A woman stood next to him, her soft gaze reflecting nothing but complete love and adoration as he spoke quietly to her, the baritone of his deep voice carrying throughout the room as we entered.
“Got visitors, Prez,” Trigger announced, and they both swung their attention to us.
The woman was dressed in a tight black tank top, jeans, and a pair of the coolest leather high-heeled boots I’d ever seen. Her long, black hair was curled in loose waves framing her face and a pair of warm brown eyes. She took a protective stance next to him, resting both hands on his shoulders.
Reid nodded toward Trigger. “Appreciate the warm welcome.”
“Trigger here ain’t a fan of cops. Heat killed his baby brother a few years back. That wound still bleeds.”
Reid nodded in understanding but said no more. That was no reason for this man to have animosity toward Reid, but I kept my thoughts to myself. I’m pretty sure Reid had seen his fair share of prejudice against his profession due to the actions of others.
Rowdy Lawter, President of Brother’s Keeper had to be well into his fifties at least. His hair was dark, graying at the temples, and he also sported a gray goatee with hints of darker hair sprinkled in there, too. He was a handsome man but you could see the hard life he’d lived written in the scars on his face. One angry slash marred his jaw. It went almost unnoticed, until he grinned. There was another scar on his right brow and it only served to make him look even more menacing.
Or it could have been the dangerous look in his dark blue eyes.
He motioned toward me. “This must be your girl.”
His girl.
I really loved that.
“Cassidy,” I said stupidly.
Rowdy gave me a smile and a wink before turning to speak to the woman next to him. “My old lady, Camilla.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
“You too, darlin’,” she replied.
Rowdy kept his eyes on Reid while he spoke to Camilla. “Camilla, take Cassidy to the common room. We’ll be out shortly.”
Reid stepped in front of me. “She stays with me.”
Rowdy sat back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. “Sorry, kid, this is club business and bitches don’t sit in on that.”
I gasped in disbelief. “Bitches? Did you just call us bitches?”
I could feel Reid radiating with rage next to me. Narrowing my eyes at Rowdy, I fixed my mouth to give the asshole a piece of my mind but Reid beat me to it. “First of all, I don’t give a fuck what you call your old lady, you call mine a bitch one more time and we’re going to have some fucking problems. Second, she’s not leaving this goddamn room without me.”
A million thoughts rushed through my head but I could only focus on one word of that.
Mine.
The bastard was out of his mind if he thought I was letting Cassidy out of my sight. I knew how these men operated. In their world, women weren’t allowed to know their business. For good reason, I suppose. The less they knew about their crimes and dealings the better, but there was no way in hell she was leaving my side.
Rowdy glared at me, his dark eyes hardening at my demands. I was pretty certain his orders were rarely disobeyed, but I could see the resignation in his eyes. He knew I wouldn’t budge on this, just like I knew he wasn’t going to let his woman stay.
After a dismissive nod, Camilla kissed Rowdy on the cheek and left the room. Rowdy pinned me with an iron glare. The American flag and Texas flag hung proudly on the wall behind him. Their club insignia, an eagle preparing to take flight with a silver key dangling from a thin chain in his beak, hung centered between the flags.
Brother’s Keeper, an MC started back in the sixties by Rowdy’s father, Shepard Lawter, was one of the most dangerous biker gangs in the United States and Mexico. They weren’t into drugs. They weren’t into running guns. They were into keeping the peace and serving up justice where the long arm of the law wasn’t able to reach. They were a highly organized and legal operation and had relationships with some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. I was banking on his ties with Del Marco to help me secure Cassidy’s safety even further.
“So what can I do for you, Detective?” Rowdy asked, getting right down to business.
“Recently, one of Del Marco’s associates was released from prison. Vincent Rodriquez. He’s the man who murdered her brother. We have reason to believe he’s after her. I need you to reach out to him and Del Marco. Make sure any threats against Cassidy Sky are not carried out.”
“And what makes you think I would do that for you, or her for that matter?”
“Because I have something you want.”
