Page 21 of Emergence: Prequel
Another roar just about lifted the ceiling. It had been a minute since we’d had so much to celebrate.
As the brothers settled down, I nodded at Red, who’d caught my eye and held up his finger, asking if he could have the table.
Once they were quiet, I asked, “Red, you got something you want to add?”
“Yes, I do,” he stated. “Emily is mine, so none of you fuckers even think of trying anything with her.”
Cash laughed next to me, then hastily turned it into a cough as Dad swung his gaze towards him.
Deciding I’d better save my brother from another mother before Dad let loose, I put the force of my words behind Red’s, “You heard the man. You old fuckers leave her alone. I don’t want you all fighting over her.”
This caused more hilarity and‘Less of the old Pres,’being bandied about or‘Lucky fucker, Red.’
Laughing, I hit the gavel on the table when I couldn’t find it in me to whistle from laughing so hard. “Okay, so that’s the update.Tinman, you wanted to know about the boys that jumped Rosie. Let me bring Kyle and Ford in as this is their thing; we can’t get involved in beating kids up no matter how rotten they are.”
Buck stood up and disappeared, returning not long after with Kyle in his prospect cut and Ford.
I knew the brothers, especially the ones that had known Chains and me when we were younger, would see it, and I was right. As soon as Ford walked in and stood next to Kyle, the murmurs started. That’s how much he looked like us.
“Boys,” I nodded at them, “fill us in on what’s going to happen to the little fuckers who touched Rosie.”
It was Kyle who started explaining, “While I was here, I kept them away from Rosie, but I guess they got brave when I left. This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. There have always been rumours, but their families have money, so more often than not they’ve paid off the girls and the families. Ford has told me there’s one girl, Jessie, in the same year as them who didn’t take the bribes; she made reports and went as far as two towns away to get a rape kit done by a hospital there. It’s all disappeared, and she and her family are struggling to get by because they’ve basically been blacklisted from working in town.
“Ford says she’s pregnant and intends on keeping the baby. It’s just her, her brother, and her dad, and he’s supportive of her decision to keep the baby. Her brother, Robbie, however, is angry—I mean, seriously angry. He’s one of the ones we’ve approached, and this is the plan we’ve come up with.
“It would be good if we could change the celebration for Mom, Ford, and Poppy to next Saturday. There’s a football game at the high school, and a bonfire after-party is being planned at the usual field. This way, it’s not unusual for Ford and the rest ofthe guys and girls we’ve recruited to be there, as there’s always a bonfire planned for after the game.
“The four of them tend to do their hunting at these parties and use roofies if the girls aren’t being particularly receptive. Ford overheard a few of the girls in his class talking about how it’s easier just to give them what they want so that their families don’t suffer in the aftermath.” Kyle paused here, his fists clenched in anger, tilting his chin at Ford, who continued where Kyle left off.
“You have to understand most of these girls don’t come from rich families. Almost all are from my side of town, and their families can’t afford to lose income by having their jobs threatened,” Ford explained.
“I’ll be speaking to Robbie at school tomorrow about my plan. Not only have they hurt his sister, but one of the girls that I know they’re targeting is his girlfriend. I’m going to see if she’s willing to be used as bait to get them in the woods. Once we have them there,” he hesitated before looking at me, “it’s best you don’t know the rest, just in case. I don’t want trouble to find its way to the MC.”
I didn’t like that and neither did the rest of the brothers. With those words, he’d cemented his place in the club, no matter his age.
“It doesn’t work that way, Ford. We’ll have your back no matter what. As far as the cops are concerned, you and your friends were all here celebrating your new family. Give me a list of names, and we’ll make sure they have alibis. Just be careful and don’t get caught. If you need us, though, you call; minors or not, they’ve done shit that if they’d been adults, we wouldn’t have let them get away with. We’re a family, and family sticks together.”
For the first time since we’d found him, Ford smiled, “Okay. If I need you, I’ll call.”
“Be sure you do,” I ordered him. “Also give me Jessie and Robbie’s dad’s contact details. Not all of us are under those rich fucks. I’m sure we can find them work in one of our businesses. Do you know what he did for them?”
It was Kyle who answered, “He’s a mechanic; he worked in their shop in town. He sometimes drove for them when they needed a fill-in driver.”
Studying Kyle’s face, I took in the angry tick of his jaw and clenched fists. He’d been angry when he’d heard about Rosie, but this was something else. Going on instinct, I asked, “What’s Jessie to you, Kyle?”
His eyes flashed to mine in surprise; the emotion on his face reminded me how young he still was.
“She was a friend. I tutored her until I left for college. She’s two years younger than me and struggled with math. When I threatened them about Rosie, they didn’t like it. It made them angry.
“I think they targeted Jessie because of me. I’m not sure if they thought we had something going on or not, but they knew we spent a lot of time together. She’s a good person; she wanted to be a nurse. Jessie didn’t deserve what they did to her; none of the girls did,” he took a deep breath, bowing his head. Ford gripped his shoulder in support. “I know originally I said I’d stay out of it because I’m older than them, but now, with what they did to Jessie just because I knew her well, I just want you to know I’m going to do what I got to do.”
The room was silent. We knew what he meant, and I can’t say that I wouldn’t have made the same decision. If he didn’t do something, likely the guilt would eat him alive.
“I’m going to tell you what I told Ford. We’re family, and we’ll stick together whatever happens. That said, you do what you feel the need to do. We’ll be here once it’s over. You’ve always been one of us, Kyle; it’s why you’re wearing a prospect cut, and it’s not because your mother is my Old Lady. You joining the club was decided long before that by all the men in this room.”
I could see my words meant something as Kyle’s shoulders straightened, but he still asked, “Even with who my father is?”
It wasn’t me that answered, though it was Buck, “You are not your father, boy. We don’t judge each other on who we come from but rather on how we act. You worked with me in the garage for a long time before you went to college; I think I know you better than most. Trust me, you are nothing like your father. I put your name forward years ago, but we all knew your mom wanted you to go away to college, so we hung onto your cut for you. Now you’re back and going to college locally, you get to wear it. You’re still going to have to go through all the shit we had to, but I have a feeling we’ll be calling you brother one day.”