One Step Too Close - Coffin Nails MC Louisiana (Gay Biker Stepbrother Romance) (Sex & Mayhem Book 6) (13 page)

“I’ve been saving this
for when Ryder did his time. I won’t lie, all those months, I was hoping things
would get better, that I’d be back on my hog in no time. But as your club
president, I need to face the truth. I don’t know when I will ride again, so I
have to step down from my role at the club. When I get better, you can bet your
ass I’ll be right back in there, but right now, it is what it is. Prospect, bring
my cut from the corridor.”

Ryder sighed, looking at
his boots with gloom settling in his stomach. Ripper was too young to be out of
the game. He wasn’t even sixty yet.

The men were quiet, and
so Grease’s footsteps resonated against the floor as if he were carrying a flag
to the grave of an unknown soldier. Trying not to look as Ripper struggled to
rip the ‘president’ patch off the cut, Ryder remembered just how good of a
president the old man had been. He knew how to hold the club in check while
giving the members just enough freedom. Could Ryder ever be that? With this
decision in place, Wolver would surely be appointed the new prez, and Ryder’s
skin crawled with goosebumps. He got his current patch just a few months ago,
and now he’d surely be climbing the ranks. Was he ready though? Responsibility
settled on Ryder’s shoulders like a big golden collar that he was proud to
wear, but which was already chafing his neck.

“There we go.” Ripper
put the patch on a coffee table in front of him with a deep groan. “With me and
Ryder out of the game, I heard you lot let yourself go, that the town has lost
respect for the Coffin Nails. This needs to change, and I believe my VP is the
best man to correct those who think the Nails can’t handle their business.
Let’s vote. All in favor of Wolver becoming our new prez.” Ripper raised his
hand despite it trembling slightly.

Ryder quickly followed
his example and took a glance around, happy not to see anyone hesitating. His
father didn’t control his men well enough, but then again, there had been a lot
on his plate recently, and Ryder was ready to help iron out all the wrinkles.

“Then it’s settled,”
muttered Ripper with a slight slur to his voice. He beckoned Wolver to come
closer and put the patch in his palm. “Make it right, old man.”

Wolver briefly took
Ripper into his arms and nodded. “We’re gonna win back all that we’d lost
throughout the last few months. You have my word.”

Ryder would be lying if
he claimed he wasn’t excited for what was coming next. As sergeant at arms, he
would surely be a contender for the role of VP, and he was getting hot with the
prospect.

Wolver looked at the
other men and patted Ryder’s shoulder. “As president, I nominate my son, Ryder.
You all know he can make tough calls, and you’ve seen it today. I love you all,
and I’m not saying this just because he’s my son. Ryder’s level-headed and
just. He knows what honor, respect, and brotherhood means.”

Dark groaned and folded
his arms on his chest. “He’s gonna make the club a Sunday school.”

Ryder laughed, even
though he didn’t feel particularly cheerful about Dark’s accusations. Out of
all the members, Dark was the only one Ryder frequently didn’t see eye to eye
with. “Haven’t been to church since I turned twelve. Are you suggesting jail
had me reborn?”

Some of the others
laughed, and it fueled Ryders conviction to keep talking. “You all know me. You
know I like a good drink, a good woman, even a good hit of powder once in a
while. But we have a big deal coming, and as Brain might have told you, we’re broke.
We need to make this work, or we’re all gonna tank.” He stopped talking,
looking for reactions, and was happy to see a few heads nodding. “I promise you
I’m gonna support Wolver, and I’m gonna do all I can to turn us around from
this slump. And if we end up having to borrow cash for the annual run to
Detroit, I’m gonna step down.”

Dark wrinkled his nose
but nodded and raised his hand. All the other men followed, and Ryder felt a
flash of heat spread all over his body, consuming his worries. He could do it
if all his brothers believed in him. There were hard decisions to be made, but
they would all be worth it. The way Jed grinned at him and patted his shoulder
made everything seem to be falling into place. He could do this for them. For
the club.

Mikey got the sergeant-at-arms
patch, and Axe became the enforcer. A part of Ryder was itching to suggest a
further shake up, and nominate Jed for their road captain, but Jed wasn’t ready
for the responsibility no matter how much he loved planning routes for his
dream trips. He needed to sort himself out first. But once he did, Ryder was
going to love seeing his brother step up and show everyone what he was capable
of other than violence.

The next decision was
about patching in Grease, and they all voted for it, as the guy had done a year
of prospecting, and was reliable enough to be accepted. He got called back in,
and received his patch from Wolver. Ryder loved seeing the glint in his eyes,
and remembered the day when both he and Jed got the right to wear the full club
patch. It had felt like the culmination of so many dreams, and hopes, and made
their father proud as a peacock.

Ryder grinned and
clapped his hands. It was time for some pork barrel politics. “Okay, so now
that the hard talk’s over, I think we should make use of one of those kegs we
got back and celebrate. After all, Ripper missed yesterday’s party.”

To that, no one had any
objections.

Ryder

Ryder sat back and
cleaned his hands of the dark grease as he watched the opened engine. “I think
it should be working fine now,” he told Wolver, who glanced at him from above a
stack of spare parts.

