Thirty-One

Silver

"Did they say what the meeting was about?" Largo yawned as she leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head. "Because this shit blows. Every time there is some big meeting, Montana locks us down."

"It probably has something to do with Benson Graves," Tessa muttered, her head on the table, her eyes closed. "He showed up the other day. Pissed Montana off to no end."

"Well, that isn't hard." Linsey snickered.

"Did Malice tell you anything, Silver?" Largo questioned.

Shaking my head, I groaned. "Nope. But then again, he barely speaks. So, who knows?"

Concerned, Linsey asked, "How is everything going with him, by the way?"

"About as good as to be expected, I guess. We have good days and bad. We started therapy with Torment, which pissed Malice off, but we all knew it would. Sinclair isn't helping. Dinner tonight was a disaster. I have no idea what that was about, and I didn't have time to ask before Malice whisked me away. He couldn't get out of there fast enough."

The front doors to the clubhouse opened and in walked Delany and Storm, who held a sleeping Harlow in his arms.

I hadn't seen her since Montana was a dick to her and kicked her out of the club.

"I'll take Harlow upstairs and put her to bed, babe," Storm said, as Delany walked over to our table, taking a seat.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tessa asked, looking from Storm to Delany.

"Storm got a text and said the clubhouse was on lockdown and Montana wanted me and Harlow secured here. I was too tired to fight him. So why am I really here?"

Largo frowned. "Montana wouldn't bring Delany here because of Benson, would he?"

"Who the hell knows what that asshole thinks?" Tessa groaned. "I gave up trying to understand him a long time ago."

"Damn it, Sandman!" a pretty, petite woman cursed when a big, burly, muscular man stormed into the clubhouse. "You can't just charge into another clubhouse like you own the place. Wars are started that way."

The big guy growled.

Great. Another growly biker.

Linsey quickly sat up and gasped. "Solomon?"

Delany got to her feet. "Remi? What are you doing here?"

The pretty, petite woman sighed, shaking her head. "They know. Sypher spilled the beans. Time to grow those balls I told you about."

"Oh crap," Delany muttered, taking a step back.

"That her?" the big biker asked.

Remi groaned, rounding on the big guy. "Yes. And before you scare her to death, calm the fuck down."

Storm chose that exact moment to walk down the stairs. "What the hell is going on?"

The big guy turned and growled menacingly.

"Oh shit," Storm said when Payne, Vicious, Torment, and Pippen walked into the room.

No one moved.

No one breathed.

Bane stumbled through the front door drunk and, when he looked around the room, he laughed. "Oh God, this is too fucking good."

Slapping Sandman on his shoulder, Bane pointed at Storm. "Here, let me help you. That's the fucker you want."

Sandman snarled, as Storm high-tailed it up the stairs like his ass was on fire.

The second Storm bolted, Payne, Vicious, and Torment moved to intercept Sandman.

"Now, Sandman. I'm gonna need you to think about this," Vicious quickly reasoned, trying to get the brother to calm the hell down. Since he was the only one here besides Remi and Linsey, who knew the man. "I know you want to kill him, but you can't do that without hurting Delany."

"Move," Sandman sneered.

"Can't do that, brother," Vicious said, shaking his head. "Look. Linsey is here. I'm sure she would love to catch up with you. Why don't you go visit with her and tell her how Sunny's doing?"

"No."

"Uncle Solomon!" Elizabeth, Vicious' daughter, ran into the room, headed right for the big gnarly guy. The second she reached him, the big guy picked her up, hugging her. "Dad didn't tell me you were visiting. Dad, why didn't you tell me Uncle Solomon was coming?"

"Didn't know, baby girl." Vicious sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But since you're here. Why don't you take Uncle Solomon into the kitchen so he can see Ari, Bri, and Charlie? I'm sure he would love to see them, too."

"Come on, Uncle Solomon. Dad gave us snacks. The good kind, too."

Linsey walked over taking Soloman's free hand.

Smiling up at him, she sweetly coaxed, "Come on, Solomon. I'll go with you."

With no choice, the big guy left with Linsey and Elizabeth. The second he was out of earshot, Vicious bent over and gasped, taking deep breaths as he glared at Remi. "Woman, what the hell is he doing here?"

"The club knows."

"Of course they do," Vicious quipped, looking at Payne. "You better text Montana and let him know that the Golden Skulls are in town. Torment, take Pippen and go find Storm. Keep him hidden until the coast is clear."

"Montana already knows," Payne said, looking at his phone before he held it up for Vicious to see. "Reaper and the others showed up at the meeting. Malice said it's a clusterfuck over there."

"Of course it is." Remi rolled her eyes, taking a seat at our table. "Stupid fuckers aren't happy unless they are beating or shooting something."

Tessa snickered, reaching her hand across the table. "We haven't officially met. I'm Tessa. Montana's wife."

Remi took the offered hand and nodded. "Remi. Reaper's wife."

"Should I break out the liquor?" I asked, looking at the women.

"Can't." Tessa smiled, patting her stomach.

Delany rubbed her growing belly. "Me either."

"I could use a beer." Largo grinned.

Looking over at Remi, the pretty woman shook her head and grumbled, "Rat bastard wasted no time knocking me up the second I forgave him."

