Never by Blue Saffire
Chapter 44
Canary
Gutter
When I first got the text, I thought it was King wanting to chew my ass out about his sister acting strange again. In the last five months, we’ve had our fair share of ups and downs. It hasn’t been easy with Terry here as well.
Although, I thought we were in a good place until a few weeks ago. Sal has been clinging to Terry more, and the two seem to have their own secrets.
I’ve let a lot go by, but Sal flipped her shit on me at the reception. I still don’t understand what I did wrong. Hell, everything I do is to make her happy.
Including the new place I had built after spilling Hoover’s brains all over our living room. Salalia couldn’t stand to be there. With Spencer still out there, I didn’t want to take chances. We’ve been staying at the clubhouse until I found the perfect location.
I noticed King watching the entire scene Sal made. I had a feeling he was going to call me on it. Shit, it took a month, but King finally called in his pound of flesh from me. I let him beat my ass in the boxing ring at Axel’s gym.
However, tonight, when I arrive in the clubhouse basement, I’m surprised to find the entire Squad in the room. Cage standing with a stony look on his face and King looking like he’s going to explode as he glares at one of our prospects. Wax, I believe his name is, sits in a chair in the middle of the room.
“Good,” King hisses. “Now that your judge and jury are here, you can go on and finish singing.”
Wax looks around the room nervously. He then looks at his hands, before turning his eyes back up to King. He looks scared as fuck, but determination slips through and he pushes forward.
“A while back, my brother showed up on my doorstep. He had this big plan to take over the club and bring you guys down.” He licks his lips and shakes his head.
“I didn’t want to help him, but he guilted and manipulated me into it. Trixie has been helping him. She covers so I can snoop around.
“I… I didn’t know who Kodak was. I found the file, and I thought it would be a little something to shut Pop up for a while. I was sick to my stomach, when I found out I led him to Sal. She’s always been like a sister to me.” He looks green in the face.
I growl and take a step toward him. King places a hand on my chest to hold me back. I barely contain myself and stay put.
“You guys are my real family. Pop is a fucking lunatic. He’s going to get himself and everyone around him killed. At least, this way, I’m choosing my death and my family over some crazy-ass vendetta.
“He has fucked everything up.
“Cage, you were good to me when I was a little shit. Then, King stepped in where you left off. I’ll tell you everything I know and then I’ll take my death like a man. I just won’t let Pop hurt my family, I can’t do this anymore,” Wax finishes, dropping his eyes to his lap.
“You’re still a little shit,” Cage grumbles.
“He’s telling the truth,” Vault informs the room. Vault is an expert at reading people. It’s what he does for King.
“Finally,” Reap chirps. “It was getting way too fucking quiet around here.”
“Thought it was just me,” Diggs mutters.
“Well, if you're gonna tell us everything, start talking, ” King says.
“Pop is in big trouble. He was supposed to deliver the Lost Souls operational system to Castro. He thought kidnapping Kodak would deliver that information, now Castro is calling in the debt and pop has nothing to show. He's getting desperate and desperate people make mistakes. He's been contacting those weird guys that are obsessed with Sal.
“What guys?” King snarls.
“The two that are stalking her. We've been watching them as they watch her. He reached out to that guy that's looking for his boyfriend. Somehow, Pop thought all these people were going to help him get square with Castro. It's a death trap, I tell you, they're all gonna get us killed.”
I shake my head. Never a dull moment. Never.
“Everyone head back to the wedding and act as if nothing is going on,” King commands. “We’ll move on this when the wedding is over.”
We all file out and do as he says. I'm left with a sinking feeling in my gut. Why has this kid chosen today to sing like a Canary? If you ask me, it's all too convenient.