“Don’t be a dick.” I lean in and keep my voice low. “You’re in need of a new VP.”

“Aw, fuck,” he groans. “That asshole. He talked a good game when he wanted to sell you on something, but…”

Well, at least Sway isn’t taking the news too hard.

“What happened?” he asks.

“He’s been a problem for a while. First, the bullshit with the Vipers that got Teller shot.” I pause, not sure how much Sway will care about this next part. “I had an issue with how he was treating some of the girls. Not a way men who wear our patch should behave.”

A dark look crosses his face. Brief, but I catch it.

“What?”

“Serena?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I warned him before to leave her alone.” He shakes his head. “Pissed Tawny off because she assumed it meant I was fuckin’ her.”

“Were you?”

“Not in a long time.”

I barely restrain my eyeroll.

“Wasn’t just her though. I heard stuff from some of the other girls.”

Something like that wouldn’t be high on Sway’s priority list.

“You learn the most about a man’s character by watching how he treats people who can’t fight back.”

Sway stares at me.

“Men who don’t stand up for others aren’t fit to wear our patch.”

He dips his chin, acknowledging the sentiment, but not necessarily agreeing or disagreeing with it.

“Anyway, that’s not the worst of it. After that incident, he decided to go after my old lady.”

“Jesus Christ. You fuckin’ serious?”

“Dead.”

“She okay?”

“She’s fine. But he and I got into it.”

“As you’re allowed to do.”

I keep speaking as if he hadn’t interrupted. I don’t need Sway to assure me I did the right thing.

“Maybe he figured I’d still call a vote to strip his patch and he had nothing to lose, but he pulled a knife on me. Sliced up my leg pretty good.”

“What? Shadow?”

“Yup. I can show you the stitches if you need to see ‘em, but I gotta pull my pants down and that might look odd if any of the nurses walk in on us.”

“Sit down and keep your pants on, ya dick.”

I chuckle and ease back into one of the chairs.

“You end him right there?”

“No. I took it to the table. The votes to strip his patch was unanimous. We took the other vote after we…extracted some information from him. That one was unanimous too.”

He stares at me for a few seconds. “You didn’t have to put it to a vote.”

“Yes, I did. They didn’t vote me in, Sway. I was forced on them by Priest. I couldn’t make that call on my own.”

“Shit, brother.” He shakes his head. “Go on.”