Page 95 of Thug

I found satisfaction in seeing Brisco unconscious. We’d been friends for as long as I could recall, but his actions regarding Gray were unthinkable. Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to find a way to forgive him for what he’d done. Panzer’s temper wasn’t quite as bad as mine. I hoped he—and the other men—could find a way to easily set aside the mistakes Brisco made.

I looked up. “You can miss the meeting.”

He kicked Brisco’s boot. “This big dumb fuck was going to kill her? Just like that?”

“He thought he was protecting the club.”

He reached for his belt. “I ought to piss on this prick.”

Pissing on a fallen foe was a 1%er tradition, of sorts. Despite his anger, there was no way I was going to let Panzer piss on Brisco. The punishment might have been suitable for the crime, but I couldn’t let it happen.

I shot Panzer a glare and hoped it was convincing. “Don’t you dare.”

“Fucker deserves it,” he said.

“He very well might,” I said. “But it’s not going to happen. This needs to be squashed. Here and now, whenever he gets up.”

Brisco awakened, a little at a time. Once he realized where he was, he sat up and glanced around the room. He rubbed his jaw. “God damn, Panzer.” He looked up. “You coldcocked my ass.”

“Serves you right,” Panzer said, looming over him with clenched fists. “You ever fuck with that gal again, and I’ll—”

“I ain’t,” Brisco said. “She’s solid. We’re good, now.”

Panzer glared. “Oh, you’re solid now?” He cackled a dry laugh. “Now that you threatened to kill her?”

I stepped between them. “You two need to squash this.” I looked at each of them. “That’s why I called this meeting. Right now. Squash it. I can’t have the club seeing you two like this.”

With a little help, Brisco stood. He looked at Panzer with glassy eyes. “I was just doing what I thought was best for the club, Brother.” He rubbed his jaw. “Thought she was working for the cops. Think about it. If she was, we’d all be doin’ time in the joint.”

“She’s like a little fucking sister to the club, you dumb fuck,” Panzer snarled. “Next time you’re going to kidnap someone this entire fucking club knows, you should ask around first.”

Brisco glanced at me, started to speak, and then looked at Panzer. “There won’t be a next time.”

Panzer face glowed red. He glared at Brisco with eyes as think as slits.

“Squash it,” I said, nodding at him as I spoke.

He extended his hand. “I ain’t forgiving you,” he said through his teeth. “Because it ain’t forgivable. I’ll squash it, though.”

Brisco reached for his hand. “Appreciate it.”

Panzer shook his hand. “When she finds out what you did, you’re liable to have another fight on your hands.”

Brisco’s eyes narrowed. “Who says she needs to know?”

Panzer glanced at me. “If he’s not telling her, I am.”

“She already knows.” I looked at each of the men. “We good?”

With expressed apprehension, they eventually nodded.

Considering all things, it went fractionally better than I anticipated. One down, one to go.

* * *

Keto raised his hand. “Hold up a minute. Pig Pen’s daughter is basically going to be a ‘hang-around’. How can this be in the club’s best interest?”

I was sure he was reciting what he’d heard Brisco say on the day they were trying to strongarm me into changing my mind about Gray, but I couldn’t be sure. If there was a consensus with the group, I needed to know.