“Christ preserve us,” I muttered as Ivan laughed out loud, his white-blond head thrown back. Hours passed, and night's inky darkness withdrew as the new day dawned. The sun was fully in the sky when the rumble of motorcycles sounded in the distance. A few minutes later, Ivan and I watched as Priest and his brothers drove in through the compound gate from our position in the parking lot. We didn’t move to enter the clubhouse, wanting to give Los Cuervos their privacy. From what Duke had tersely explained, they had lost someone when Indigo and Bones were taken. For the rest of the morning, Crows flocked to the clubhouse;some inside and others prowling the compound like malevolent shadows, watchful for intruders. My men were stationed around the perimeter, protecting the compound unobtrusively.
A puffy-eyed Lennon had been out to offer us coffee during our vigil, and about an hour after Priest’s arrival, she emerged from the clubhouse and beckoned for Ivan and me to enter. This might have only been the second time I’d stepped foot in the Crow’s nest, as it were, but the atmosphere couldn’t have been more different. Today, grief, anger, betrayal, and anxiety formed a noxious cloud that settled over everyone.
Lennon led us past a shrouded body lying upon a table, and as we passed, we dipped our heads respectfully for the lost Crow. We walked through a set of saloon doors before ending in a dining room. Somber faces greeted us from along a large rectangular table, and periodically, women would enter from another room, presumably a kitchen, carrying carafes of coffee and stacks of thick black mugs. Lennon handed each of us fresh mugs of coffee before going to sit next to her father. Ivan and I stood by the wall, present for whatever was about to occur but not intrusive. From the dirty looks thrown our way by some of Los Cuervos, I wasn’t sure how welcome we were.
After a few tense minutes, Duke and Priest strode through the door, and the hushed murmurings of the Crows ceased. Duke’s steely-blue gaze scanned the room before he began to speak.“Last night, one of our own betrayed us.” Low growls and angry muttered curses met Duke’s pronouncement.
“It’s not hard to guess who,” the man I recognized as Indigo’s friend, Cricket, said in an acidic tone. Priest clenched his jaw and shifted his weight from one foot to the other like he was barely restraining himself from lunging out the door and down the road to vengeance.
“Pyro.” One word, spit from Duke’s mouth like profanity. Curses filled the room once more until Duke raised a forbidding hand. “Clover has video surveillance of Pyro ushering five men through a hole cut in our fence, not far from the gym. The fucker cut the power but didn’t know that Clover’s security system isn’t reliant on the same generator that the rest of the compound uses. It seems that Indigo was their target, and Bones was caught up in the struggle.”
Lennon’s soft whimper followed Duke’s words. Her father tucked her under his arm and whispered reassurances in her ear.“Indi and Bones put down two of the assholes before they were taken. Pyro—” Duke cleared his throat, his voice suddenly tight with emotion. “Ace must have been working late, or maybe he knew something wasn’t right. We found him not far from the kitchen door. Pyro slit his throat from behind like the gutless coward he is.”
A shrill ringtone cut through the tense atmosphere in the room. Duke answered his phone, his words sending the entire room into silence.“Hello... Bones! Jesus Christ, son, where you at?” Priest stood rigidly at Duke’s side, intently listening to Duke’s conversation. “You’re… uh-huh…okay. Where? Is she alright? Okay… sit tight. I’m sending someone to get you.” Duke slid his phone back into his pocket and sighed, but whether in relief or exhaustion, I couldn’t tell. Everyone in the room was quiet now, waiting for Duke to fill them in. Lennon had left her father’s embrace the moment Bones’s name had left Duke’s lips and was currently wringing her hands in front of him.
“Bones and Indigo are alive. They got picked up in a stolen vehicle near Lawson and were taken to the Rue County jail. We need to contact Grigson ASAP so we can get them out of there.” Priest immediately pulled out his phone, presumably to contact whomever Grigson was, as Lennon sagged in relief.
“He’s not answering,” Priest snarled at his phone, repeatedly calling the number.
