Chapter 17: Church


    Kylian/Karma’s P.O.V.


    “I’ll have one of the club girls bring you sheets and towels. I’m trusting you without a guard tonight, but be warned that I’ve already told the brothers not to let you leave. Someone is always keeping an eye on you, whether you know it or not, Blythe. Remember that.”


    Which was true. I’ve been texting with some of the prospects since we left Nebraska. I made sure that they knew Blythe wasn’t to leave and to spread the word around. Even if I didn’t keep someone on her 24/7, she’d never leave this ce without me knowing.


    “Creepy,” Blythe muttered.


    I didn’t know what else to say to her. So I walked out, shutting her door behind me. I leaned against it for a while, thinking about what I overheard of her and C.G.’s conversation.


    I’d heard C.G. say stuff like that to Bly before. Back when we were kids. C.G. and Dragon were obsessed


    with her to an almost crazy point. Of course, we all were, in our own way.


    The way that Blythe acted was… strange. She used to blush so hard and get carried away talking about a fantasy life with any of us. This time… she acted like… well, like it was some big joke we were ying on


    her. I didn’t understand it. I know she isn’t happy about being back here, but… she wasughing one


    second and angry the next.


    What the hell was that about?


    A noise from inside Blythe’s room caught my attention, bringing me out of my thoughts. It was a sound I recognized. The fact that I recognized it immediately made me realize how often I had heard iting from her before she left. The sound of her crying behind a closed door.


    I felt awful at how familiar the noises sounded. Not just the sounds of someone crying, but of her crying.


    Why was that? I know Blythe was always a crybaby, but… something just feels off.


    I tried to sift through my memories with her. I know a lot of things changed after Ang and Tusk got married. Blythe was the one that acted out though. We couldn’t baby her forever. Obviously, it was already


    having a negative effect. We didn’t want her to grow up to be a spoiled brat.


    The way that Blythe is acting, I can’t help but wonder if there’s something about Daniel that we don’t know about. Or maybe that husband of hers is a bit darker than we thought. Did he break Bly’s spirit? Did he hit her? Is that why she ran away?


    Do I even want to know?


    “Hey.” I looked up to see Psycho standing a few feet down the hall. “Everyone’s waiting.”


    I gave him a nod before marching down the hall. I grabbed the first sweet tart I saw, which was Snapper.


    She instantly smiled and put her hands on my chest.


    “Hey baby-”


    “I need you to take some sheets, pillows, nkets, and towels to Blythe’s room,” I said, cutting her off. “Ask her if she needs anything else and get it for her if she does.”


    “Wait, what?” Snapper asked, clearly surprised I was asking her to do such a thing. “Why?”


    “Because I fu.cking said so,” I snapped before storming towards the bar.


    “Johnny!” I shouted over the music. The prospect rushed right over to me. “Need you to get the duffle bag outta the rental car and take it to the girl I brought in.”


    “You got it, Prez,” he replied.


    Then I stormed towards our meeting room where church is held. Psycho was hot on my heels, following


    behind me. You are only allowed in this room, or at church, if you are a patched-in member. asionally,


    like today, I let the prospects join as well. The ones that are close to being patched in, anyway.


    I pushed the door open and marched in. Psycho closed it behind us and locked it beforeing to take


    his seat next to me. I sat at the head of the table. Our club was pretty decent sized. Not toorge, not too


    small. We filled up the table and then some though and not even all the members are here right now.


    “What’s this about, Prez,” Slider asked. He was around our age, but didn’te to town until he was 19. He


    found the club almost right away and begged to prospect for months before my dad agreed. I hadn’t taken


    over until I was 24, when Dad found out he had cancer.


    “That hot chick he brought back, obviously,” Joker said, smirking. “She was a mess, I’ll admit that, but


    damn, she was a fine little thing. And feisty too. Wowza!” <fn3727> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find{n}ovel</fn3727>


    I gave him a hard look.


    “You shoulda never brought her back here,” Diesel said, shaking his head with his arms crossed. He knew


    Bly. Not well, but he knew her. He’s only a couple of years younger than us after all.


    “Back here?” Slider asked. “She did say back here too, huh?” he tapped his chin in thought for a moment


    before looking at Joker. “She is pretty damn hot though. Couldn’t believe you guys were spouting all that


    bullsh.it about her.”


    “Not bullsh.it,” Rabid muttered. “I wouldn’t touch that girl with a ten-foot pole.”


    Slider and Joker busted out inughter, but Rabid kept his eyes on me. He was a year older than me. He was around for a lot when we were growing up. The man always kept to himself though, and didn’t hang out with us much. Which means that he also knew Blythe.


