Page 23 of Clint & Ivy
CLINT
Ivy dropped into sleeprather quickly. Still sitting on Sutter’s bed, I considered her earlier attempts to speak to her uncle. The best thing would be for her to create a similar attachment to my family.
Leaving the bedroom, I remained anxious over today’s change in tempo. During my ride, I’d been on autopilot. My thoughts were centered on Boone’s freedom and Tricky’s growing club size.
Once I saw Ivy, I could only focus on keeping her happy with me. The more I learned about Ivy, the more I understood her overall situation. But everything remained new, and I wasn’t certain what she’d want in the morning.
At ten, I headed downstairs to the building’s enclosed courtyard, so Hanzee could do his business. Rock was already there with Boa.
“How’s your lady?” he asked in a mocking tone.
“Sleeping restfully.”
“Of course. She landed herself a big fish to feast off.”
I smirked at his taunt. Without a doubt, if our situations were flipped, I’d be telling him the same shit as he currently tossed in my direction. We weren’t romantic men longing for wives and children.
“Ivy liked watching Boa. If you ever go out of town and want to leave him with us, I bet she’d have a ball watching your dog.”
Rock nodded. “Give me time to adjust to this new lamer version of you.”
“Fine. So, rather than discuss my love life, let’s focus on Tricky’s rush to supersize his crew,” I said, glancing at the door leading inside where Tricky was likely settled in for the night.
“His new prospects all seem to be from Louisiana and tied through blood to the Black Rainbow Motorcycle Club,” Rock explained. “How is he even finding these fuckers?”
A year ago, Tricky swore he would never make an alliance with the Louisiana club. Yet, men from Baton Rouge were now vying to wear the LM Joker’s vest.
Rock asked, “Do you think the Jokers have made a secret alliance with the Black Rainbow club?”
“He’s got a bug up his ass about that club. These dipshits he’s patching in might be rejects from the Black Rainbow club.”
Frowning, Rock muttered, “Tricky isn’t as picky about the people he patches in as we are.”
“Yeah, because all the quality people joined our club. He’s stuck with the crappy leftovers.”
Rock nodded at my sensible words, yet his mind was on our childhood friend. “If Tricky wanted to remove us from the power structure, he’d need a big club.”
“Rock, what would happen if Tricky erased the Crimson Guard from existence?”
My practical question broke through Rock’s paranoia. “Our fathers would kill Tricky and send sympathy flowers to Joker and Amanda.”
“That’s why Tricky can’t pull big moves against us. Our families are too tied together.”
Rock gave me a nod, but he wasn’t satisfied with our talk. Sharing more wasn’t an option here in the courtyard when Tricky and a few LM Jokers members lived at the Five Points Lofts. Our old friends were known to eavesdrop.
Throwing Rock a bone, I pointed out, “The Black Rainbow club has been requesting a meeting with us ever since they got their new president. Maybe we need to shake things up and see what Zodiac Bondi has to say.”
“Joker didn’t trust them.”
“Sure, Ford even went bat-swinging-crazy on Zodiac once. There’s bad blood there. But we shouldn’t let the past dictate our choices now. If Zodiac is making a move here, avoiding him isn’t the answer. Maybe it’s time for us to play nice.”
“How nice are we talking about?”
