Wednesday

I knew the second we left the Golden Skulls compound yesterday afternoon that the knuckle draggers wouldn't be able to keep their word. Not because they couldn't, but because when King found out they took me across the state line without permission, shit was going to hit the fan. It wasn't because they hadn't had King's permission, but more that when my sissy found out, she was going to lose her shit.

So, it wasn't a shock when Pyro woke me up this morning, ordering me to get dressed because King wanted me in church pronto.

I knew those yellow-bellied scaredy-cats would sing like the proverbial canary. And like clockwork, that set off alarm bells with Sissy, who, like all the times before, stood in front of me, protecting me. I could have told her I would handle this, but Sissy liked to think she was in charge.

So, I gave her that.

"What do you mean King wants him in church?"

"That's what he said, Skylar Rose. His words exactly."

"Why?"

"He didn't say."

"He's just a boy!"

"I know!" Pyro groaned. "But what do you want me to do about it? King wants his ass in church within the hour or he said, and I quote… ‘Before I come get him myself.'"

Sissy rounded on me.

"What the hell did you do now, Cameron?"

Sighing, I slipped from my bed and walked over to my dresser. Grabbing some clothes, I looked at my sissy.

"Do you mind?"

Pyro snickered.

Sissy huffed, spun around, and counted to ten.

Which only gave me enough time to get my shorts on before she swung back around, madder than a hornet. "I'm serious this time, Cameron. Why does King want you in church?"

"Guess I'm gonna find out soon enough," I muttered, picking up my shoes, then whistling for Bagel, who was already ready to go. I marched my happy ass out of my room, head held high.

I wasn't afraid of what was coming.

In fact, I welcomed it.

That meant they were getting scared.

And a scared brother was a clumsy brother.

Sissy didn't let up the entire drive from the snow globe we all lived in. Even when we got to the clubhouse, she was in the zone and giving poor Pyro a good once over.

I really felt for the man.

My sissy was tenacious.

She didn't know the meaning of quit.

"I mean it, Chase," she snapped, ripping into him. "Cameron is my brother. I am responsible for him. I don't care what he's done now. I will not let King intimidate him."

"No one is going to intimidate him," Pyro stated, then muttered under his breath, "We are the ones frightened."

"What was that?" Sissy snarked.

Poor Pyro flinched, then smiled at my sissy. "Nothing. Kid is good. I'm sure of it. For all we know, King wants his help with something. Even you have to admit, Cameron is smart. Too smart for his own good, but the kid has some great ideas."

He was right.

I had some awesome ideas.

Pulling into the compound, I spotted King standing on the front steps, arms crossed over his chest, glaring as Pyro pulled to a stop.

"He looks mad," Sissy whispered.

Pyro nodded. "Yeah, he does."

Turning around, they both looked at me.

"Now would be a good time to tell us what the hell is going on, Cam, because once you step out of this truck, I can't save you."

"Seriously, Cameron," my sissy pleaded. "What did you do? Why does King look pissed?"

Unbuckling myself from the stupid booster seat, I sighed. "He's not mad at me. He's mad at the knuckle draggers."

"Why?" both of them said at once.

Deciding to throw them a bone and deflect the tension from me to Banks and Hawk, I spoke the truth.

"Because they took me across the state line yesterday, and I'm betting those idiots are keeping where to themselves, which is why King wants to talk to me. He's hoping I will rat out Banks and Hawk."

Sissy looked at Pyro. "This isn't good. Cameron won't rat out his friends."

I chuckled at that. "Never said they were my friends."

Pyro's head whipped around. "You're going to rat out my brothers?"

I looked Pyro dead in the eyes and smiled.

"I never said that, either."

Opening the back door, I jumped down from the truck.

Enough of this shit.

I had things I needed to do and didn't have time to play their stupid guessing game. All would be revealed in due time.

Until then, I needed to stand firm and give them nothing.

"Cameron, get back here!" Sissy seethed as she fumbled with her seat belt.

Straightening my shirt, I simply said, "I got this, Sissy. It's manly business."

Walking over to King, the man never took his eyes off me.

"King."

"Carnage."

"You wanted to talk to me."

King stepped to the side, allowing me to pass.

Head held high, I walked into the Sons of Hell clubhouse like I owned the place, and I smiled.

Because come this Saturday, I would.

Every brother was in church, even Carebear, who sat next to his brother Frank, shaking his head. The only one missing was Trip, who was still in the hospital in a coma.

King followed closely behind me, and when I stepped into the inner sanctum, he wasted no time closing the door behind him.

