The Biker's Fate Chapter 612

Cash

RATHER THAN HEADING back to the club, I made my way home.

Something our mother had instilled in all three of us kids was the importance of owning real estate. My parents had put aside money for each of us for down payments, and I'd used my portion to buy a duplex in downtown Portland. I lived in one side, Archer lived in the other side for now while he figured his shit out, and Daisy lived in our parents' condo down on Naito while she finished up school.

I pulled into my garage just as my phone buzzed, and I pulled it out to see Teagan calling. "Hey, give me a second. I just pulled in."

I set my helmet on my seat, closed my garage door, then headed inside, putting my phone on speaker. "Okay, I'm back. What's up?"

"I'm just stuck at home with nothing to do until you pick me up and take me to Hatch's."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm picking you up?"

"Um, yes?"

"When was I going to be informed of this detail?"

"I'm informing you now."

I sighed. "Teagan."

"Oh, I know you're not taking that tone of voice with me."

"Baby, I've got shit to do."

"Like picking me up and taking me to Hatch's for dinner," she sassed. "You are coming tonight, right?"

"Wasn't planning on it, no."

"Why the hell not?"

"I wasn't invited. Your dad's driving you."

"What do you mean you weren't invited?" she whispered into the phone.

"Just that, Turtle. My parents didn't mention us going over to Hatch's tonight. I'm pretty sure it's just you guys."

Hatch was the president of the Dogs of Fire MC, of which my brother and I were patched members. My father was the VP of said club, but if Hatch invited you to his home for dinner, you went. More importantly, if his woman, Maisie, invited you, you went.

"Well, shit."

I smiled. "You love Hatch and Maisie."

"I do. But I also thought you'd be there," she admitted. "So I was a little more excited about it."

"Can't, baby, got plans."

"What kind of plans?"

"Club plans."

"At the club?"

"Teagan," I warned.

She let out a quiet groan. "Fine. Whatever. Will you tell me about it after?"

"Probably not."

"You and I are going to have a really long conversation about expectations about our relationship going forward, Cash."

"Oh yeah? What kind of expectations, baby?"

"The kind where you tell me everything. None of this 'club business is none of yours' bullshit."

"You knew the deal, T. You've known the deal since you were born."

"I'm renegotiating."

"Nah, baby, the contract was binding."

"We'll see."

My doorbell pealed, and I checked my camera. "Gotta go, Archer's here."

"So, not entirely club related."

"Drop it, Teagan."

"Don't think I will, Cash."

"I'll text you later."

"You're being careful, right?"

I softened my tone and smiled. "Yeah, baby, I'm being careful."

"Okay, fine. Be gone with you."

"Bye."

I hung up and opened the door for my brother.

He gave me a chin lift. "You wanna take my truck so we're quieter?"

I nodded. "Might be a good idea."

We climbed into the cab, and I entered the address I'd secretly pulled from Teagan's phone.

Archer frowned. "Why the fuck are we goin' into Spiders' territory?"

The Gresham Spiders were a rival club and evil as hell.

"Remember how Teagan got caught by Mack with a fake ID?"

"Yeah," Archer said as we drove.

"This is the guy who sold it to her."

We pulled up to the Walnut Grove Apartments in the worst part of Gresham, reluctantly parking the truck on the street.

"I hope the truck's still here when we get back."

"Agreed," I grumbled.

"Have we been here before?" Archer asked.

"I don't think so," I said. "Why, does it look familiar?"

"I don't know. Walnut Grove… it's probably nothing." Archer frowned. "Why are we here again?"

"Tillie set it up, but I don't think she knew that the guy apparently upped the price unless she did other things in exchange."

"What the fuck?"

I scowled. "Yeah."

The truth of the matter was Tillie's 'guy' hadn't been around in a while so when Teagan went to get her ID, she saw some asshole who went by 'Hooks,' and he wasn't as honest.

"Maybe we should loop Train in," Archer said as we climbed out of the truck. "You know, being our Road Captain and all."

"This is off-books, Arch."

"Fuck," he breathed out. "Figured."

I nodded.

"Why do you care?" he asked.

"Just don't like the idea of some asshole fuckin' with our women," I lied.

Archer scoffed.

I glanced at him. "What?"

"You don't like the idea of some asshole fuckin' with Teagan." I opened my mouth to deny it, but my brother shook his head. "Don't bother, Cash. I've watched you watch her for the past two years."

"It hasn't been two years."

"It has been for her."

"Bullshit," I bit out.

"Jesus, brother, you're not really that blind, are you?" he challenged.

I dragged my hands down my face. The answer was, no, I was not that blind. And I'd fallen for her as well, but I sure as shit didn't like that my brother had figured it out.

"Who else knows about us, Archer?"

"I have no idea, it's not like I'm a regular viewer of the soap opera that is your life, but I can tell you who doesn't know and that's Mack. Because if he did, you'd be missing at least one limb."

Well, he was right about that.

I grunted quietly.

"You sure you wanna risk it?" he asked.

I scowled at him. "What the fuck's that supposed to mean?"

"For Teagan, man. She's not what you'd call low-maintenance."

"You shut your goddamned mouth," I snarled.

Archer smiled slowly and I realized I'd been 'had.'

"Just checking," he retorted.

"You're an asshole," I hissed.

"Yeah, but I'm your asshole."

"That's fuckin' gross, man," I snapped as we walked into the dilapidated building.

"You know what I mean."

I chuckled quietly. He was right. I did know what he meant, but I still liked to fuck with him. After finding the elevator out of order, we hoofed it up to the fourth floor, stopping as we arrived outside Hooks' door.

"So, what are we doing here?" Archer asked. "Good cop, bad cop? Which one am I?"

"Nah, I'm thinking bad cop, bad cop," I said, rapping my knuckles on the flimsy apartment door before sliding my thumb over the peephole.

"Yo, who is it man?" a reedy voice called out from behind the door.

"Housekeeping," Archer sang out, and I stomped the heel of my boot onto his toe.