Brooks hunches over his old familiar paper map with one hand speared in his blond hair. The finger of his other hand slides from section to section as his lips soundlessly form words. After a few minutes, he finally looks up and says kind of dryly, “We can’t go there ourselves. I know you, and if you so much assuspect anything threatens Layne, you’ll stomp onto that wharf. Besides, you’re way too recognizable.”
“Fuck,” I exclaim. I fold my hands together, put them over my nose, and bend over.
“If we call Pax—him and Colt. Maybe they could…" Brooks pauses for a moment, tapping a pen against his bottom lip. “Tats? Magic? Maybe Hawkeye? What do you think?”
I look at Brooks. “Why not Ash?”
He rolls his eyes. “Might as well.”
“Colt’s young. Tats’s older.” I turn and walk to the table. “If I send Pax along, he wants to lead, but I don’t know if that’s a solid idea.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. If you put Tats in charge, I’m sure Pax will listen. Sometimes you underestimate him, big time. Brooks shrugged a shoulder, his gaze already back on the map. He taps his index finger on the eastern part of the harbor.
“Asher’s your little brother. Like you—”
“I get you want to protect him, Ky.” Finally, he looks straight at me. His gaze burns into mine and I swallow. “But he’s not stupid, and he’s not five years old anymore.” Brooks holds my gaze.
I tilt my head. “You think he listens to Tats?”
“I’m pretty sure, yeah.” He turns his gaze back to the paper. “This is where they need to look. It’s the most logical location for containers. Without a cut, completely in black. Least chance they’ll be seen and if they are, they won’t be linked to the MC.” He taps the paper.
I take my phone out of my pocket and call Tats. When he answers, I explain the situation to him. I tell him he’s in charge and needs to take the youngsters with him. That they should be in black and leave their cuts at home.
He briefly counters me, but when I explain to him it’s so nothing can be directly linked to the MC, he caves.
Then I send the others a message that they need to gather in front of the bar in an hour and that Tats has an assignment for them. I emphasize that Tats’s in charge. Everyone gives me a thumbs up. Even Pax.
“Told ya,” Brooks mutters.
With a thud, I sit down on a wooden kitchen chair and start wobbling my knees up and down. Meanwhile, Brooks’s still leafing through the papers.
“Hey.” I startle at Jen’s voice and look up. She’s leaning against the doorframe in pajama pants and a tank. “You guys need anything else? Something to drink? Something to eat?”
“Nope. We’re perfectly capable of grabbing a beer ourselves, honey.” Brooks winks at her. When he’s with Jen, he seems almost normal. Relaxed. They’re the only moments I see him like that.
“Then I’m off to bed. Will I see you later?” Her gaze is fixed on my best friend, who gets up and walks toward her. His arms slide around her waist and he pulls her against him.
“Count on it,” he hums. Then he leans toward her and bites her neck.
“There’re kids here,” I mutter, trying to pretend to be interested in everything on the table, but I can’t focus. All I can think about is Tats and the rest.
Brooks waves an arm at me as he moves his mouth to her lips. Groaning, I put a hand against the side of my face so they disappear from view.
A few moments later, he reappears opposite me. “What the hell is in those containers?”
“That’s what I’d like to know, too.” Meanwhile, my gaze is glued to my phone, hoping for updates to come in.
“You know,” Brooks says suddenly after being silent for a while. “You go home and I’ll go to bed. We won’t hear from them for the next few hours anyway, ‘cause they need to checkhow security’s working before they can move in and survey the situation. It’ll be a miracle if they can get into the yard right away. There probably won’t be any news ‘til morning. There’s no point in sitting here and getting our panties in a twist.”
I get up. “You’re probably right.” I hug him and clap him on the back twice, “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
I start my motorcycle and ride back to the Renegades’ base.
“I talked to her.”
A shiver runs through me. “Shit, I thought you were asleep already,” I whisper. I slide my cut off my shoulders and place it on the chair in the corner of my bedroom, where I thought I’d just quietly slipped in. “With who?” Slowly I sit on the edge of my side of the bed, my back to Layne. She already has her own side.
The sheets rustle as she slides toward me. “Rebel.”