"Find a seat, Carnage," King ordered.

Smirking, I did as he said and walked to the head of the table and took a seat.

"Well, if that's not a fucking scary omen, I don't know what is," Scribe groused.

"It's fucking chilling as hell." Enigma frowned.

"I think he looks good sitting there." Frank grinned.

King growled, walking over to me.

"Move."

Looking up at the current president, I challenged, "You said to find a seat. I like this one. Fits me good, don't ya think?"

King growled again.

Priest chuckled. "He's got you there, King."

"Shut up, Priest." King groaned, pulling out a chair and sitting.

When he scowled and started shifting around in the chair, I asked, "What's the matter, King? Not comfortable?"

Several of the brothers snickered, hiding their laughter.

I watched while King took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

I knew I was pushing his buttons, and any other time I would oblige, but not with everything I had planned at risk. I was drawing a line in the proverbial sand, so to speak.

Leaning forward, I clasped my hands, looked at King and said, "You called this meeting. I'm waiting."

"Jesus H. Christ," Gunner groaned. "He's King."

"It's uncanny," Enigma muttered.

"It's fucking terrifying as hell is what it is," Banks grumbled.

King slowly turned to look at Banks and sneered, "You think he's scary? Wait till I get you on the obstacle course, asshole."

Banks gulped, quickly shutting up.

Turning back to me, King asked, "Did Banks and Hawk take you across the state line yesterday?"

"I can't go anywhere without them, King. You insisted on them babysitting me this summer. Where I go, they go and vice versa."

"So, they did take you across the state line."

"I defer to my previous statement."

Scribe groaned, shaking his head as King snarled, looking at one of my best friends in the world. There was nothing I wouldn't do for Scribe. He was the first person to make me feel comfortable in the club, followed shortly by Frank, who just got me when no one else did.

"I know. I know. No more legal talk with Carnage. I got it."

"What is it you exactly want to know, King?" I inquired, bringing the conversation back to me. "Because I have stuff I need to take care of today."

Leaning back in his uncomfortable chair, King smiled at me.

"Like what?"

"It's—"

"Manly business," King interjected. "I know."

"Then you understand."

Leaning forward, he shook his head. "What I understand is that two of my brothers took a seven-year-old boy across the state line without informing me or his legal guardian. Anything could have happened, Cameron. But what worries me is the why? Why would two of my men take a kid across the state line? Did you know Sarah logs all the milage on all the club vehicles? Also, each of the club vehicles has a GPS unit in them. That way, I know where each vehicle is and has been."

I gulped.

Shit.

I didn't know that.

"So, when Sarah informed me this morning that a club vehicle had too many miles on it, I logged into the GPS unit. Want to explain to me why those fucking idiots took you to the Golden Skulls compound yesterday?"

"What!" Pyro shouted, glaring at his two brothers.

Banks and Hawk sat up straighter, both looking at each other. From their bewildered expressions, I guessed they didn't know that tidbit either.

Sucks to be them.

"Now, I could ask you why you spent an hour at the Golden Skulls compound, but I know you. There is no way in hell you would ever rat out a brother. So…" King paused, reaching for his cell phone. Placing it on the table, he dialed a number, then hit the speaker button.

Everyone heard the phone ringing, and when it connected, we all heard Savage groan. "What the fuck do you want, King? I was about to make my woman scream to the heavens."

"Lucas Keller!" Jessica screeched. "My uncle did not need to hear that!"

Savage chuckled. "But, baby, I enjoy reminding him of who you belong to."

"You're an asshole."

"Your asshole, baby."

King growled, Gunner looked sick to his stomach, and poor Pyro looked ready to run for the hills. Everyone knew the Montclair brothers hated Savage. Not just because the man married their only niece, but because former members of the Golden Skulls kidnapped and killed their only sister, Cassandra. To make matters worse, the feeling was mutual, because Savage hated the brothers, King the most, because King was the one who killed Savage's dad.

It was a love/hate relationship.

They loved to hate each other.

"Sorry, King," Jessica quickly said. "Babe, I need to go. We can finish this later."

"But I want to finish now," Savage whined.

"Later," we all heard her clearly say as she smacked a kiss on the man.

When the door shut, Savage growled. "This better be fucking good, asshole."

Wasting no time, King asked, "Why were my men and Cameron at your place yesterday?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I asked."

Savage laughed. "I'm not telling you shit."

"But you will tell me, dickhead," another voice clearly said.

