Rena: Aww. It’s like old times over there, isn’t it?
Ryker: Not in a good way.
Rena: Spill the tea!
Axel: Rest up and take care of the babies, sweet girl. I need to keep yelling at Maddox. Can you table your plea for a half hour?
Rena: Fine. Go easy on him, Gramps. You always encouraged us to multitask.
Ryker belts out a laugh. “She’s always got an angle.”
That momentary joy is precisely why Jax told Rena and likely had her text when the tension was ramping up. Even a half hour away and pregnant with twins, she’s part of our scheme.
Axel flips his phone over to signal to us to do the same because we’re done with that and moving on. “Why did Tessa agree to pretend to blow Maddox?” He shakes his head at the absurdity and slices his gaze to me. “Why did you pull guards and put them on her detail? What am I missing?”
This is where things get tricky. I want to keep her out of this fiasco I’m in, but the only way to do that is to tie her to me.
“Tessa and I are … getting to know each other.” Ignoring the way all four of my brothers gape at me, I continue, “We had differing opinions about something that Cash got wind of, and he exploited it. The guards are a precaution because he sent her to me during a call that was confidential, and Vincent Lund is messed up in some fucked-up shit. Can’t be too careful.”
“You’regetting to knowTessa?” Ryker probes, his icy eyes full of skepticism. “Since when?”
I scrunch my lips in thought, unwilling to reveal too much. “A little while.”
“You’ve nevergotten to knowany woman,” Axel counters.
“First time for everything.” I grin because everything about Tessa is a first, and I have a haunting suspicion that’s not going to change.
Ryker sips his drink, studying me. “I always thought she hated you.”
“She does,” I confirm. “But it’s working for us.”
“And what happened with the call?” Axel presses.
“I didn’t fuck it up. Not completely.” With a sigh, I launch into my explanation, owning it all. “I asked all the right questions, listened to his needs, thought about our options. I did it the way you would’ve wanted me to. Yes, she was in there. But I had my earbud in, so she didn’t hear anything. And then she got hurt. That’s when my focus shifted.”
That’s not the exact order of events, but it’s close enough.
I saunter over to the bar, put my back to them, and fix myself another drink while I finish. “I should have told her to leave in the beginning, but … I didn’t. So, it was my responsibility when she needed me. I had already heard everything he had to tell me. I told him I’d be in touch, and I took care of her. I get why you’re pissed, but I prioritized in a difficult situation.”
“Okay,” Axel says.
I spin around, surprised. “Yeah?”
“I would have done the same,” Ryker admits, and just like that, any tension left in the room dissipates.
Axel motions for me to refill his drink. “What did you come up with?”
While I pour three fingers’ worth of his Glenfiddich 30 Year Old into his tumbler, I quickly detail everything Vincent Lund shared before catching them up on what I did afterward. “I made some calls. Reached out to members who were in town at that time. Nothing. We need to know who this witness is before we can decide to intervene. Dimitri Makarov is scheduled for a visit soon. I got a tip that it’s concerning the investigation about his son. Maybe he’ll let us help or even clue us in as to where he found this informant.”
Axel taps the side of his glass, mulling that over. “He won’t divulge information like that. He wants something from us. Let me look into it.”
“Thanks,” I say, finally taking a seat. “I’m sorry things went sideways today. That wasn’t my intention.”
“I know,” Axel replies, and a seed of pride blooms inside me.
I’m a grown man, still trying to impress the mom I lost too young and hoping the brothers who raised me are an extension of her, which is why I ping-pong my attention between Axel and Ryker and tack on, “You can count on me.”
“It’s fine, Mad.” Ryker tips his glass to me. “This was a trial run. We expected you to shut him down as soon as he mentioned another member. We generally listen and tell them it’s a conflict of interest, but our ears will be open.”
