Adversaries by T.L. Hodel

Asmall bell rang out as I opened the door to the dinner. Mannix and I weren’t typically the kind of guys you’d see in a fifties-style diner, but this one happened to be owned by his sister.

So, most people only gave a small glance. The few that were gawking at us like a bunch of lookie-loos were either tourists or new customers.

“Little brother,” Fiona’s face lit up, “I wasn’t expecting to see you today.”

Mannix let out a breath and grumbled, “I hate it when she calls me that.”

I gave him a nod. Being a little brother myself, I understood where he was coming from. I don’t think any younger siblings liked having their little status pointed out. It was as if our older brother or sister was saying, I was here first.

Fiona swept her hands on her apron and waved at two empty stools, “Have a seat.”

The age difference between Mannix and his sister was an obvious one. The lines in his face came from the grumpy expression he wore, whereas hers were from age. Fiona was fifteen when Mannix came along.

That didn’t mean his parents were any less capable. Unlike most of the guys in the club, Mannix had an ideal childhood. Loving parents, little league, and a date to prom.

Why he decided to join up with us, I never understood. Then again, I guess we all had our secrets. Though I suspected this had to do with Janey. The girl he met one summer and never talked to again.

“What can I get you guys?”

I gave his sister a smile, “One of your fabulous burgers and a vanilla shake would be great, Fee.”

“Sure thing. “ She returned my smile and skipped off to the kitchen, not waiting to hear what her brother wanted, which deepened Mannix’s already sour mood.

Couldn’t blame the guy. Normally, newer members were sent out on the drug trafficking jobs, but we’d had a few problems with this particular dealer. Meaning, founding members should be the ones to pay him a visit this time. Mannix and I were volunteered for the job. Fucking Beast.

I had no doubt that this was all his wife’s doing. Jaz had been trying to sneak a peek at Naomi, and I wouldn’t let her.

“Stay the fuck away from her,” were my exact words.

Jaz liked to talk, and I didn’t need that princess knowing anything about me other than where to bend over–I liked spanking her–when to shut up, and when to sit the fuck down.

I was deep into my burger when Mannix’s mood shifted. His entire face went hard as he dropped his fork and slid off the stool. All it took for me to understand was one glance over my shoulder. Three men sporting skull and cross bone patches waltzed in.

My eyes zeroed in on one in particular. The scar across his cheek caused my fists to ball up. Harris. The motherfucker that shot me eight years ago. Once upon a time, he was my old man’s confidant.

Now he was my brother’s. Scum is what he was. He didn’t just abandon his brothers. He stabbed them in the back. It was Harris that killed the Lost Soul members who refused to patch over. I knew this because Beast’s little brother was one of them.

I rose from the stool and instinctively went for my gun. Mannix shot me a look and shook his head, which made me stop. This was his sister’s place, and unlike the Reapers, we respected family.

Harris’s eyes lit up when they landed on me. “Well, who do we have here?”

“Don’t fuck with me, Harris.” The only reason this prick would be here was if he knew I was. “How long have you had your boys watching the place?”

“Can you blame me? It’s not every day I get to see someone rise from the dead.”

“Guess you’re losing your touch.”

“You too. I thought for sure you’d find that bomb. Told your brother to strap it to your hog.” He tipped his head and smirked. “Then again, I guess you can’t take a baby on a bike.”

This motherfucker!

Rage poured me like lava. Lighting up my senses to the point that I didn’t give a fuck about the innocent bystanders watching from their tables, that is until I heard another voice. One I hadn’t heard in eight years.

“Should’ve never had a baby in the first place.”

Jax.

“I told you, you’d get her killed.” My brother’s dark gaze locked with mine from across the dinner. “Should’ve listened.”

I couldn’t see anything but him and that serious line in his brow. The last time I saw him, he wore that look…

8 years ago:

“If it isn’t the prodigal son.”

I shoved Beast, “Fuck off.”

Fucker knew I hated that shit. It was the older members' way of poking fun at my old man. My teenage years weren’t as kind to me as my brother. Jax was always a tough motherfucker. Built like a brick house with a smile that could charm any girl out of her panties. When kids at school talked about the badass Mathers brothers, they weren’t referring to me. The biggest fight I had through puberty was with acne.

Beast slapped his hand on my shoulder, “How’s your bitch doing?”

“Don’t call her that,” I growled, slapping his big mitt off me before shooting him a smirk. “She’s doing great.”

At seven months pregnant, Sam was constantly smiling. I must’ve lucked out in the wife department because mine didn’t have any of the bitchy symptoms I’d heard guys complain about. My Sam was as big as a whale and even more perfect than the day I met her.

“Look at the smile on this motherfucker,” Harris sauntered up and pinched my cheeks. “Little Chasey-Wasey is gonna have his own pipsqueak.”

I ripped my face out of his grip and snorted. “Prick.”

Why my old man kept him around was beyond me. If old ladies were allowed in the clubhouse, he would be the reason I didn’t bring Sam. The sweet butts came to my old man on more than one occasion, complaining about Harris’s happy hands. Hence his road name. Happy Harris.

“Hey, Chase.”

I frowned at the look on Kickstand’s face. He was one of the older members who got his name from the fact that no one wanted to park beside him. His hog was always the first to fall. He was also my old man’s best friend.

“How’s he doing?”

Everyone standing around me in the clubhouse dropped their gaze. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Not good.” Kickstand nodded at the door leading to my old man’s office. “Jax is already here.”

