Leader: Book Three (Princes of Prophecy 3) (17 page)

I walk into the Security meeting and throw chin. We get through old business and I ask for problems. They’re surprised with the change in my procedure, but there are no problems to report. “I want your take on adding the new towns.”

They’re surprised and I start looking for why. It’s too soon? Jessie looks at me. “Seriously? We just got out from under the threat we’ve been fighting for years. We have a chance to cut the fuckin’ trafficking down now without the backers and Lily has been awake for two fuckin’ weeks.”

I nod and look at Taylor. “I’m all for it. We’re turning away HS and there are some good Brothers that I don’t want to lose.”

I look at Brantley. “I’m with Jessie, but we have the IT to work it and that’s before adding their people.”

Driscoll smiles. “I’m ready.”

Bull nods. “Me too.”

Dakota puts his hand up making me smile. I nod. “It would be good to have another pilot for the bigger area. With the commitment to trafficking we will have a bigger area here and only one pilot.” I nod knowing he has more. He looks at Jessie. “Without the constant threat we have no enemy except trafficking and the little issues that come from the towns. Trafficking is set for two days a week, we have nothing for our people to do for the rest of the days. I do not think Lily has anything to do with Security.”

Jessie’s hands go up. “She just woke up! He hasn’t had a fuckin’ minute to breathe! Boredom on our part is not a fuckin’ reason to start shit now.”

Darren sits up. “Prez has been working through all of it. He didn’t let anything go, he didn’t add to
our
days giving himself less because of the boys and Lily. He has stayed the leader we’ve always known. Because of that, he knows the gang in town four is getting more violent. The women in town five have a threat because of a rapist that’s not being televised. Those threats are to us as much as them. They’ll start branching out until they hit here. We have everything running and running well. We can do this now giving HS work, trafficking the continued commitment and I agree with Dakota, Lily is not now, nor ever been a Security issue.”

Jessie’s head whips to me. “There’s a serial rapist?” I nod. “How the fuck do you keep up with this shit?”

I smile. “Does anyone feel the need for a vacation before we start?” I’m watching Jessie and Taylor. They are fine.

“I have asked the MC down for the weekend. This weekend they will fill our Security needs and run HS and Ops. My dad will take the PD with Strapper and Jerry because he understands him. The old ladies know that you’ll be going and planned accordingly. We are all clear to spend the weekend at the cabin.”

“Lily has been awake for two fuckin’ weeks!” Jessie isn’t letting this go.

I look at him weighing my words. “Lily is the reason we’re going. I spent thirty-two days holding her with me while I monitored the three towns we run, the three that want in, made decisions on businesses, took care of my boys and ran a Club of over three hundred members plus Jeremy. I need a fuckin’ break Brother. Everyone made sure I had everything I needed to do my job.
You
, need a fuckin’ break Brother.” He nods.

I look around the table. “This is the last time my old lady’s name is mentioned in a Security meeting unless there is a Security threat aimed at her. I get that your intentions are protective in nature, but I have never given anyone reason to question my ability no matter what is happening in my life.”

Jessie’s head goes down then he looks at me. “You’re right Prez. No disrespect intended. Personally I couldn’t have done it. I can’t even imagine how you did.”

“Me too Prez,” Brantley says. I give him a nod.

“Dakota get with the Mayors for towns four and five. Set meetings for the end of next week. Get my schedule and Driscoll’s, so we can be there. I want everything on the table before we meet. Bull, get the crime stats and tax decrease ready for Driscoll. Driscoll, call Jax in for help but find him. Alert their PD, but find him before the meeting. Taylor, I’ll need a schedule for their officers to go through assessment and training. Jessie, give Taylor a schedule that you’ll be available for training. Brantley, find me an assistant to get some of my paperwork streamlined. I need someone trustworthy and computer savvy. Dakota, find a pilot. Make it military. Ask Jake or Jamie. They have men trying for their teams, but don’t have the need for pilots. Darren, get the feeds for the towns over to PD so Driscoll can start monitoring.” I look around, everyone is typing. “Are there any questions?”

“They’re already wired?” Driscoll asks.

I keep my eyes off Bull happy to know he didn’t talk when I said it was kept close. “Yes.” No one has anything else.

“I need everyone ready to board Prince at 10 a.m. on Friday. Jessie, Bob is taking Family. Driscoll, my dad and Jerry are on PD. Brantley, Jason will cover you. Uncle Danny has Ops. Get your paperwork, schedules and anything that you’re concerned about or are watching ready for them before they get here.”