“Bones said the lawyer was a must,” Duke replied, “since the state they were in when they were arrested was less than ideal.”
Pushing away from the wall, I stepped forward. “My lawyer is in Reno, and I can have her meet us at the jail. She’ll have Bones and Indigo out before you can blink.”
“Us?” Priest snapped, gripping his phone in his fist. “There is no ‘us.’ Los Cuervos can handle this. There’s no need forbratvainterference.” He was still trying to reach Grigson and had had a stressful night, so I rolled my shoulders and decided to let the disrespect slide. However, Priest was rapidly burning through my reserve of goodwill.
“You seem to be confused. Allow me to clarify for you.” I adjusted the cuffs on my jacket. “Bones is Los Cuervos, and I’ll gladly have mylawyer assist him free of charge as a show of friendship from the Petrov bratva when I go to Lawson to free Indigo. Indigo is my cousin. Therefore, I don’t require your permission in anything involving her.”A few Crows turned startled faces my way at my claim of family regarding Indi, and I mentally cursed myself for letting the cat out of the bag.
“We didn’t ask for your help, and we sure as shit don’t need it,” Priest practically spat at me.
“You’ll let your pride keep Bones and Indigo in jail longer than necessary?”
Priest huffed and murmured something to Duke at his side, but I’d just officially run out of patience for his brand of bullshit. My lip curled as I gave Priest a disdainful scan from his toes to his eyes, not bothering to hide my distaste. Duke seemed level-headed and confident in his role as leader of his MC, but his son was a hothead, and in our line of work, living in a reactionary state would eventually lead a man to the grave. Priest needed to learn how to strategize and when to accept a helping hand.
“I didn’t ask if you needed my help,mal’chik, or if you wanted it, or if you give a flying fuck about my help. My lawyerwillbe meeting me at the Rue County jail. Bones and Indigowillbe released. You can either accept these facts and express your gratitude or not. I don’t care which because this isn’t about you. It’s abouther.Grow the fuck up.” Priest’s nostrils flared in anger, but he held himself in check.
“Lennon and Ratched,” Duke said, “get your shit together and get your asses to the jailhouse. I want you there when Mr. Petrov’s attorney has them released so that you can bring them both home.” Ratched put a hand on the small of Lennon’s back and led her through the door so they could gather their things and start their journey to Lawson.Duke turned to me. “Thank you for your help today, Riordan. We will continue to try to contact our lawyer, and maybe he can meet your attorney there. We will reimburse you for any costs incurred.”
I buttoned my suit jacket and held my hand out to shake. “After Indigo and your man are back, may I suggest a meeting to discuss a more official relationship between the Petrov bratva and Los Cuervos MC? It seems we may have a common enemy now.” Duke shared a loaded lookwith his son and VP before extending his hand to meet mine. “We’ll consider it—after we’ve gotten our people back.”
Ivan followed me, guarding my back as we walked out of the clubhouse.“Leave three men here to help guard the compound, but tell them to remain outside the perimeter of the fence.”Ivan nodded his head and immediately started texting instructions to our men. “You know what you have to do now,druzhishche,” he stated in a matter-of-fact tone as we got into my Mercedes and drove off the Crow’s compound. The remainder of our men, who were not staying as guards, followed in another vehicle. I heaved a deep sigh and pressed a button on my dash. Ringing filled the car until a connection was made.
“Da?”my father’s voice answered.
“Privet, otets. There’s been a development here in Nevada. I have some news and a proposition.”
My father’s dry chuckle filled the vehicle. “This should be good.”
He had no idea.
Chapter 4
Bones
The cops separated Indigo and me as soon as we got to the station.“Don’t answer any of their questions, Indi,” I muttered in her ear before we exited the squad car. “Don’t talk to anyone. I’ll get us out of here as soon as possible. Don’t worry.”
“Psh,” she replied with a roll of her stormy green eyes, “I’m not worried, Bones. I won’t talk at all, but can I sing?”
“Sí, chica loca. You can sing all you want.” This girl, I swear to God.
