“What did you think I was going to ask?”
Ranger legit growled, like Saint did sometimes when he didn’t have words. “I don’t know. But not that. Jesus. I can’t think about that shit right now.”
“Can you at least tell me when?”
“When what?”
“When it happened.”
“To answer that, I’d need you to be more specific, and that makes me want to ride my hog over my fucking head.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Then why are you asking me, man?”
“So I don’t have to ask him.”
“You don’t have to do anything. Leave it alone. Or at least ask Folk instead of me. He wasn’t around for most of it, and he’s better at pretending that those years didn’t kill us.”
Years. Goddamn, it wasn’t new information, but it broke me all the same. I moved away from the edge of the roof, ducking into some shade and sinking into a crouch. “What else do you have for me?”
“About what?”
“Life. Love. War. You find Viktor yet?”
Ranger heaved a sigh that somehow seemed worse than how I’d made him feel about Locke. “That’s what I was calling to tell you. Jakov got word last night that the Albanians might have Viktor. That Sambini gave him up before they got on that boat. Handed him off to someone.”
“The Albanians have Viktor?”
“Who else would it be?.”
No one I knew. But I wasn’t up to date on European cartel wars. Not anymore. “You think they’re holding him as a hostage?”
“Won’t be a fucking holiday, will it?”
“Easy. I’m just trying to understand. This ain’t our war, remember?”
Silence. Then the unmistakable sound of wind rushing by a man’s head, and I wondered where Ranger was. He was a nomad with no loyalty to any particular chapter. Lived on the road. Slept wherever. Picked and chose his battles. Which led me back towhy, and I was no clearer now than when I’d answered the phone. “You said Viktor and Jakov were tight last time you were here, but you never included yourself in that equation. If that’s changed and you want to tell me about it, I’m listening.”
Ranger sighed again, but it was quieter this time. Defeated. “It doesn’t matter anymore. None of it does. Jakov’s got power, and he’d burn the world down for Viktor—they’re family—but these cunts up here. The shit they’re capable of... I only ever knew one monster as bad as them, and even Vik can’t survive that.”
Vik. That was what hit me the most from the terrible words falling from Ranger’s mouth. It sounded too warm for the ruthless mercenaryIknew, but did I know Viktor? Really?
You should. He saved Cam’s life.Saved all of us when shit had gone down with Butch Crow. But that wasbusiness. Viktor had made no secret of the fact that not making an enemy out of Alexei was his prime motivation for helping the club.“No one has time for enemies like Alexei Ivanov.”
Couldn’t relate. Alexei was my G. Mybrother, even if the term still freaked him out and he hadn’t completed his apprenticeship of Rubi’s hugs yet. But maybe Ranger felt the same about Viktor. AboutVik, whoever the fuck that was. “I’m sorry, brother. Tell Jakov we’re here for him.”
Ranger laughed with zero humour. “I’m not telling him that. He might ask you to stand behind it, and that’s not your life anymore.”
“True that. Doesn’t mean we don’t give a shit, though. Viktor’s done a lot for us.”
“You ever think about why?”
“Sometimes. You got any insight?”
“Only that he’s a good bloke. I miss riding with him, and after Rocco, I never thought I’d let myself feel that about anyone else.”
Ranger hung up, leaving me to contemplate that it was one of the only conversations I’d ever had with him that hadn’t made me laugh. Ranger was a fun dude. He didn’t take much seriously. But whatever had happened between him and Viktor had got under his skin, and Lord, if I didn’t know how that felt.
