Strong

Chapter 24

POV Ace

I smirked as I watched my love look around uncomfortably. I knew that she didn't like this situation. She didn't like being in charge and she really didn't like being the only one speaking but this was the way it had to be. I had to see how she would approach this. I knew that this plan had come from her. How could it not? She didn't want to harm us and this was a perfect way to stop that.

Not that I didn't believe her and Nat about the Ravens. Once they revealed that, everything fell into place. How we couldn't get ahead for so long. How everything was easier once Nat was gone. How the Ravens always seemed on edge around us. How Nat's father acted around us sometimes. I stared at Petal. Margo was right, in a way, they helped us. I'm sure that wasn't their intention at the time but if they had never taken Nat, we wouldn't be as strong as were now.

"Thom or as you know him, Rancid, sent Nat to Shooter under the instructions to send him any information about the way the Lost Boys were making money. He was trying to kill y'all off from the inside and it was working. You were losing what? Half your shipments on a regular basis?" Petal asked and I nodded.

"After Nat left, all that changed right?" she added and again I nodded.

"He couldn't get as much information then. Y'all grew and became more powerful. You have too many resources and allies for him to try to kill you off that way now. So he's trying a different approach. He's going to pick you off as you fight us. When your weakened by us. He means to destroy you. He want's to end all of the Lost Boys MC." She explained.

"What about the Rebels and the Saints? Why did he attack you?" Viper spoke up next to me.

I saw Petal glance at him with confusion. I knew that she didn't know who to trust. She didn't understand what was happening all around her. We did though. We now knew that she was misled. It was our fault really. We should have been closer to her. We should have seen what her grandmother and later my sister were doing. What lies they were feeding her. She had no one else to turn to at the time. That would all change now.

"We're not sure other than, he must know that Nat is with us. He thinks that she's a traitor to him so he wants to take us out to get to her." Petal replied.

"Maybe you should give her to him. It would keep you safe. He would leave you alone then." Shooter spoke up.

Petal gasped and then glared, "We would never! Nat is a part of my family. She's my sister!"

"She's brought you into danger. You aren't safe with her." Shooter added.

"It's no different than bring up a child in an MC. At least she fights beside me and helps me. Y'all put us into a dangerous MC with no training and no help." Margo spoke up.

"YOU WERE PROTECTED!!! YOU WERE SAFE!!!" our father yelled.

"Our mother's were slaughtered! We were attacked by a member in our own room! No one is safe there!" Margo screamed back.

"Let's all calm down. This isn't getting us anywhere. That's the past and we can't change that. We need to concentrate on what's happening now. " Petal spoke up as she shot a glare at my father. My Dad opened his mouth to snap at her but her Dad spoke up first.

"Let me guess, you want us to work together against the Ravens."

Petal nodded along with a few others.

"That's the only thing that make sense. That's the only way we can survive this. The Raven's are big. They have many allies and many of those allies are also yours or ours. They will divide our allies at worst, at best they will force most allies to sit this war out. They won't want to choose. Plus the Raven's fight dirty. They will use blackmail and threats to get more clubs and gangs on their side. That on top of fighting each other with kill the Rebels, the Saints MC AND the Lost Boys MC all in one war.  Rancid will get what his brother started." Petal explained.

"Even if we did believe you, how could we trust each other enough to work together? You hate us. We've already been attacked by you. We're just supposed to what? Let that go? You're Brother is going to walk with a limp for the rest of his life because of you. You took our wives and children. You destroyed countless thousands worth of buildings and products. We can't overlook all that. We would look weak." Her Father retorted.

Petal shook her head and shrugged.

"Goddess forbid you look weak..." she scoffed.

"It's either this or you all die. Pride or death?" she added.

It was silent for a moment before she spoke again.

"We're not proposing that we let everything from the past go. I agree that's impossible. You ruined my childhood which I could forgive but you also ruined Margo's and you hurt Nat and your actions killed our mothers and grandmothers. We could never let that be water under the bridge. We're suggesting that we put all that on time out. Until we kill off Rancid and the Raven's. Once that threat is gone, we can go back to our war." she explained.

 I smirked and looked at Viper who nodded back. We could agree to that... or at least let Petal think that we were agreeing to that. In the meantime, we would find out all their weaknesses and build trust with Petal. Then, when the time was right, we would end them and take back my Queen.

I looked over to Shooter and then to our fathers, all who nodded slightly.

"Fine, baby. We'll do this your way. Where do we start?" I agreed.

She glaced at me with a weary look and I smiled back. She glanced over to Margo and then back at me.

"Ok, let's plan." she sighed.

I bit my lip as I stared at her. Anything that brought me closer to her was something I couldn't and wouldn't ever say no to.