“Good. I’m happy it was
only such a minor thing. We can’t really afford expensive parts right now. If
the deal with Toro falls through, we’re screwed.”

Ryder sighed. “It would
be a pain, ‘cause that is a load of cash, but if bad comes to worse, we can
always do the smaller runs. The California chapter is doing quite well on
that.” In fact, they were doing much, much better than their own chapter, and
it was driving Ryder crazy.

“Yeah, but they also do
drugs, and the guys here think it’s too much heat after Shark got put behind
bars not so long ago. I think they’re just lazy fuckers when it comes to the
smaller gun runs. They love the prestige when they can tell the guys in other
chapters that we have a chopper, a tank, and fucking rocket launchers. We might
have a buyer for the tank actually, but Axe is blocking the deal, because he
loves the damn thing too much.”

Ryder groaned. He
couldn’t believe his brothers were so damn lazy. “For fuck’s sake. We used the
thing once, so that’s one argument out of your hand. Financially, the
Californians are much better off than we are. A massive clubhouse that’s
basically a fortress, and all the shit I’ve seen there last time... in
contrast, our place’s shabby.”

Wolver groaned and
slammed the car’s hood shut. “Now that it’s you and me, we have to put the club
back together. We need that deal with Toro, and with time, I
also
want
us to do the smaller runs. The extra money won’t hurt, and it will be good for
the guys to go on the road more often, visit other clubs, whet their appetites
for what we could be.”

Ryder smiled. “I hope
once Jed straightens up a bit, he could be interested in climbing up the
ladder. I think the lack of responsibility is what’s making him so chaotic,” he
said, even though Jed had been remarkably good for the last three days. No
drinking or drugs, and Ryder knew because Jed stayed at his house. He even
drank the smoothies Ryder made for him every morning.

Wolver nodded. “I’m glad
you two are getting along so well, because he was getting out of control when
you weren’t here. Always hanging out with that fucker Tom, drinking too much.
He’s lucky to have a brother like you.”

Warmth spread through
Ryder’s chest, even though the previously latent feelings that had exploded in
jail still troubled Ryder most of the time. He’d have to find himself a new
girlfriend as soon as Jed straightened out his shit. “I’ll do what I can.”

“I actually think we
could take him with us today, make him understand that he’s a part of all
this.” Wolver pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “I hated to see you get locked
up, but I’m proud that you took it off his shoulders. He’d be doing much more
time otherwise.”

Ryder smiled and walked
up to the small table where he left his cut. He’d just donned it when the door
opened and Jed’s bright head popped in. “You wanted to see me?” he asked
Wolver, waving at Ryder. Just the few days of the regime Ryder gave him had him
looking fresher, more healthy, and, what Ryder shouldn’t be thinking of, more
handsome.

“You’re going with us
today.” Wolver smiled at Jed and passed him a cigarette.

“We’re meeting up with
someone to plan Toro’s visit. The place we’re meeting at has great burgers,”
said Ryder, winking at Jed.

Wolver rolled his eyes,
but Jed smiled at Ryder, as he took a cigarette from their dad. He looked into
Ryder’s eyes, as if he wanted to tell him something without words, not taking
his intense gaze off for many seconds. It was… strange, and yet it made Ryder’s
heart race in his chest.

Jed lit his cigarette.
“Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it. I… want you both to know that. That you’re
important to me, no matter what.”

Wolver raised his
eyebrows. “What’s up with the fairy-talk?”

Jed groaned, and it was
as if a wall rose around him in an instant. “Christ. Just sayin’.”

Ryder frowned, surprised
himself, but maybe it was just Jed’s way of asking for forgiveness after his
recent behavior got more and more out of control. He stepped closer and patted
Jed on the back. He couldn’t bring himself to answer Jed in words, not in front
of Wolver, but he wanted to communicate that his apology for the temper tantrum
over a couple of pills was appreciated.

“Let’s go then, or we’ll
be late. I want you to step up, Jed, not just always linger in the background,
ready to pull your fists up. You’re more than that, and the guys have to see
that.” Wolver was the first to rush outside to where all their motorbikes were,
and Jed didn’t answer nor looked at Ryder again until they were all settled on
their rides.

The meetup place was two
hours away, behind state lines, but they rewarded themselves with a hearty meal
during the business meeting. Carlos was a bright man with wit sharp as a
hunting knife, and he was a lot of fun to talk to, even during the negotiations
concerning Toro’s visit. The Man from Colombia was coming in a few days, and
they were to send someone to the airport and pick him up. Carlos gave them some
information about his boss’s likes and dislikes, in case the Nails wanted to
butter him up really well.

Jed didn’t talk much,
but he didn’t seem absent either, listening, and taking everything in. Ryder
wanted to hug him so hard Jed’s ribs would crack, but he settled on patting his
back once they finished the meeting and got up.

“That went well,” Wolver
said with a wide smile, and put on a pair of shades.

“We need to have someone
learn how to make that favorite cocktail of his,” said Ryder, shaking his head
at the idea of a man being partial to colorful drinks, but a man as wealthy and
influential as Toro was allowed some eccentricities.

