“That probably won’t work, bro,” Mattie said. “With porn sites and OnlyFans, you can see naked girls any time you please. The club would never earn money without the dancers ending up on their backs.”
“It might work,” Ryan insisted. “Instead of just run-of-the-mill strippers, high-class looking chicks might draw in big bucks.”
“We can ask Diesel,” Rory said with a shrug. “He loves strippers.”
“Dude loves pussy,” Ryan replied.
They all snickered. Mattie and Rebel giggled and whispered to each other. Harley looked both angry and devastated.
“Girls are touched and groped at every strip club Diesel mentions,” Rory said.
CJ nodded. “At the least. Most are required to at least perform lap dances. A lot of them supplement their income with prostitution.”
“The Bobs suck dick,” Ryan argued.
“True,” Devon said, “but it’s for the pleasure of the club members. How do we vet random motherfuckers coming in to watch girls strip?”
“Memberships?” Rebel supplied.
“Why don’t you go all out in debasing women and just suggest a members-only sex club?” Harley said coldly.
Rebel shrugged. “Idea has merit.”
“I wasn’t serious.”
“Then shut the fuck up and keep your sarcasm to yourself,” Rebel said. “Thisisserious, Harley. CJ is trying to work everything out to put us…them,” she huffed at the grumbles, “on a path to secure the club’s future.”
“Which is stupid,” Harley spat. “You’re all pretending to be members when you don’t even have bikes.”
“Harley, please shut the fuck up,” Rebel said. “Please? You’re working on my goddamn nerves. CJ invited you because he’s kind. The rest of us don’t give a fuck one way or the other if you fucking fall off the earth.”
“I—”
“Harls,” Mattie interrupted her quickly. “Uncle Christopher, Uncle Val, and Daddy are drawing CJ, Ryan, Devon, and my brother more into the club with each passing day. But there are other, younger members who aren’t going to be satisfied with the sons of the officers so easily stepping into their positions. They have to earn their places. To do that, they must have their own plans for the future that’s as strong, or stronger, than their fathers. They need to stand together and build their own allegiances so the club cancontinue to thrive.”
Additional side business that members could run might be a decent way to stop dissension and the potential for a coup. Currently, the club’s businesses centered on motorcycles, their trailer park, the tattoo shop, and the funeral home. They needed a more diversified portfolio.
“You’re just being CJ’s friend to hurt me, Ryan,” Harley accused.
CJ wasn’t touching that. He didn’t even care about Ryan’s smirk.
“We have a few years to fine tune the idea,” CJ said to his cousin. “Before we approach Dad and the other club members, we must have everything figured out. We’re both a year from eighteen and three or four years from earning our patch. Do you already have a location in mind? A budget?”
“I can create a report for you, Ryan,” Rebel volunteered. “I help Momma sometimes.”
Rule nodded toward the ceiling. “They are saying don’t trust Ryan.”
“Theyneed to shut the fuck up,” Rebel retorted.
Annoyance slid across Ryan’s face. “Never said it was for the Dwellers,” he bullshitted. With a straight fucking face. “I might do it on my own. Or patch into another club where I’ll be more valued.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re sensitive,” Rebel grumbled, rolling her eyes.
“We like your idea, Ryan,” CJ inserted before Rule had a chance to insult Rebel. “We all know youweretalking about the club.”
“You like my idea, but not me, huh, cuck?” Ryan demanded, the asshole in him unable not to show itself.
“Fuck off, Ryan,” CJ growled. “You had no intentions of being a part of the club if a word or two from Rule and Rebel changed your mind.”