Looking around the table, I saw nothing that gave away who the other voice belonged to. However, when I heard Savage gulp, I looked at King's phone and saw it was on a group chat.

When I looked up at King, he smiled as he sat back in the uncomfortable chair. Waiving his hand at the phone, he said. "Carnage, I would like to introduce you to Reaper, the President of the Golden Skulls Mother Chapter and the only person on the planet that can bring Savage to heel."

"You motherfucker!" Savage roared. "We were having a friendly conversation, and you had to call in the big gun? You really want me to kick your ass, don't you?"

King grinned happily. "You can try, asshole."

"I'm waiting, Savage," the man on the line ordered before we all heard a woman say, "Uh, sorry to interrupt, Reaper, but I just got this cryptic text message. I think you need to see it."

"Who is it from?"

"It's from Digger."

And that's when Savage lost the plot and roared out in laughter.

King sat up, glaring at the phone.

The other brothers looked nervous as they all shifted in their seats.

"Well." Reaper chuckled, then roared with laughter. "This changes things. Sorry, King. You are on your own, and good luck. I think you're going to need it. Oh, and, kid, you are welcome in my house anytime. Anytime."

"Thanks, Reaper."

With that, Reaper disconnected the call.

Laughing his ass off, Savage also disconnected the call, as all eyes turned on me.

Getting to my feet, I looked around the table.

"Well, boys. This was fun, but I've got other shit to take care of."

King reached for my arm and looked directly at me.

"Cameron, whatever you're planning, it won't work."

Removing my arm from his grip, I placed my hand on his shoulder and earnestly replied, "I never said I was planning anything, King. You've had Banks and Hawk following me around all summer. You've handicapped me. I can't take a piss without them reporting back to you."

"Cam," Scribe spoke up. "We all know you're planning something. Give us a break here, buddy. There are only a few days left of summer vacation. We're sorry. We will make amends. Just tell us what you've got planned."

Looking at my good buddy, I shrugged.

"I'll take that under advisement."

"So, you do have something planned, then?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Then you leave me no choice, kid." King sighed and before I could stop him, he placed a black bracelet on my wrist.

Looking at it, then at him, I narrowed my eyes.

"Really?"

"Really." King nodded.

"This is how you want to handle this?"

"I've got no choice," King stated, getting to his feet, then taking his chair back, sighing. Rubbing his hands down his face, he added, "Until you come clean about what you are planning, that tracking bracelet will stay on. You are grounded to the clubhouse and home. Nowhere else. Understood?"

Shrugging, I muttered, "You are the prez."

"That's right. I am."

Heading for the door, I opened it and walked out of church, smiling.

Fucking noobs were in for a world of shit.

Now you see, when King told me I was grounded, he wasn't specific. Take, for instance, grounded to the clubhouse. Did he mean the building itself or did that include the grounds? Since I lived in a hypothetical world and not a literal one, I took that to mean everything the Sons of Hell owned. So, by that reasoning alone, I was free to wander the club grounds, the cabins, the greenhouse, and every business the club owned, including Sugar's Creamery, Venom's Tattoo Shop, and several other businesses the club had a stake in.

Basically, all of Rosewood.

However, I knew King didn't think hypothetically like I did, and he literally meant the clubhouse, but let's keep that tidbit to ourselves.

No sense in digging my hole any deeper.

Anyway, with King and the other brothers scratching their heads over what I had up my sleeve, I wasted no time heading out the back door and making a run for one of the remote cabins.

If King thought I was going to lead him straight to the Manly Club, he had another think coming. He may think he was smart tagging me with this tracker, but I was smarter.

Way smarter.

Because when I walked into the cabin, I smiled as Sypher, the tech guru for the Golden Skulls, looked up from his computer at me.

"Gotta hand it to ya, kid. You we're right."

"Of course I was. I'm never wrong."

"Let me see the tracking device."

Walking over to him, I held out my hand as he inspected it. Shaking his head, he leaned over and rummaged around in a bag before pulling out some sort of contraption.

Laying it on the table next to his computer, I watched as his fingers flew across the keyboard.

"You know when King learns what you've done, your ass is grass, right?"

"Only if I lose."

"Win or lose, kid. You're toast."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because King's a lot like Reaper. They will play along, let you think you have the upper hand, and just when you think you've won, that's when they will attack. Trust me, kid. I've seen it happen many times," he said, deftly removing the tracking device from my wrist.

"Then why are you helping me?"

"Because I love a good prank like everyone else. Plus, Savage promised me a new custom bike for my troubles."

"Is it true that your brothers are Chipper and Trout?"

