Rex spots me first, wiping his hands on a rag, sleeves rolled past his elbows.
“Rhodes.” He grins, pushing off the bench. “Here for the R7?”
“Among other things.” I keep my voice low. “Got a minute?”
His grin fades. Eyes flick to the mechanics, then back to me. He jerks his chin toward a quieter corner.
“What's going on?”
“The fire at Ravenwood. The school.”
“Heard about that. Nasty business.”
“It was the Tide Serpents. Hired job.”
Rex's expression hardens. “You sure?”
“I have footage.”
He exhales slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “What exactly are you asking me, Rhodes?”
“I want to know if there’d be complications if I handled this myself. And I need to know where to find them.”
Rex holds up a hand. “That's not my call. You're talking club business now.” He glances toward the back of the garage. “Give me a few minutes.”
He disappears through a door markedEmployees Only. I wait, leaning against a tool cabinet, watching the mechanics work. Nobody pays me any attention. That's intentional.
Fifteen minutes pass.
The door opens. Rex walks out first, face carefully neutral. Behind him comes a man in his fifties. Salt-and-pepper beard, weathered face, body still hard with muscle. He's wearing the cut of the Iron Wolves, leather dark with age, the President patch barely visible. The two mechanics nearest the door find urgent business elsewhere.
“Rhodes,” Rex says. “This is Hawk. Our President.”
Hawk's eyes are slate gray and twice as cold. I've negotiated with billionaires and politicians, men who thought their money or their office made them untouchable. None of them carried the kind of weight that settles into this room when Hawk stops walking.
I stand straight, extend my hand. “Kaiden Rhodes. Thank you for meeting me.”
Hawk looks at my hand for a beat before shaking it. Grip firm. Testing.
“Rex tells me you want to start a war with the Serpents.”
“Not a war. A message. I need to know if the Wolves have ties with them. I don't want to create problems between us.”
Hawk's eyes narrow. Then he laughs. It's not a warm sound. “The Serpents are bottom-feeders. No code, no honor. We've got no love for them.”
“Good. Then I need to know where to find them.”
“Direct.” Hawk tilts his head. “What's in it for us?”
“ELK has a fleet of vehicles. Maintenance contracts worth seven figures a year. I could send that business your way.”
“We specialize in bikes.”
“So you expand. Triple your revenue. Hire more guys.” I hold his gaze. “Or don't.”
The silence stretches. Hawk studies me. I let him.
Finally, he nods once. “I'll think about it.” He turns to Rex. “Help him. Consider it a gesture of goodwill.” He looks back at me. “Don't make me regret it, Rhodes.”
