Page 57 of Property of Yak

“Now that the invader is here, tell me why the hell I had to go get him,” Aragon demands.

My brother shoots him a look that would scare others half to death.

“Because I’m your president, and I fucking told you to. I’m the one in charge around here, and it’s best you remember that,” Yooper says darkly.

Aragon’s teeth clench. “This is a closed meeting for officers, and he’s not one.”

Yooper nods. “You’re right, but what I have to discuss involves him. If you stop fighting me for five seconds, I’ll explain.”

Goose and Canuck shift uncomfortably in their seats as Keener looks down at his lap.

“Let him speak,” Yukon rumbles, glaring at Aragon.

Aragon smartly keeps his mouth shut, and I watch as my brother takes a deep breath.

“Now that we’ve gotten that all out of the way, we have something to discuss. Today we have a large shipment of firearms coming in. As you are all aware, the cops have been on us. None of the runs recently have gone smoothly like they used to.”

“It’s like they are fucking watching,” Yukon says under his breath.

Yooper nods. “Exactly. Something is up, and I don’t like it, which is why we are switching things up today.”

“How so? Do we need to come up with another route?” Goose, the road captain, asks.

Yooper shakes his head slowly. “We are switching things up, and Yak is going to take lead. Take a team that he hand picks with him.”

“Absolutely fucking not,” Aragon snaps, slamming his fist on the table. “You know I take lead on the runs.”

“Exactly. Which means you have a fucking target on your back. Someone’s watching you, and it’s causing problems,” Yooper shoots back.

“This is bullshit, Yooper. Yak’s a goddamn interloper. He’s not one of us. He has no business being lead on a run,” Aragon protests.

“That ‘interloper,’ as you called him, is my brother, and it’s time you start to remember that. I trust him, and that should be enough for you. For all of you,” he says, looking around his council.

Some of them look away while some nod in understanding.

“I’m calling this to a vote. You’ve let your relationship with him cloud your judgment,” Aragon says, making the temperature in the room drop.

“Is that right?” Yooper asks coolly as he leans back in his chair.

Aragon nods.

“All right then, who here is against Yak, my brother, taking lead on this run?” Yooper asks.

The only one who raises their hand is Aragon. When he sees no one joins him, he glares at those around the table.

“Traitors. All of you,” he grumbles.

“There you have it. Yak is taking point on this one,” Yooper says.

My heart races.

I knew this was coming, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting.

“Then I’m going with, to supervise,” Aragon hisses.

Yooper starts shaking his head before he can finish. “No, I told you that you were sitting this one out. Besides, I have something else for you to handle that we will talk about in private. Now does anyone else have anything to say about this?”

Men shake their heads and keep their mouths shut, which surprises me.