I helped the ladies load their bags into my Camry and saw them off before donning my requested costume, throwing sweats over the top of it, and heading out in the Audi I’d used my Titus Blackoak alias to rent earlier that day. I was heading to the home of a notorious one-percenter, so I made sure nothing could lead him back to me or my family.
As I drove toward south Seattle, I thought about the meeting I’d had with Link yesterday.
After the officer’s meeting was over, Link led me back to his office and closed the door behind me. Like always, I scanned the space for bugs, paying close attention to his phone and desk.
“You’re not gonna find shit,” Link assured me. “Nobody’s gonna bug my office.”
He had the same objection every time I met with him, but Link didn’t know that someonehadonce bugged his office: Me. I’d needed to know what sort of man I was attaching myself to before I joined the club. And if I bugged his office, other people could as well.
People who underestimated their enemies ended up in a pine box.
Shrugging my president’s reassurances off, I sat on the sofa in front of his desk and made myself comfortable. “I have a job tomorrow at Buzz’s house.”
He stared at me. “Buzz as in the crazy motherfucker from the Serpents? The VP?”
“The one and only.”
“A job? What the hell is it you do, Tap?”
I smiled. Link had been asking me that damn question the entire time I’d known him. He was nothing if not persistent, but so was I. “I get into places you can’t, Prez.”
“You’re a crazy motherfucker, too, you know that?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. “Just what do you plan to do in Buzz’s house?”
“What I was trained to do, listen.”
“You’re gonna plant bugs in the house of the Serpents’ VP.” He chuckled. “You got some balls of steel, brother. What are you doing here, tellin’ me? You lookin’ for permission? Want me to pat you on the back and assure you you’re not out of your goddamn mind?”
I shook my head. “No, brother, I’m keepin’ you in the loop in case shit goes sideways. If I don’t come home—”
“You’ll bring your ass home, Tap. That’s an order.”
“If I don’t make it, my responsibilities will show up on your doorstep.”
He stared at me, shocked. It was the most information I’d ever given him about my life. “You’re hidin’ a wife and kid somewhere, aren’t you? You ol’ son-of-a-bitch, I should have known.”
“Promise me you’ll do right by me.”
All humor vanished from his expression. “You should know me better than this. You don’t even have to ask.”
“I do, Link. I’m doin’ this because we need eyes and ears on those assholes who took Naomi. When they find out we’re responsible for what happened to Joe, they’re gonna be gunnin’ for us. We need to know when that day comes so they don’t catch us with our pants around our ankles. I don’t trust many people, but I trust you. I know you’re a man of your word, so I need you to give it to me. Tell me you’ll take care of what’s mine.”
Link gave me a slow nod, keeping eye contact. “Yeah, brother. I give you my word. If something happens and you don’t come home, I’ll protect your family like they’re my own. But this is bullshit. You don’t trust me. If you did, I’d already be watching out for them, but you’ve kept them secret. You don’t trust anyone, Tap. I’m just your best option.”
He wasn’t wrong, so I didn’t deny it.
“The club appreciates what you’re doing, what you’re risking. But after this op, you and I are gonna have a sit-down and talk this shit out. You want trust, brother? You’re gonna have to give some of that shit away. You hear me?”
I heard Link loud and clear, but even thinking about revealing my secrets made my chest tighten and my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth. “After the op,” I agreed before leaving his office.
Hailey wanted to know where her mom was. Link wanted to know what I was hiding. Reminding myself I needed to throw them each a bone if I made it out of Buzz’s alive, I parked in front of his house and surveyed the scene.
Four bikes, eight cars. It looked like quite the party. Shouldering my bag of goodies, I approached the front door and knocked.
One of the Serpents answered. His name patch said ‘prospect’ and the look he gave me said ‘dumb as rocks.’ “You the stripper?” he asked, eyeballing me.
Fighting the urge to be a smartass and tell him I was really the pizza delivery guy, I nodded and held out my hand. “Titus Blackoak.”
He looked at my hand and snorted, apparently his manners had taken up residence with his brains somewhere far away. I dropped my hand as he approached and frisked me before telling me to open my bag. I followed his protocol, showing the contents and answering his questions. Portable speakers, my MP3 player, an extension cord, a power strip, a couple of pens, everything in the bag could be used as a weapon, but not the type he was trained to look for. Grunting, he nodded me inside.
