“Listen to me. I’m in and out. I’m not even going to say her name because she doesn’t matter.” I banded my hand around her nape and brought our faces close together. “This is about Ryatt. Kane runs with Kings.”
Her lip trembled as she nodded.
“Baby, I’ll find him.”
“I need to go, too,” she whispered. “Don’t make me stay. I can’t sit around here and do nothing.”
“See if you can access your phone on the cloud. If he’s on wi-fi we might be able to get a location.” A long shot and one I doubted would work, but it would make her feel like she was helping.
“The phone is old. I already tried.”
“You’re going to need motivation,” Dozer said to me.
“Jazzy has the keys to the weapons locker,” Romeo said. “You can’t ask her for a gun, or she’ll want in on the fight.”
“She isn’t here.” He pulled his keys from his pocket. “EnforcerandSaA have keys.” He smiled. “I’ll be right back.” He headed into the MC, leaving Romeo with me and McKelle.
“What are we rolling into, Cruz?” Romeo leaned against the bricks of the old church.
“Not we. Just me. You and Dozer don’t want in on this.”
Romeo flipped his hair from his eyes and smiled. “I’m pretty sure we do.”
“Hellers can’t walk into a King’s trap house.” I shrugged out of my cut and handed it to McKelle. “This one is on me.”
Her eyes widened. I’d said nothing was more important than the patch, but I was wrong. She was, and when I thought of anything happening to Ryatt, my gut clenched, and a hot flare of regret burned in my chest.
I understood why McKelle had become attached. I could feel him sinking his claws into me, too.
I put an inch of space between us and whispered so only she could hear. “I’ll explain everything later, but Ryatt is in trouble because of me.”
Kings wanted Ryatt because their guys were hit hard in a sting. That night was wild. Blue found Kiss—high as fuck—at Kane’s crib. I was there. Blue was there. Fuck, even Kiss was there. But not Ryatt. He was taking heat for something Blue and I had done.
One of the King’s dealers was dead, found in a bathtub. I knew because that’s where Blue and I left him. Blue’d warned Sam what would happen if he ever stuck another needle in Kiss’s arm. Sam didn’t listen.
“Stay here. Stay where I know you’re safe.”
Dozer came around the side of the building. “My dad said you need this for work.” Dozer ejected the loaded magazine. “Small, good beginner weapon. Safety is on.” He handed it to me. “Dad said he’ll take you out later to practice.”
I curled my fingers around the butt of the gun. “Doze, I’ve never fired a gun.”
Perhaps because my dickhead of a stepdad enjoyed taunting me with his. Back then, if I’d had one, I would’ve used it.
“If it’s between you and a gang banging King. Safety off, aim, and pull the trigger. Never touch the bullets without gloves. The gun is altered and unregistered. The only way you go down is if you’re caught with it, standing over a dead body. So, don’t be stupid.”
McKelle pressed her trembling fingers to her lips. “Don’t go alone.”
“He won’t be alone,” Dozer said.
I held her hand as we walked around the building. “Promise me you’ll wait here.”
“If you promise to find him.”
“Fuck, Micki, I’m not coming back without something. Kane knows Kings. I’ll get names.” I couldn’t promise anything more because I wasn’t going to break my word to her ever again.
Chapter Nine
Ryatt