I’d never been more scared to walk into a room in my life. My old man had been diagnosed with lung cancer three years ago. The doctors gave him six months to live, and we thought he beat it.

Three months ago, we were proven wrong. His health degraded quick. He lost weight, could barely walk, and needed an oxygen tank to breathe.

The shell of a person who was left wasn’t anything close to the man who raised me. I hated seeing him like that, but Sam was right. He needed to be surrounded by his loved ones. Jax took it harder than I did.

My brother wasn’t around much. I couldn’t blame him, though. They’d always been close. Closer than I had been with him. It had to be hard on my brother.

My heart dropped when I stepped into the room and saw all the medical equipment. Even with his failing health, my old man refused to abandon the club. So we turned his office into a room for him. Even found a nurse that didn’t mind coming out here to take care of him.

“Hey, dad…” I stopped when Jax looked up at me and shook his head.

A tear rolled down my brother’s cheek and fell to the floor, splattering into a fat wet spot. For half a second, I panicked, thinking I was too late, but my old man rolled his gaunt face my way and smiled.

“Chase,” he called out in a weak tone, “come here, my son.”

I held the tears back as I walked over and slowly took the chair next to my brother. “Hey, dad.”

I wanted to tell him he looked good, that everything would be okay, and he’d beat this. But the defeat in his eyes told me he already accepted his fate.

“My boys,” His gaze shifted between my brother and I, “my time in this world is almost up.”

“Don’t say that,” Jax growled. “You’ll beat this.”

Our old man smiled and lifted his arm to tap my brother’s cheek. “You can’t go on hating the world, Cory. You need to let me go and find something that makes you happy, son.”

My brother dropped down and hugged my old man, clinging to him like he used to do when we were kids. It broke my heart to see him like this. I wanted to protect him from this pain like he protected me on in the schoolyard. But I couldn’t.

Death was something no one could fight, just survive the aftermath. So, I did what I could and placed my hand on my brother’s back so he’d know he wasn’t alone.

“I’ll take care of the club, Dad,” Jax cried into his chest, “I promise.”

“No.” Our father gazed down at my brother’s head. “Your brother will do that. I need you to guide him.”

“What!?” We both called out in unison.

That wasthe last time I saw my brother. He got up and stormed out. By the time our father had left this world, he was gone along with Harris and a few other members.

“Leave, Jax.” Mannix must’ve sensed my need to lunge at him because he flattened his palm on my chest. “Now.”

Jax smiled and walked across the room, taking his time to eye up every person watching us.

“Why would I do that?” He paused at a table occupied by three college-aged girls, and snatched a fry off one of their plates. “Family reunions are all the rage.”

I glared at his mouth as he chewed the stolen food and prayed with all my might that he would choke.

Once he swallowed, he gave the girls a shrug. “Guess my brother doesn’t agree.”

“You leave my customers alone, Cory Mathers.” Fiona appeared from the back, waving a rolling pin.

“Hey, Fee,” Harris perked up, “Still got some spunk, I see.”

Mannix grumbled under his breath. His sister didn’t need protection, though.

“You take that smile out of my dinner, Harris,” Fiona pointed the rolling pin at him, “or I’ll shove this rolling pin up your ass.”

Jax narrowed his gaze on Fee. “You should watch your sister Mannix. I’d hate to see her wind up in a bad situation.”

“You should leave,” my growled warning wasn’t an empty threat. I would shoot him in the head right here while everyone watched.

“And you should’ve stayed dead.” His eyes met mine as the room went quiet. “You have something I want, little brother. Let her go.”

So, Jax knew I had the princess. It was my turn to smile. “Let who go?”

If I didn’t know better, I’d say Jax was worried. Why?

“Careful, Chase. Bad things happen to pretty little things all the time.” Jax spun around and headed for the door. “Just ask the girls at Pi kappa.”

I crossed my arms and leaned against the counter as my brother and his men left. Harris paused halfway out the door to give us a smile and wink.

Prick.

“Son of a bitch,” Mannix muttered, “Did Jax just threaten a sorority house?”

“I think so.”

Was I surprised? A little. After everything I’d seen my brother’s men do, I still hoped the man I thought he was, was still in there.

That didn’t mean I’d underestimate him. Empty threats weren’t Jax thing. Which meant the girls at Pi Kappa were in real danger.

“What are we gonna do?” Mannix asked.

“We have church in a couple days. In the meantime, we’ll have someone keep watch over the place.”

Mannix cocked a brow at me. “What about that bitch?”

I assumed he meant Naomi. The term bitch was made for that girl. “Don’t worry about her.”

“Uh-huh?” His tongue clicked off the roof of his mouth. “How long’s it been since you’ve seen your brother?”

I got where he was coming from. Jax hadn’t so much as said boo since I reappeared nine months ago. Kind of convenient that he came out the day after I took her.

Whatever he was worried about had nothing to do with her daddy, otherwise, Clive Prescott would already be dead. The only question was, what did Naomi know, and did she know she knew it?

Mannix crossed his arms and looked right at me. “We need to know what’s going on in that town.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” I slapped my hand on his back and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m on it.”

“Are you?”

Fuck yeah, I was. The doctor called to give me the go-ahead this morning. So, I was about to be all up in that shit. Torturing the information out of a woman, even one like Naomi, wasn’t something I wanted to do. Ever.

I would if I had to–it wasn’t just her life on the line anymore. There were other girls in that sorority house, but there were also other ways to break her, ways that would get me off instead of turn my stomach.

It was time to teach that little bitch, who her master was.