Chapter 55

                                    

                                          
Nitro
Two hours later, Steven is still not talking. I am fucking pissed and completely ready to end his miserable life. Lawman has given me Stevens kill shot with his acceptance of her being my old lady, so I'm free to kill him anytime I fucking want to. But the club needs answers. We need to know what the fuck he was stealing.
He's either going to answer questions or I'm going to torture him to death like I originally planned and to hell with the questions. He's going to pay for what he did to her, and him thinking he can demand to see her. This arrogant motherfucker has balls and I'm about to burn the fuckers off.  I reach for the blowtorch, grinning. 
"He's not going to talk, man." Tank says as he and Butch step in front of me as I turn away from the equipment table with the blowtorch in my hand. 
"I'm with Tank, I don't think it's going to happen this time, Nitro." Butch says crossing his arms over his chest. Butch is slightly smaller than Tank and me in size but still a scary motherfucker. 
"He knows he's a dead man. It's either us or the cartel. He says he'll talk if he sees her. As a ranked member, I think we take this to prez and let him decide." Snake says as he comes up beside Tank. Great, they're definitely not going to let me burn his balls off. Now I'm really pissed. 
"As my old lady, I say she doesn't see him." I get in Snake's face ready to fight him if he pushes me further. I've never went up against any of the guys but I'm ready to fucking fight them if they think I'm going to let Lily be pushed into seeing this motherfucker. 
"I know you're pissed man and I'd let you kill him; I swear I would. But we have a chance at getting him to talk. We owe it to Lily to tell her. She would want that. Let her decide man." Tank says and I wonder if he's right. Fuck. 
"If it helps, Nitro, after the waterboarding, I'm not sure how much he can take. The next blow, whatever it is, could be his last." Texas offers as he walks away from Steven to stand with us. 
Fuck, this was not going the way I wanted it to. We needed to find out about the cartel, and I refused to let him see her. Fuck, as the Sergeant-at-Arms what the fuck am I supposed to do?
Shoving the blowtorch into Butch's hands, I turn around making my way towards the door of the shed. I step out, letting the door slam shut behind me. I stop a few steps outside the door and look up at the clubhouse, the roofline visible from here. 
This is what Lawman, and I were talking about. He didn't come out and ask me, but from what he was saying, he wondered where my loyalties would lie. With Lily or the club. Here's my first decision as Lily's old man, and as the Sergeant-At-Arms, and I choose Lily. It will always be Lily. I fucking love her more than the club. 
"You alright, man" Spike asks as he steps beside me. I guess I was so pissed and in my own thoughts that I didn't notice Spike follow me out here. 
"I can't let him see her. You know what he's done to her, Spike. She might seem fine, but she isn't." I glance at him, trying to control my rage. I stare back up at the clubhouse recalling the way she cried wrapped in my arms in the shower when I told her Steven was planning on kidnapping her. 
"I know, but isn't that the same with all of us?" Spike says. Fuck, he has a point. We all have demons we try to hide from others. The thing was, I knew Lily's and I wanted to protect her from them. 
"Yeah, I get it. We all have demons, but she has me to protect her from hers now." I glance over at him. It's my place to protect her and to keep her safe. 
"You have to protect the club too, Nitro. She might be our only shot to get Steven to talk. Besides, she wants to help." Spike says and I wonder again if him and Tank are right. Fuck, I know they are. 
Lily wants to help end this bullshit with Steven but the pain it would cause isn't worth it. I know I have to think of my patch as well as Lily. Fuck. I've been loyal to the Wolves since I was a kid, I was raised in it. I've known Lily for a week, and I'd give the club up if it meant protecting her. 
"I know she does, but it will hurt her too much. I have to protect her. I know my loyalty to her and to the club and my loyalty to her will always win. I fucking love her, Spike." I look at him as I confess and he simply grins. 
"I respect that, Nitro. I don't have an old lady. I have no fucking idea what you're going through. I do know, that if I were lucky enough to have a woman like Lily, I'd choose her too if it came down to it. I only want you to remember the consequences but know whatever you decide in church, I will back you." He says squeezing my shoulder before releasing it. 
I've grown up with Spike. He and Tank are like brothers to me, more than just club brothers. Spike is the one that helps me talk through shit like this. 
"Thanks, man" I say to him as the others pile out of the shed. 
"Let's get this shit over with." I tell them as we head back to the clubhouse. I know Bruce will want Lily to talk to Steven and I knew what my answer will be. I'm not so sure if Lily will agree with me, or if she'll be mad at me for making this decision without her, but it's the best decision to protect her. 
When we enter the clubhouse, Spike, Snake and I go straight for Bruce who's seated at a table with two other patched members, eating a burger. I nod at him as he looks up at me. 
"Church" Bruce yells and grabs his plate before heading into the church room. We follow behind him and take our seats at the table. I lean back and watch as the club's ranked leaders pile in one by one with Coins being the last, shutting the door behind him. 
"What happened?" Bruce asks taking a bite of his burger and turning to face me. 
"He refused to talk so we waterboarded him. His vitals are weak, and he is still refusing to talk unless he sees Lily." I watch as Bruce wipes his mouth before taking another bite of his burger. 
"No fucking way" Lawman demands glancing in anger from me to Bruce as he leans over the table. 
"As Lily is my old lady, there's no fucking way she talks to him." I nod at Lawman and glance at Bruce making my position known. The voices of Lawman, Pops and Spike say "aye" in agreeance with me. 
Bruce glances at all of us, wipes his mouth with his napkin and throws it on his plate pushing it away from him. 
"You're right, she is your old lady, Nitro. And the club is also at risk." Bruce turns to face me as he reminds me sternly of my loyalty to the Wolves. 
"The club will have to find another way." I stand my ground cocking an eyebrow at him.  
"There isn't another way. If Steven is a traitor, just the cash may not be enough to satiate a cartel boss. Steven can't withstand any more torture. We need to get ahead of this before they get to us first. This club needs answers and Lily is our best chance of getting those." Bruce tells me, his voice stern and I know this is about to get bad. 
"I understand where the club lies, but I will not bring her anymore harm. If that means telling the club no, then I will pay the consequences." I make my stand. It is Lily over the club. 
"Nitro, I hear you but she has tried to stop this once on her own already. All the club is asking is to talk to her and see where she stands. If your answer is still no, the club will accept it. All in agreeance?" Bruce asks the table for a vote. 
There are four ayes – Bruce, Snake, Coins and Eagle and four no's – me, Lawman, Pops and Spike. Bruce being the president, means the ayes have it. The table gets to at least talk to Lily. Fuck. 
"Good, call her down here." Bruce nods to me and I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial Army's number.