Even though Hades split with his ex-wife a few years ago, it was still a tender subject. He didn’t like anyone sniffing around her. But it was only a matter of time before Jenny remarried. She was a beautiful, kind woman with a big, warm heart. Hades would have to get used to another man in his ex-wife’s life at some point.
“Are we playing for cash? Or bragging rights?” Hades asked.
“I thought you had to put two kids through college?”
He shrugged.
“They’re still young. I’ve got time. Besides, they’re smart like their mother. My Jenny went to college on a full-ride scholarship. I’m sure our kids will do the same. And you’re not Lila. I know I can beat you with my eyes closed.”
“Hey, if you want to trash talk, you better put your money where your mouth is, brother,” I said, holding up a twenty dollar bill.
“Fine by me.”
Hades matched my bet and the game began.
By the halfway mark, I was losing. Badly. There wasn’t much I could do to recover and my pride gradually withered. As I lined up my next shot, my phone rang in the pocket of my cut. I grumbled under my breath.
Club rules dictated that we were supposed to pick up our phones at any time, day or night. If a brother needed help, we dropped everything to back him up, no questions asked. The only exception to that rule was when we had a good reason to reject the call, like juggling kids, or spending the weekend away on a honeymoon.
My phone rang again.
“You better answer that,” Hades said.
I grabbed my phone and glanced at the screen to see Lila’s name. As the President’s daughter, she had the contact information for every member of the club, plus wives and girlfriends.
But if she had a choice, she would never dial my number.
“Miss me already, sweetheart?” I said with a smirk.
“It’s Dad,” she replied, her voice pinched.
My smile dropped. Prickles of dread spider-walked up my spine. Something was very, very wrong. Fearless, confident, bold Lila almost sounded…scared.
“He’s having chest pains,” she continued, fighting to stay calm and collected. “He can’t breathe either. I called an ambulance and I’m taking him to the hospital.”
My blood went icy cold.
There was a running joke in the Reckless Order that Hillbilly would outlive us all, remaining President for eternity. He would never die, never be replaced.
Logically, of course, we knew that was impossible.
But we couldn’t fathom what the club would be like without him. No one could fill his shoes.
I gestured to Hades, circling my finger in the air to wrap it up and move out.
“We’re on our way. We’ll meet you there in ten minutes.”
Chapter two
Lila
I paced the tiny waiting room in Juniper Creek Hospital, feeling sick to my stomach. During dinner, everything seemed perfectly normal. Dad was a little out of breath and flushed, but I never dreamed it would lead us to the ER.
Then he doubled over with a look of excruciating pain on his face. Clutching his chest with a wheeze.
He looked so…fragile. Vulnerable. Old.
During his Presidency with the Reckless Order, Dad had endured a range of injuries—broken bones, a few concussions, getting stabbed, getting shot. But he kept going. Nothing seemed to slow him down.