Sypher nodded. "Yep. And I have an older brother, Ace. He lives in New York City."

"I don't have a real brother. I just got my sissy."

"Always wanted a sister, but I got three older brothers instead."

"I'm the youngest too. I'm sorry about your parents."

Sypher looked up from his computer at me and said nothing.

"Mine are dead too."

Frowning, he leaned back in his chair as he took a long, hard look at me before asking, "Is that why you're doing this? Because you don't have parents?"

I shook my head. "King saddled me with the knuckle draggers. He didn't trust me. After everything I've done for this club and the brothers, he still doesn't trust me."

"And that made you mad?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "Out of all the brothers, King's the best. He's the one I look up to the most. I want to be just like him when I get older."

"Because he reminds you of your dad."

I huffed, looking away. "No one understands. Hell, I don't even understand and I know a lot of stuff. Everyone has someone but me. Fiona got adopted by Mrs. Steiner. She now has Granny as a mom, and Frank and George as big brothers. Frank adopted little Charlie. He's now a Steiner. My best friend Benny. Enigma adopted him and his little brother, Sean. Their last name is now James. And who do I have? No one."

"You've got your sister."

"She's a Montclair now. Not a Hobbs. I'm the only Hobbs left."

"And you don't want to be?"

"NO!" I shouted as tears raced down my face. "I want to be a Montclair like King. I want him to be my dad."

"Cameron?"

Turning fast, I saw my sissy standing in the doorway and when she opened her arms; I didn't think.

I ran right over to her.

"Why doesn't anyone want me?"

"Cameron, why didn't you tell me you were feeling this way?" my sissy asked as she sipped on a milkshake in Beth's coffee shop. After my meltdown at the cabin, Sissy took me away from the clubhouse.

She said she needed a Sky-Cam day.

Just me and her.

I couldn't remember the last time we did anything together.

Since she and Pyro got together, she was always busy, with work, with Pyro, with marriage stuff. Then she found out she was having a baby, and it felt as if I didn't matter anymore. I loved my nephew, Milo. He was the bomb, but he was still a baby, and babies needed a lot of attention.

"Talk to me, Cam."

I sighed. "He doesn't trust me."

"Who, King? Why do you say that?"

"Because he stuck the knuckle draggers on me, and they hate me."

"Cameron," my sissy sighed. "King asked Banks and Hawk to watch over you so nothing would happen to you. He did it to protect you."

"No, he didn't." I looked at my sister. "He did it because he didn't want to be bothered with me."

When she didn't correct me, I knew I was right.

"Am I that bad, Sissy? Is that why no one wants me?"

"NO!" she frantically countered. "You are just a little… exuberant, strong-willed, maybe too smart for your own good, but you are not bad, Cam. All the brothers love you. I love you. Even King loves you."

"But not enough to be my dad."

Sissy looked down at the table and whispered, "Is that what you want, Cameron? You want King to adopt you and be your dad?"

I nodded.

"Cameron, it's not that easy."

"Why not? Enigma adopted Benny and Sean. Frank adopted Charlie. Granny adopted Fiona. Why can't King adopt me?"

"Buddy, you have a family. You have me, Chase and Milo."

"But no dad."

"Chase will be your dad if you let him."

She didn't understand.

Shaking my head, I sighed. "Never mind. It doesn't matter."

Reaching for my hand, she gently replied, "Yes, it does. Talk to me, Cameron."

"I'm the only boy in my class that doesn't have a dad. It ain't right. I'm a growing boy. I have manly questions. Questions I can't ask you. I don't have a dad to teach me things, Sky. I'm all alone, and I hate it. Yes, I have plenty of brothers, but they are not dads. Well, not the dad I need. I want to be a Montclair, just like you."

"I can ask Chase to adopt you."

"No, Sissy," I muttered, shaking my head. "Chase has Milo and you. I can't have my dad married to my sister. That's just wrong."

Sissy smirked. "Well, when you put it that way. What about Gunner? He's a Montclair."

I grimaced. "Gunner ain't got the time. He's got three kids already. He ain't gonna want a fourth. It's got to be King."

"Why, Cameron? Why King?"

"Because he needs me, and I need him."

"What about me?"

Getting up from my seat, I walked around the small table and hugged my sissy. "I'm never gonna leave you, Sissy. You are the best big sister in the world, but I want more. I need a dad."

"I'm not saying he will agree to this, but if he does, you know that will technically make Bailey your mom."

I grimaced. "Nope. Don't need a mom when I got you. I need a dad. That's it. Nothing more."

