their new hanger on was rambling a long stream of questions a silent Teddy didn’t answer, so Mark did, cluing Sinn in to the fact that he was the one attaching the rope to him.

“It’s simple, kid,” Mark said as he moved from Sinn’s side over to Teddy. “If at any point you think he can’t take anymore punishment, you toss this into the circle and it’s over. But make damn certain you’re not tossing it just to bail him out, or you get to come in here and fight his battle for him.”

Sinn knew what Mark handed Scout. He’d asked the first time he’d stood beside Saint while a challenge took place. It was a rock wrapped in a bandana. Joker’s colors were deep purple and black, so one rock had been wrapped in purple, the other in black so there could be no debate about who’d thrown what, or in at least one instance, according to Dalton, who’d thrown what first.

“I think I get it now.”

“Don’t think. Be certain.”

“Yes sir,” Scout replied. “I-I’m certain.”

“Good.”

Heavy hands came to rest on Sinn’s shoulders and rubbed lightly.

Saint.

The man said nothing, but the fact that he stood there loosening Sinn up was proof positive of what side he was firmly on, not that Sinn had questioned it.

A tug on his wrist alerted him to Mark testing the firmness of his knots, then Saint gave Sinn’s shoulder a squeeze and stepped back, while Night kissed the top of his head before stepping out of the circle.

“Good luck,” Scout told Teddy, about the only one in the whole assembly of bodies who didn’t know that Teddy was ill prepared for what was about to take place.

“Okay kid, step away,” Mark instructed.

Once the shadow of Scout had moved out of the circle, Mark backed away as well.

“Have at ‘em,” Mark declared, a cheer immediately going up as Sinn yanked the rope, jerking Teddy off balance. While Teddy struggled to regain his footing, Sinn closed the distance and yanked again, pulling Teddy right into a stiff punch to the jaw. When Teddy’s head rocked back, Sinn unleashed with the body shots, doubling him over before driving a knee into his midsection. He heard Teddy gag, not that it mattered, in the red haze of fury that descended over him, Sinn aimed a knee at his face, then wrapped the rope around his neck, using it to help throw Teddy to the ground.

There was no going anywhere at that point. Sinn straddled him and rained several punches down before something bounced off his shoulder as Scout hollered that Teddy was done. Breathing hard, Sinn stayed where he was, still sitting on Teddy, who had his arms crossed over his face, choked sobs coming from him as he squirmed, trying to get out from underneath Sinn.

“He’s done, for fuck’s sake get off him!” Scout yelled, already half in the circle. He was intercepted by several people who stopped him from coming closer, not that Sinn would have struck him after the bandana covered rock had been thrown.

“Yeah, he’s done, not that he did much of anything but bleed,” Mark said, tapping Sinn on the shoulder. It was only then that he got up and brushed his hair back from his face.

He hadn’t even broken as sweat.

“You’re soft kid,” Mark told Scout, who’d finally been allowed past the Jokers who’d held him back.

As Sinn stared at Teddy’s shadow writhing on the ground and Scout’s shadow kneeling beside him, trying to attend to him, Saint and Night stepped up beside him, one of their hands dancing up his spine to lightly tug the collar around his neck.

Saint then. The man was fond of that not-so-subtle reminder to everyone that Sinn was his.

“I suspected as much,” Mark continued, when Scout’s only comment was to ask Teddy if he could stand. “You’re welcome to stick around as long as you’re useful, but you’re gonna have to work twice as hard now if you ever wanna think about prospecting.”

“Oh…” Scout muttered, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Damn. Add one more casualty to the list Teddy was racking up. Sinn could tell Scout was young, new to club life and trying to understand the way things worked. That he gave a shit wouldn’t be forgotten, it was just that in this moment his compassion was for the person everyone else knew was in the wrong.

“Teddy, scrape your ass up off the ground and quit sniveling. I’ve heard enough of it out of you, you didn’t even try. Your only saving grace is that Scout waited to throw in the towel until there was no hope of you rebounding. You’ll continue bunking with him for the foreseeable future,” Mark declared.

“I-I can stay?”

“As long as you’re useful, the same as I told Scout,” Mark said. “Once I figure out your new work schedule, I’ll let you know. Expect to get messy. The bunkhouse hasn’t been cleaned in over a week and the grease traps in the kitchen all need to be emptied and scrubbed. The bathrooms need attention as well. You’ll be too busy to cause trouble, that’s for certain.”

“N-new…” Teddy stammered, swiping at his face as Scout helped him unsteadily to his feet.

The way the shadows fell over him, it was impossible for Sinn to tell if it was blood, snot, or tears he was trying to wipe away.

“You do remember what being a hang around is like, don’t you Teddy?” Mark said. “I’m sure the guys will appreciate having another Scut Puppy around.”

His words were met with cheering, while Sinn just shook his head and turned to leave the circle, his men at his side. He was proud to have proved that he didn’t need anyone, not even the men he loved, to fight his battles for him and he knew the club wouldn’t forget it.