“That’s what really concerns me.” Rev’s expression was grave. “Who knows what kind of inside information he gave them?”
“Damn. Shit could get ugly,” Boone remarked.
Silence fell around the table as the news sank in. I leaned forward in my chair. “So, what do we do? Just sit around until the Diablos make a move?”
Rev sighed. “Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we do. Rambo and the other chapters are sending out feelers to their contacts to see what they can find out. But you guys know as well as I do that contacts expect to be paid, and usually it’s in ways that we no longer deal with.”
“So we end up like lame fucking ducks,” Deacon muttered.
“Not entirely. We do have our protection from both the Raiders and the Rodriguez cartel. Eddy and the Diablos would have to be stupid to pull anything on us,” Rev said.
Deacon motioned for Mac to hand him a cigarette. “Yeah, but let’s not forget that Eddy is one stupid fuck who lives for revenge.” After lighting up, he smiled grimly. “Sure puts a hell of a downer on your birthday weekend, bro.”
Rev chuckled. “True. But it’s nothing we haven’t faced before. We just have to be diligent, like our other brothers. Hopefully, after what happened in Virginia, Eddy has gotten enough revenge. But if I get wind of the least bit of danger, I’ll put us on lockdown.”
I nodded along with the others. After I glanced down at my watch, I grimaced. As the conversation left the subject of Eddy and some of the others had risen out of their chairs, I asked, “So we’re done here?”
Rev grinned at me. “What’s your hurry? Don’t tell me that you also have a hot piece of ass waiting on you for a quickie?”
Before I could answer, Deacon leaned over and put me in a headlock. “What are you talking about? When it comes to Bishop, it’s always a quickie.”
“Fuck you,” I muttered as the others roared with laughter. After shoving Deacon off me, I rose out of my chair.
“Seriously, B. Where’s the fire?” Deacon asked.
“There’s no fire. I just wanted a chance to clean up before the party.”
Deacon and Rev exchanged a look. “Since when do you need to ‘clean up’?” Rev questioned.
I rolled my eyes. I knew once they got wind that I was meeting Samantha, I would never hear the end of it. “Fine. If you must know, I’ve asked Samantha to the party tonight.”
Deacon’s forehead furrowed with confusion. “Who the hell is Samantha?”
Before I could answer, Rev said, “You’re dating Marley’s girlfriend?”
Deacon chimed in with “The hang-around who got killed in Virginia?”
Making a time-out sign with my hands, I said, “Hold the fuck up. I’m not dating anyone. We’ve gotten to be really good friends, so I thought I would ask her to the party.” Turning to Rev, I said, “Yeah, it’s Marley’s girlfriend. You got a problem with that?”
Rev’s eyes widened in surprise. “No. But from your tone, I gotta wonder if you do.”
Groaning, I rubbed my hand over my face. “I’m such a fucking bastard to be scamming on my dead friend’s woman.”
“If you’re not dating her, then you’re not scamming. There’s nothing wrong with being friends with her,” Rev said diplomatically.
Deacon snorted. “Sorry, man, but there’s no way in hell Bishop is just friends with this chick.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Is that so?”
Deacon nodded. “I might not be your blood brother, but we have one thing in common. We are incapable of being friends with a woman.”
“I’m friends with Annabel and Alexandra,” I countered.
He rolled his eyes. “That’s different. They’re both taken. This Sam chick doesn’t have a man anymore, does she?”
“No.”
“Then you do want more with her,” Deacon said.
Rev and the others leaned forward in anticipation of my response. I sighed. “Fine. I do want more with her. And by more, I mean more than just fucking her.”
You could have heard a pin drop in the room after my declaration. Glancing around at my brothers, I demanded, “Jesus Christ, would you stop staring at me and say something!”
A huge grin spread on Deacon’s face. “I’ll be damned. Our little brother is all grown up now.”
When Rev nodded in agreement, a growl erupted from me. “Seriously? I’m twenty-fucking-five.”
“Maybe you’re that old in years, but until you’re ready to open yourself up to another person, then you’re just a kid,” Rev said.
“You two are full of shit.” I looked to Boone and Mac. “What about you?”
Boone smacked me on the back. “I gotta agree with them. Being a man ain’t about fucking every piece of ass that moves. A real man has opened his heart up at least once to be shredded by some bitch. Some of us luck out more than others and have the first woman we open up to be the only one for us. But then others have to suffer through heartache.” He winked at me. “Now it’s your turn.”
I furiously rubbed my face as I let their words sink in. “I’m so screwed,” I muttered.
“Yep. But don’t worry. It’s a good screwed,” Rev said.
After bringing my hands away from my face, I asked, “But what about Marley?”
“What about him?” Deacon questioned.
With a grunt, I said, “You can’t be such an unfeeling asshole that you wouldn’t have an issue dating one of your dead brothers’ girlfriends.”