"I'm not saying yes to anything. I need to think about this, and maybe talk with Chase and King about it. But I give you my word. I will think about it, okay?"

Hugging her neck, I whispered, "I love you, Sissy."

"Love you too, Cam."

I spent the rest of the day with my sissy, hanging around, talking about everything and nothing, just doing our normal Sky-Cam things.

It was freaking AWESOME!

And I didn't complain once when she said it was time to head home.

Nope, I was cool with it.

I couldn't hog all of her time because that would be selfish, and I wasn't selfish.

Well… not too much.

I wasn't even mad that I didn't get any manly things done. Tomorrow was going to be a beast, but I was ready for it.

A little hard work didn't hurt no one.

That's what Frank told me, and he must be right, ‘cause he was smart like me.

"Cam, can I ask you something?" Sissy said, breaking the silence as she drove back up the mountain.

"Sure."

"How do you know Sypher?"

"Dontcha remember, Sissy? He came to help Scribe and Henley with all that online stuff. He's cool, and we became friends."

"I see," she muttered, biting her thumbnail while she concentrated on the road. Even from the backseat, I could see her wheels turning.

My sissy may not be as smart as me, but she was smart. She always saw things others didn't. My sissy saw the bigger picture while others only saw what they wanted to see.

My biggest problem was that Sissy had a superpower. She was really good at wording a question in a particular way that I couldn't weasel my way out of.

So, I wasn't surprised when she asked her next question.

"Does Sypher know your manly business?"

See! Superpower!

Shifting in my booster seat, I hem hawed.

I wasn't a liar, and I would never lie to my sissy.

Like Ever!

But there was no way I could answer that question without giving her the information she wanted, and the longer I stayed quiet, the faster she would know she was on to me.

Donkey BALLS!

"Answer me this, then," Sissy smirked, pulling into the driveway of our home. "The reason you are planning something manly, does it have anything to do with what we talked about in Beth's coffee shop?"

Before I could answer, I watched as the front door opened and out stepped King with Pyro. The big guy looked even more pissed than when I showed up at the clubhouse this morning.

What was he doing here?

Unsure of what I did now, I whispered, "Sissy?"

"I won't say anything. I promise."

Unbuckling myself from my booster seat, I waited for my sister to walk around her new Jeep and open the back door. Generally, I would have already been out of the vehicle, but not this time. Whatever King was doing here, I wanted backup and there wasn't none better than my sissy.

Reaching for her hand, I walked a step behind her while she smiled. "Good evening, King. Pyro didn't tell me you were stopping by."

"Skylar Rose," King said, glaring directly at me. "Was Cameron with you the entire time today?"

"Other than when you talked to him, yes. Is there a problem?"

"And you had eyes on him the whole time?"

I felt my sissy's body stiffen as she stood straight.

This was not good.

"Are you saying you don't trust me to care for my own brother?"

King shook his head. "No, I'm not saying that."

"Then speak plainly, Callum Montclair, because you are treading on thin ice," my sissy snarked.

"I grounded him to the clubhouse and home."

"And what gave you that, right? I am his legal guardian. Not you."

King looked at Sky and narrowed his eyes. "I'm the president."

"And Cameron is not a patched member of your club."

"He's my godson," King challenged.

Pyro stepped forward. "Baby, it's not what you think."

"Does this have anything to do with Banks and Hawk taking my brother across the state line yesterday? Because if it does, I hope you punished Banks and Hawk, since they didn't have my permission to do so. In fact, I'm not sure I trust those two with my brother anymore."

"It's more than that, babe. Those idiots took Cameron to the Golden Skulls compound, and when we asked Cameron why, he refused to say a word."

Sky huffed, glaring at her husband. "You know my brother isn't a rat."

"He's protecting them, and I want to know why?" King huffed.

"Have you thought about asking Banks and Hawk instead of intimidating a seven-year-old little boy?"

Pyro's head whipped to King's as he stiffened and gulped.

OH. MY. GOD!!!

He didn't ask the knuckle draggers.

He just assumed I would rat them out.

Boy howdy! King sure had a lot to learn about me.

Shaking my head, I let go of my sissy's hand and yawned. "I'm going to bed, Sissy. Don't chew too much flesh off him. He's still learning."

Walking over to King, I reached into my front pocket, then handed him the tracker he put on me. "You can have the tracker back."

King looked at it, then at me as I chuckled, heading into the house.

I quietly shut the door and smiled when I heard King say, "Now, Skylar Rose, I can explain this."