I get nods. “Darren, Jessie, Dakota stay. Everyone else, if you have no concerns, you’re dismissed.”

Taylor stays. He’s wondering why he wasn’t asked to stay. I wouldn’t normally explain but I’ll give him this. “The old ladies are planning a night out.” He stands up and leaves. We all laugh.

“Where are they going?” Jessie asks, clearly not happy.

“The club in town. Bob is aware. Sheila is with them and every single one of them is capable of taking care of themselves. All but Jess carry and they aren’t into putting up with shit from men.”

Dakota laughs. “Jess carries.”

I’m surprised, but nod. “There you go. That’s all I had Brothers.”

I take the folder that I never opened and walk to the door. Darren follows me to my office and closes the door. “Why aren’t we taking the third town too? And why the fuck do you keep bringing an empty folder to the meetings?”

I laugh. “I should put something in it huh?” He smiles. He sees everything. “The third town has no major threat against it and Dakota is right. We need a pilot with the bigger area. We can’t take them on until we have one. They want in for the lower taxes and a better education budget. They aren’t fighting to keep good in, they are looking for a better quality of life for their citizens. While that isn’t a bad thing, we need to build our money up and get a new chopper to guarantee them the Security they’ll be expecting.”

He nods. “We’ll be taking control of a chopper from town four and the sixth has one. We can trade them in for a new military chopper to cover them. We will also have the full PD budgets to work with. The chopper shouldn’t hold us back unless it’s because of the pilot.”

I smile. “This is why you’re VP. The money was an issue, but also the pilot. I think we’ll need two. Jared is happy to fly but he isn’t exactly military trained and he’s called away from the Lab more and more for Ops. He feels responsible for Lily getting hit thinking he should have had the missile before it got to the compound. The other side of that is Dakota is working the air as if he’s alone or he’s trying to shield Jared. Our luck can only last so far in Air Ops running like that.”

He thinks about that. “I’ll get the information ready for the chopper. With what you just said I agree, two pilots are in order. They’ll need training time so holding the last town is a good call. I sent the Transport numbers before the meeting. We have the cash reserve to buy a chopper outright. The towns’ choppers being sold will end in a bank taking care of a huge chunk of the cash. It will work in our favor.”

I turn and switch my monitor on. “Fuck. Where did all this come from?” I only see quarterly and this is a big fuckin’ jump.

“We’re still running the extra from New York and Maine takes a smaller cut than Hammer did. Jessie and Dakota each had two jobs bringing in close to two and a half million. Fuckin’ Jessie’s name is out there.”

I look forward while a list forms in my head. “Up the cut for Maine by five percent. This year we’ll let one truck go. Connecticut will take it trying to build up some money. Take the parts from ‘at cost’ to ‘cost plus five’. No one expected us to run the ‘at cost’ forever. Our goodwill needs to be brought back in line. I’ll put a hundred up for goodwill, fifty for Club in need and the parts plus five. Get me the numbers for the trafficking commitment and the expected dues for the MC. Does this include the cut for them?”

“I brought it to VP already we’re clear as of this month.”

Fuck this is a lot of money with no clear way to show it. “Find me two choppers and some iPads or something to outfit the new schools, make it untraceable.”

He nods. “Anything else?”

“No. I’m starting to feel like Uncle Danny with a chest of useless money.”

He laughs walking out.

Brenda is singing to the boys. I stand in the doorway and watch remembering the times she sang to me when I was little. It was a time when my mother loved me and my dad was alive. I feel my eyes burning and try to push it away. He would have loved the twins. “Did you call Mom when I was in the hospital?” I ask her softly.

She looks at me and I know she did. “She changed her number. I called Aunt Reba and told her. She sent prayers for you.”

I guess that’s something. I walk across the hall to my room and wipe my eyes. I’m done. She doesn’t want to know if I’m alive or dead and I can’t keep wishing. My boys deserve better than that and I’ll make sure they get it. We have so much family right here. I need to do like Little Ben and use what I have to make our life good.

With a renewed determination I try to get the braces on. It’s not so easy lining up the marks when it’s your hand. I’m smiling pulling it off to try again when Brenda walks in. “I can help you know.”

“I could probably use it for this one. I got the foot on though.”

