“Need a name, Toper.”
“Same as yours. Fleming.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Eight
After I drop Oscar and Henri off, I head to the clubhouse to tap a couple of my brothers to back me up. I’m still suspicious of Hangman even though the rational side of me can’t really explain why he would get involved with Kozlov picking up Selkie, favor or not.
When I get there, not a lot of the brothers are around.
Reaper is though. “What’re you doing here? Why aren’t you at Hook’s?” He looks irritated.
He’s got a right to be. Since Oscar got expelled, I’ve been missing my day shifts and when I’m not there, Reaper has to pick up the slack.
“This fucking shit with Oscar. I can’t get it sorted,” I reply.
“Speaking of Oscar, where’s his little tormenter?”
I run my hands down my face. Reaper is my brother in more ways than one. He took my older brother, Liam, under his wing when they were both in prison. Kept him alive. After Reaper got paroled, my brother was killed. I kept it private from the Jury, partly because of how he died, but also because Liam wouldn’t have wanted a big send off.
Reaper showed at the funeral and we quickly became friends. He needed a home, I gave him one, sponsoring him as a Hell’s Jury prospect until he got his colors.
“Nowhere,” I reply. Then I grab his arm and pull him into the boardroom, not thinking of closin’ the door. “I gotta problem. Kozlov’s goons picked up Selkie for some reason. Don’t know why, but I got?—”
“Who’s Selkie?”
Of course Reaper doesn’t know. He wasn’t in on the meeting at Kozlov’s. “Selkie Fleming. Henri’s mother.”
“And the Brother’s Circle grabbed her?”
“Yeah. I gotta get her back and I need your help.”
“Why’re you talking to me? Why aren’t you talking to Joker or Hangman. Get the Jury behind this?”
“Good question,” Joker says gruffly as he walks in.
“What the fuck are you doin’ listening in on a private conversation?” I snarl.
Joker looks like he’s about to fuck me up. “Ain’t no private conversations in this room. You fuckin’ know that. You got a problem like the one I think you said you have, you better have a fuckin’ good reason why you’re talkin’ to Reaper and not Hangman.”
Fuck. This day couldn’t get any worse. “Close the door.”
Joker slams the door loud enough for everyone to hear. “Better make it fast, asshole.”
“I’ll tell you, but it stays in this room.”
“I’ll be the one to decide that.”
I have no choice. I can’t walk out of here without an explanation and I can’t go to Kozlov’s alone or Oscar and Henri could end up orphans. “Kozlov called in a favor Hangman owed him. Then Selkie gets roughed up and grabbed by his thugs. You put the pieces together.”
Joker scowls. “You think he ratted out your girlfriend?”
I hear Reaper’s gruff laughter.
“Not my girlfriend. But she is Henri’s mother and she’s in trouble.”
“You fuckin’ prick,” Joker seethes. “After what Hangman did for you, and you undermine him this way. You actually think he’s gonna do you dirty?”
