Mad Dog (Angel’s Rebellion MC: #2) (Angel's Rebellion MC), стр. 74

He didn't want her freaking out and if he was helping her at all, he said he'd like to continue doing so. I told him I was grateful to him for helping her, but double checked with Karma to make sure he was okay with it. His response had been if Jace didn't mind staying with her, he didn't have a problem with it, especially since Zoey seemed to be uncomfortable with anyone else right now.

Karma had his hands full with his son. Noah still felt like it was all his fault, so Karma was at Cueball and Lillie's house trying to get him to settle down. Both those kids needed counseling thanks to fucking Jade. We needed to find the bitch.

I sent Axel and Streak to her house when Brick and Creed took over their prospect duties. They came back and said it looked like Jade had been back but left. Said drawers from her room were empty and half her closet was missing clothes.

So now the bitch was in the wind. Just fucking great. And no one had seen hide nor hair of Chloe since she left after the barbecue. She wouldn’t pick up when Karma called her, so not sure what to think about that at all. Did Jade take off to where Chloe had disappeared to? Something else for us to have to figure out.

As I listened to Ranger and the guys chatting, my damn stomach rumbled. I felt like I hadn't had a good meal in days, it had been this hit and miss shit and I wasn't a small man. I needed my food, dammit.

“Hungry, are you?” Ava asked as she nuzzled my neck.

“I'm fucking starving. I'm getting ready to either eat the sole off my damn boot or fix myself a few PB & Js. I need food,” I growled. Yeah, I tended to be a little cranky when I was fucking hungry.

Ava popped up off my lap, leaned over for a quick kiss and headed toward the kitchen.

“You don't have to do that,” I said loudly behind her.

She just waved her hand backwards at me and never turned around. The docs came in from the stairway having been to check on Zoey again, they saw Ava going toward the kitchen and followed her. The damn club girls should be in there cooking, but apparently most of them were being kept busy, because besides Creed who was behind the bar, it was only Ranger, Casper, Ghost and me in the Great Room.

I sighed. I knew it would be like this for the first couple of weeks or so. For the time being, the men would act like raving madmen at the chance to be with new women.

I sat back and studied Casper and Ghost. I was going to do what Shadow had asked, but I needed to make sure that they understood what they were about to be in for. As they caught me intently studying them, both men became quiet.

“Have you guys truly thought about what is involved prospecting? You have to do anything a Brother tells you. It can be anything from detailing bikes, cleaning restrooms, cleaning puke up off the floor, to guarding Old Ladies, running for groceries, stocking the bar, in general, grunt work.

“Do you truly understand what it's going to mean for you? Because you are both men who've seen serious action and are used to being treated with respect and dignity, not saying you won't be treated with that here, but being a prospect can be humbling and sometimes downright humiliating.

“Going to be honest with you here. I've talked to Shadow, I know you were Delta and on his team. While he hasn't told me what happened, something did, and I don't want you to be here thinking this will be a way of coping with the shit you must have encountered.

“Not saying we won’t have your back, just saying you need help, gotta ask. No way we can tell if you’re sinking until we get to know you better. I don’t want that happening here, don’t want you to get that far. But we can only do as much as you’re willing to let us do.”

I watched as the two men looked at each other, silently communicating between themselves.

Ghost spoke up, “I didn't know anyone knew Shadow's name outside his team.”

I smiled at Ghost, “Who do you think gave him that name? From the time Matt was big enough to walk, he followed every footstep I took. One day I told him that it felt like he was my fucking shadow, and ergo, Shadow he became known as. But he didn't start using Shadow outside of here until he became the leader of the special unit you were in. So, yeah, we know who Shadow is. Did the fucker even tell you that I'm his older brother?”

“No, he didn't tell us you’re his brother and I don't think either of us knew that he had his handle before he went into the military,” Casper muttered and looked at Ghost for confirmation.

Ghost shook his head.

“Damn, I didn't know that,” Ghost stated.

“I knew, but then again, I grew up with him,” uttered Ranger.

“Probably a lot you guys don't know about him, hell, there is shit I don't know about him. He is a closed mouth motherfucker for sure. I know he can't talk about what he does now, but even as a kid, he kept his mouth shut. He's one of the most intense men I've ever come across for sure.”

Ghost sighed heavily, “Permission to speak frank, sir?”

I laughed, “One thing both of you are gonna have to learn is that you are no longer in the military. There's no reason to call me sir, when you say that shit, I start looking for Sarge, our dad. Not saying you don't respect my position, you do, just that you don't have to worry about being able to speak