    Honestly, I wasn’t sure how any of them were going to feel, but she’s staying regardless.


    “She got some kinda disease or something?” Joker asked.


    “Nah,” Rabid replied, shaking his head and pursing his lips. “Just don’t want Prez to kick my a.ss. Or VP. Or


    215


    Chapter 17. Church


    C.G. Or Havoc. Or Drag-”


    “What the fu.ck!” Psycho shouted, interjecting. “What the hell would I kick your ass for?”


    “Yeah, seriously?” Slider said with augh. “She that special?”


    “Oh, she sure is,” Diesel muttered.


    “The fu.ck she is,” Havoc grumbled.


    “I’m lost,” Joker said.


    “Does Tusk and Ang know about this?” Bones asked.


    “I have yet to call Tusk and warn him,” I replied.


    Bones scoffed at me, leaning back in his chair.


    “You were just going to spring this on all of them?” he asked incredulously. I know he’s not only upset


    about me blindsiding one of his closest friends and ol’dy, but also for doing this to C.G. too. C.G. never


    got over Bly. The conversation I heard in her room was proof of that. One look at her, and he fell right back


    into her trap.


    “Look, I found her, and I just took her,” I said. “I brought her back here because she has some exining to


    do.”


    “Exining to do. Really?” Bones replied with a raised brow.


    I clenched my jaw, trying not to lose my sh.it.


    “Who is she?” Slider asked, curious as hell now.


    “That girl you all saw hop onto that table and tell us all off… Was Blythe Owens,” Diesel told them.


    The members that didn’t know her all looked at me with wide eyes. Everyone here knows Blythe or has


    heard of her at least. I mean, her mother and stepfather are a big part of our club. She was a big part of


    our club for most of her life. Plus, there was a lot of drama that Everly loved to gossip about.


    “That… was the Blythe?” Joker asked. “No fu.cking way. You guys all made her sound like a big crybaby.”


    “Or a maniptive wh.ore,” Slider mumbled.


    I saw C.G. stiffen out of the corner of my eye.


    “You all heard her,” Rabid said. “She’s the new Blythe.”


    “No sh.it?” Slider murmured, looking lost in thought.


    I red at him, but he didn’t notice.


    “I called church because I wanted you all to know that she’s staying until I say otherwise,” I said. “We’ll see what happens after Ang and Tusk get back. In the meantime, I want you all to leave her alone. No talking to her. Period. Unless I ce you on babysitting duty. No one says a word to her, no one makes


    sure she’s okay, nothing. In fact, act like she doesn’t even exist.”


    “What?” Bones asked, shocked. “You’re going to force her to stay here and then ice her out?”


    “She deserves it,” was all I said.


    “Bullsh.it,” he snapped, causing me to re at him. “She doesn’t deserve that.”


    “I decided what she deserves,” I growled.


    Bones stared at me like he couldn’t recognize me. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He


    settled for shaking his head and looking away from me.


    “She looked malnourished,” Docmented with a grunt. “And you want us to pretend like she doesn’t


    exist? All of us? Even me and Bones? C.G.?”


    “She’s fine,” I replied, sternly. “And yes.”


    Doc scoffed, but didn’t say anything.


    “No offense Prez,” Diesel said. “But… are you sure you want to do this?”


    “I’m sure,” I replied.


    “She deserves a little cold shoulder,” Psycho agreed, smiling smugly.


    “Does that count for us too?” C.G. asked, clearly angry.


    “Until I say otherwise, yes,” I replied.


    C.G. didn’t respond, but anger was rolling off of him in waves. He can be angry all he wants. I’ve been


    punished for breaking her promise. And I n to stick to that.


    “It won’t be forever,” I said.


    Bones scoffed, but didn’t say anything.


    “Okay, so don’t talk to her, don’t let her leave the property,” Slider said. “Got it.”


    “She gonna be a subus though?” Joker asked. “Like eventually? Because… that girl has got curves I’m tryin’ to bury my face in.”


    “Your face will be buried in the concrete before I ever let you touch her,” C.G. told him in a scary calm


    voice.


    Joker paled instantly. Probably because C.G. rarely talks, let alone threatens anybody.


    “She won’t be a club girl, and none of you better touch her. She’s off-limits,” I said. “That’s everything. If you have questions, keep them to your damn self for now. You can all go.”


    “Oh!” Psycho called out as they all stood up. “And one more thing… Nobody tells Granny Waya that she’s


    here.”


    I am doing the right thing… right?