She gives me a funny look. “Why are you smiling? You can’t get the stupid thing on.”

What’s with her? “I think I mentioned that I got the foot on. That’s why I’m smiling. Why is my brace a stupid thing? It works great.” Maybe she resents helping. It doesn’t feel right, but what the hell do I know.

Her shoulders slump. “It’s not stupid. I know it helps you, but you shouldn’t have to wear it.”

“Mitch says it won’t be forever. I’m okay with it.” She just doesn’t like to see me hurt. Feeling better I thank her for helping me.

“I love helping you and I love any time I get to spend with the boys.” She goes in my closet and I follow her. “What do you want to wear?” Something doesn’t feel right, but I let it go. She’ll tell me eventually, but until she does I’m not worrying about it.

We pick my clothes and she leaves me to dress. I even get my eyeliner on. I’m excited and ready. This is the first time we’ve gone for a girls’ night out since I was five months pregnant. We stayed in and did nails and shit. It just wasn’t the same.

Downstairs I open the door for Jess. “I love seeing that smile,” is the first thing she says. I kiss her smiling cheek. “My son has called already wanting to know if you’re happy.”

I laugh. “He hasn’t called me.”

“I think he doesn’t want you to think he’s worried. He didn’t ask anything else, just if you are happy.” She starts up the stairs and I think about him knowing so much. Maybe he felt me sad about my dad.

I hope he’s feeling me happy right now. “You can tell him I am. I got the foot brace on and almost had the hand. The damn thing isn’t so easy to line up, but Brenda helped.”

“You’ll get it just before you stop needing it. That’s how it always works.”

That makes me smile. I like that the old ladies don’t do negative. “I figured as much.”

She picks up Phoenix. “My little man. They’re getting big fast.”

“They are.” We bring them down and put them in the playpen. “I mixed their bottles earlier. They’ll need a shake and to be warmed, but you should have plenty. Water at nine and the bottle between ten-thirty and eleven.”

She nods. I know she doesn’t like the formula, but it’s what we have to do. “Alex told me about them laughing. He’s coming over later to show me.”

I laugh. “They’ve already had a bath. He comes every day to help Little Ben with the bath. Since the guys are away he said he’ll help when they get back because the Brother and Dad do that.”

She cracks up. Brenda comes down and I’m surprised by her outfit. “If Racks sees you in that he’s going to be pissed.”

“He has no say in what I wear.” There’s the attitude again.

Oh shit. I look at Jess. She raises her eyebrows, but doesn’t say a word. Following her lead, I check my purse for my gun and close it up.

“You can’t be serious. What are you going to do with a gun?” Why the hell is she so weird lately?

“I’ve always carried it. Now is no different.” She never did. No matter what my dad said she never wanted anything to do with guns.

“You can’t shoot it, you might as well just hand it to whoever you think is going bother you.”

I’ve had enough of the attitude. “I have no idea where all this negative is coming from. If you’re pissed at Racks be pissed at him. If you have something to say to me then say it. Stop with the digs and comments. I’ve been to the range and I’m fine to carry. Do you think Little Ben would let me if I couldn’t shoot the damn thing?”

She looks at Jess then me. “You’re right. He wouldn’t let you have it if he thought it could hurt you.” She walks out the garage door.

I look at Jess. “I hope Racks gets with the program. She’s no fun when she’s not happy.”

She looks at me for a couple of seconds. “I don’t think this is all about Racks. Don’t be too hard on her or him. She had a hard time dealing with you being hurt and no support from your family. She’s just learning we’re your family too.” She hugs me then pushes me to the door. “Go have some fun. I’ll call if I have any problems.”

“Love you Te Jess.” She laughs. It’s what I call her if I want to make her laugh.

Jess, Eliza and Sheila come out of Eliza’s smiling. They pile in and start talking all at once. They’re excited too. No one says anything about Brenda’s clothes and I’m happy to stay away from that subject. At the club Bob comes in with us. I saw Prince Security outside and rolled my eyes. With Sheila and Eliza we should be fine.

“This place is awesome. I love it here!” Jess tells Brenda.

I watch my sister scan the room and move to a table. They look at me and I shrug, I have no idea why she’s being so moody. I don’t think it has anything to do with me like Jess said. I order a Corona with lime and get a look from Brenda, but she doesn’t give me her opinion. Eliza has us laughing with Little Ben having her check on me because I was ‘bare assed’. I can’t help but laugh. He wouldn’t send a man to check on me knowing I’d be embarrassed.