"Okay then," I declared, getting to my feet. "Guess that means only Largo, Linsey, and I are drinking."

"Uh," Vicious piped up. "Actually, she can't either."

"I thought you got snipped?" Tessa asked, looking at the smiling man.

"Yeah, so did I."

"Dude." Payne smiled, slapping Vicious on the back. "Congrats, man."

"I'll drink with you," Bane slurred, lifting his head from the bar.

"You've already had too much," I snarked, looking at the drunk lush. "You're cut off."

"I don't give a flying fuck what you say!" Montana roared in the next instant, storming into the clubhouse, as he headed straight for the bar, only to stop dead in his tracks upon seeing that I wasn't where I was supposed to be.

Looking around, his eyes landed on mine before he pointed to the bar.

Rolling my eyes, I walked over to my domain while the brooding man took a seat. Leaning against the bar, I smiled at him. "Good evening, boss. How can I turn that frown upside down?"

He growled, narrowing his eyes at Reaper, who took a seat next to him. "Shoot that motherfucker."

Looking at Reaper, who was smiling like a lunatic, I turned back to Montana and offered, "I will. Just say the word and give me your gun."

"I like her." Reaper chuckled, sliding his gun toward me. "I'll give you a Golden Pledge if you pop a cap in his ass for me."

Mercy stepped between the two bickering men, grabbed the gun, and groaned. "Silver. Get them drunk. Fast."

Nodding, I smiled. "Hell's Inferno coming right up."

"I'll take a vodka on the rocks," Maxim Fedorov asked nicely as he sat next to Montana.

"Whiskey for me, Silver," Giovanni said, sitting next to Reaper while Malice and Massacre dragged an unconscious man through the club, heading for the mailroom, followed by several others along with Illyria Valentinetti, who, for the first time since I had met her, wasn't looking perfectly put together. Clothes disheveled, hair loose, and from the look she was sporting, I'd say she just fought a wild cat and lost. Trudging over to the table, she hugged Remi before sitting down.

"What the hell happened to you?" Remi asked. "You look like shit."

Illyria glared at the bar. "They happened."

"The Gentlemen's Club still standing?" I heard Tessa ask.

Illyria frowned. "Barely."

Handing the four men their drinks, I shook my head.

None of them said a damn word while they sat there drinking.

That was a first for me. The presidents of two major motorcycle clubs and the heads of two mafia families were all sitting at my bar, and not a single one of them was speaking.

I got Reaper and Montana.

There was no love lost between the two men, considering the last time Montana was around Reaper, the volatile president shot Montana in the leg.

Though he probably deserved it.

Wiping down the bar, I smirked. "You know, boys, a kind word goes a long way."

All four men looked at me.

I shrugged. "Just saying."

"You're right, Silver." Giovanni grinned, turning to Montana before saying, "Montana, you're being a dick."

"Hear, hear!" Maxim smirked, raising his glass.

"I think what Reaper asked is reasonable," Giovanni added.

"I said no," Montana snarled, downing his drink in one gulp before sliding it toward me. Pouring him another, he added, "I'm not letting that psychopath go anywhere near my brother."

"He just wants to meet him," Gio groaned. "That's all."

"Yeah." Reaper grinned. "I just want to meet him."

Montana slowly turned toward the Golden Skulls President and sneered, "Fuck off."

"Then give me Graves."

"Hell no!" Montana shouted when Sandman happily walked out of the kitchen, drinking from a juice box, as Linsey smiled up at him, talking a mile a minute.

"What the fuck is he doing here!" Montana jumped to his feet, pointing at Sandman.

Leaning against the bar, Reaper grinned.

"Well, he is the blood relative, dickhead. He has a right to be here."

Delany chose at that moment to stand, getting everyone's attention. "Enough," the sweet, shy, reserved woman said, stepping forward as she looked at Reaper.

Mercy and Fury moved to stand right behind her.

"I am Delany Calloway. Storm is my husband. I know why you are here, and I won't let you hurt him. I never asked for any of this. I don't care about club rules, princesses, legacies, or whatever this is. All I care about is my family. I just want to live my life in peace and raise my children. Now, I am more than happy to get to know all of you, but not at the expense of my husband."

"You tell them, Delany!" Remi chuckled.

"Shut it, woman," Reaper growled, then quickly shut his mouth when Remi glared at him. Turning to Vladmir, Reaper's wife smiled. "Dad. Next time Reaper opens his mouth, please shut it."

Vladmir smiled happily, stepping forward.

Montana chuckled.

"I would shut up too." Tessa glared at her husband.

"What I think all of you are failing to understand is I never asked for this life. As someone who grew up as an only child, then lost her parents, being alone is not something I would wish on anyone. It's a lonely existence without family and friends. The Soulless Sinners may not be what you want for me, Mr. Doherty, but they are what I want. Even Montana and his snarky attitude."

"Thanks, Del."

Delany sneered, "I wasn't done talking, Mr. Stone."

Montana shut up and sat back down.

"I don't know what caused this riff between both clubs, but it has nothing to do with me. I don't care and I don't want to know. So whatever cockamamie scheme both of you have planned, forget about it. I am not a bargaining chip and never will be."

"What my cuz said." Sandman smiled happily as he walked over to Delany, wrapping her in a big hug.