The way back was as
uneventful as ever, and after two hours on the road, they arrived back at the
clubhouse, drunk on their imminent success. Ryder would do his best for the
deal to be made. They’d finally get rid of the damn rocket launchers, and that
meant the assets acquired ages ago would be finally paying their worth in cash.
They needed to, because otherwise the club would be in serious trouble, and if
Ryder wanted to convince the guys that hard work bore fruit, he needed to make
this work. The weight of responsibility wasn’t exactly crushing, but it wasn’t
comfortable to carry either.

When they arrived back
at the clubhouse, Ryder suggested they have a night in and watch a movie. He
was surprised and slightly disappointed when Jed gave him a weak, awkward smile
that screamed
No
.

“I was kinda planning a
date with Dana. We’re trying to patch things up. Hope you don’t mind?” Jed once
again stared into Ryder’s eyes in that way that gave Ryder goosebumps, and so
Ryder nodded and scratched his head, stepping away as heat unexpectedly rose
between their bodies.

“Yeah. If she’s what you
want...” As stupid as it was, he felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of Jed
choosing Dana’s company over his, but he recognized how irrational it was. It
was probably just because he himself had no girlfriend to spend time with now.
He was taking things slow, especially since Jed was living with him, and he
didn’t want to push Jed away when he needed him.

“I’d rather stay, but it
needs to be done. I need to sort this out. It will all get better when I do.”
Jed put his hands in his pockets. “You’re gonna be a fantastic club prez one
day.”

Ryder stared at Jed,
surprised by the second outpour of big words that day. “Well, if it comes to
that, you’ll be the first to congratulate me.”

Jed rubbed his nape. “I
will. You’re the best brother I could have ever wished for.” He took a step
closer and gave Ryder a hug so sudden, Ryder stiffened in Jed’s arms. It felt
so good, and yet when it became oddly long, Ryder gave Jed a swift pat on the
back, pretty sure he was liking it too much.

“You’re making me proud.
Keep up the good work, because you’re much less annoying when you’re sober,” he
chuckled.

Jed nodded without looking
into Ryder’s eyes. “Thanks for letting me stay for a while.” He took a deep
breath and got back on his bike, moving slowly, as if he didn’t really want to
leave. Considering that he was to spend the evening in Dana’s company, Ryder
couldn’t blame him.

Ryder pushed his hands
down his jeans and shrugged, slightly disappointed he’d not have Jed to himself
anymore, but that was life. He needed to accept this just like Jed had accepted
Ryder’s own preoccupation with Jess. “Have a good one,” he said and turned on
his heel, walking inside the clubhouse. It was so gloomy outside that it seemed
much darker than it should be at this time of day, but he wasn’t planning a
picnic anyway.

Ryder spent the next
half an hour in the office with Brain, going through receipts and sorting them
into groups. They needed to take a break when Brain had to go pick up his kid
from school, and so Ryder made himself coffee. But as he walked into the
lounge, a familiar blonde head drew his attention, and he slowed down halfway to
the kitchenette.

Dana was chatting to Axe
and drinking some water. She was weird like that, wouldn’t ever drink alcohol.
Ryder was all about healthy habits, but she was taking it to a whole new level.
But why was she here when Jed left to go on a date with her? And she herself
was dressed plainly, as if she were here to pick up a few things and leave, not
wow her man.

“Long time no see,” he
said.

Dana smiled. “Hey there.
My second favorite man. Have you seen my top pick?”

Ryder laughed, but his
blood ran cold when he realized that Jed most likely went off to hook up with
someone. What if it was a man? What if Ryder’s worst fears were a reality, and
Jed was secretly meeting up with Tom somewhere out of town? He could have lied
about not liking what happened at the party? Maybe he was only angry about
being caught?

“He’s doing a run for
the club. At least you have Axe to entertain you,” Ryder said, but his feet
were already taking him to the door. He could not let this happen to Jed.

Dana rolled her eyes.
“He was supposed to be here!” she yelled after him, but Ryder couldn’t care
less and opened the door, already feeling the rain spray his face.
Not now.

“I’ll make sure he tells
you next time, but it was a last minute thing. I gotta go.” He shut the door,
all but running through the puddles to his Harley.

Ryder’s head was full of
mixed feelings as he sped out of the club-owned land and into the street. He
had enough sense to close his leather jacket, but his jeans quickly became
uncomfortably damp during the fifteen-minute ride to the trailer park where Jed
lived. He was relieved to see the light on, but with a shadow moving back and
forth behind the curtain, he decided to wait until Jed left. He needed to be
caught red-handed. And if it was a girl he was meeting, Ryder only hoped she
was a better choice than Dana.

He hid under a roof
close to the gate of the trailer park and waited.

He could recognize Jed
on his beloved sports bike, but what made him even more wary was seeing Jed
with a large backpack. Would he be running off with Tom or some other dude?
Unable to resist the temptation? This was unbelievable. Jed had lived under the
same roof with him for almost a week and planned all of this under Ryder’s
nose?

When Ryder mounted his
bike and rushed after the lights of Jed’s ride ahead, there was pure rage
streaming through his veins. For once, he was grateful for the blur of the
heavy rain.