“Of course,” Brenda says with that attitude. What the hell?

Sheila leans toward her. “Why don’t you just spit it out and save us a night of the fuckin’ attitude?”

“No matter what he does everyone thinks he’s perfect. I’m so glad I don’t live here and have to bow to the great leader Little Ben.” She’s one drink in so I know she’s not drunk.

“What has he done to you that you’re so pissed at him?” Sheila holds her hand up to stop me. “No, I want to know why my husband is on her damn shit list.”

Jess touches my arm. “I think she’s more angry at herself for not believing in him than him as a man.”

Brenda stands up. “Really! You think she would have been hurt if he didn’t order a missile to be shot down?”

Eliza stands in front of her. “She would be dead. The missile was locked on the Activity Center. She was there to warn the reading club because of the text she got. So him shooting the missile down saved nine and Lily got hurt instead of dead. Whatever your fuckin’ problem is, it’s yours. He didn’t launch the missile, he stopped it. Grow the fuck up and be happy your sister is alive. Through this whole thing you’ve been making comments and little digs because
you
didn’t believe she’d make it and make it doing fine. She’s here, she’s happy and she’s going to have a good time. If you can’t give her that go home. I’m not letting you slam her husband when he did nothing but good for her, their kids and our Club.”

“He never stopped running his precious Club. She was in a coma and he went to work like it was no big deal. No one tells her that!”

Sheila stands and I think she’s going to hit her. Shit. “He went to work giving
you
the time
you
needed. Get over it. All you did was cry and think the worst. No one wanted to be around that. He gave you your time and you’re still bitching.”

I wonder if that’s what’s up with her and Racks. “Brenda what exactly has you so upset?”

“You’re my only family and I almost lost you! No one cared!”

Sheila leans into her. “When the fuck did you decide we weren’t family anymore. Every fuckin’ day I came to see you. I sat with you. I listened to you bitch and you think I’m not good enough anymore to be your family? What the fuck ever!”

Brenda’s eyes fill with tears. “You came to see
me
?”

“It’s not like sleeping beauty was going to answer you. Of course I went for you. What the fuck Brenda?”

Jess and Eliza laugh. Brenda hugs Sheila and I’m smiling like a dork. My sister is friggin’ stupid sometimes and Jess was right. “Now we got the drama out of the way let’s dance!” Eliza says pulling on my hand. The girl loves dancing so we do. I’m dancing with Eliza and turn seeing Bob move closer to Jess. I slow just in time to see her hit a guy right in the face. Bob laughs and Jess starts dancing with Brenda and Sheila again. I crack up. What an awesome night.

At the table we’re laughing about Uncle Steve and Mitch in another equality war when a couple of guys move closer. Bob moves them along and stands with his back toward us like a damn sentinel. Eliza and Sheila tell us about Laconia last year and Bob moves away making us all laugh. The Brothers are wicked funny even if they don’t think so.

I’m a little tipsy, but need to pee. I get Sheila to come with me. She’s smiling too much to be sober. We laugh all the way to the bathroom. I have no idea why I’m laughing, which makes me laugh more. I trip and she catches me. “You okay little lady?”

“Oops you’re not Sheila,” I say to the guy holding me up. I try to move away but he doesn’t let me.

“Get your hands off her.” She sounds sober now and she looks pretty mad.

I move away without thinking and my foot scrapes leaving me a little off balance. “I got this Sheila. I wasn’t thinking about the movements.”

She nods giving me a smile. “You’re doing fine. Let’s move it before Bob shows in the bathroom.” I laugh and get pulled around.

Sheila’s gun is out and under the man’s chin. Damn she’s quick. “Move along or I’ll have to move you.”

A gun is at the side of the guy’s head now. Jeesh. I blink my eyes and see Bob. “Let’s go.” He sounds pissed and I’m afraid for the guy as Bob pulls him away.

“Why do men think they can put their hands on women whenever they feel like it?” Sheila asks and I’m glad she didn’t shoot the guy.

“I dunno, but I have to pee.”

She laughs pulling me into the bathroom. We make it back unscathed and decide to dance until I’m all danced out. Another round gets to us and I’m done. Water was delivered with every round but I’m out of practice. Sheila starts singing and Bob’s at our table. We all crack up and sing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with her walking out. I get all the high voices making everyone laugh. I think Bob even laughed.