Page 15 of Smitty

“Yeah, that’s what they’re thinking happened.”

“Damn.” Goose cocked his head. “Hate it for the guy who did the repair. His ass is gonna be on the line.”

“Don’t you know it.”

From there, the conversation shifted to something else. Not because we didn’t care about the accident. We did. But Maverick was alive, and in time, he would recover. His brothers would see to it. They would also make sure he was looked after until he was back on his feet.

Goose let out a yawn and rolled his shoulders. “Have you been down to the construction site?”

“I was there this morning,” Seven answered.

“How’s it coming along?”

“Got the lot cleared.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Should be ready to start the foundation later this afternoon.”

“That’s good. Quicker than I expected.”

I listened as they talked. Most of it wasn’t new information. I’d overheard them talking about wanting a second Vault, and they were looking for some riverfront property for the new Vault. But I didn’t know all the ins and outs.

Up until a day ago, I wasn’t privy to that kind of information. That was club business, and club business was only shared among brothers. Regardless, it was clear that they’d gotten the property they wanted, and construction was about to start on the new building.

Goose glanced over at Seven. “How long are they thinking it’ll take to get the job done?”

“Four months. Maybe more.” Seven shrugged. “A lot depends on the weather. You know how it can be around here.”

“Hot as hell right now, but in a few months, it’ll be all four seasons in a day.”

“Exactly.”

“Then, they’d best bust it while they can.”

The mood lightened after that, but none of us had forgotten about Maverick and his accident. There was nothing worse than having a brother down, but life didn’t stop. Not for broken bones, not for bad luck, and definitely not for Fury.

Memphis and Seven had things to attend to, so they headed out, leaving Goose and me to take care of his bike. He grabbed the box from the backseat, and then, we both made our way to the garage. As soon as he started taking parts out of the box, I asked, “So, what’s it been doing?”

“Battery keeps dying.”

“What makes you think it’s the regulator?”

“Because I know.” He motioned his head toward the toolbox. “Hand me that wrench.”

I passed it over as I told him, “You know, you could’ve had one of the guys handle this.”

“Why would I do that when I can do it myself?”

“Whatever you say, boss.”

An hour later, the regulator was mounted, the wiring was connected, and Goose was acting like he’d done it all himself. He fired her up and boasted, “Look at that! She’s purring like a kitten.”

“You’re welcome.”

Goose cocked his brow. “Don’t ruin the moment, asshat.”

I laughed despite myself. Once we’d cleaned up, I headed over to the Vault. It was a pretty typical night. I was at the door, checking IDs and keeping an eye on things. I helped break up an occasional disagreement before it became something more and made sure the girls were taken care of.

It was pretty slow, just the way I liked it.

I had the early shift, which meant I was done and out the door before eight. That was rare, so I took full advantage and drove straight home. The apartment greeted me with the same silence it always did, along with dirty dishes in the sink and dirty boots at the door.