“It’s not who he’s paying, it’s why. Tell us what you found,” I say, gesturing at Cipher.
“Nothing certain. But one of the club girls has a friend who works at city hall. Apparently, Harris has been accessing land reports for the plot The Canteen’s on,” our resident IT genius says.
That gets everyone’s attention.
He continues. “He’s also been looking into re-zoning applications.”
I pick up where he left off. “I don’t know what he’s planning, but I wouldn’t put it past the asshole to think up new and interesting ways to fuck with our lives. I’ve already spoken to Hecker. Told him that he better be following the letter of the law until we find out what Harris is up to. Don’t want The Canteen getting closed down due to noise violations or shit like that.”
“We got word this morning,” Edge says, his voice flat. “Another eviction notice.”
The room tightens. That’s new.
“Who?” I ask.
“Rita McKenna,” Edge replies. “Over on Alder. Breaker’s widow. Lives alone. Been there twenty years.”
That name hits the room like a thrown bottle. Breaker had been one of the first members. An older man who rode hard and lived harder. Pops sits up straighter, the lines deepening around his mouth.
“Rita?” he says, like the word tastes wrong. “That woman’s been there since my kids were in diapers.”
“Notice says property’s been sold,” Edge continues. “New owners want renovations. She’s got thirty days.”
Brick’s hands flex once, slow. Shadow’s eyes go colder. Titan’s jaw clenches hard enough I hear his teeth grind.
I feel something snap tight in my chest.
“Personal,” I say.
“Yeah,” Pops agrees. “That’s personal.”
Because it isn’t just about some building or some land. It’s about the kind of town Helena is. People don’t get shoved out by suits with Jacksonville money. Not while we’re breathing.
“Rita’s been good to us,” Titan says quietly. “She fed half the prospects in this club when they were too broke to buy their own damn groceries.”
Edge nods. “She called me crying. Didn’t know who else to call.”
“If the club don’t have any spare properties she can stay with me and my old lady until she gets herself back on her feet. That place you found us is plenty big,” Snake offers.
“Thanks, brother,” I say. I glare at the table like it holds all the fucking answers in the world. This club doesn’t exist to play hero, but it does exist to protect what’s ours. Helena’s ours. The people in it—our people—were ours to look out for.
Harris stepping on that widow? That isn’t business. That’s him testing us.
Seeing if we’ll take it.
“We’re not gonna take this shit,” I say.
Nobody argues.
Snake clears his throat. “If we lean too hard, it’ll bring heat.”
“We’re already warm,” Shadow says. “Let it fucking burn.”
Brick grunts in approval.
Cipher finally looks up. “If we want to hurt him without bullets, we can. If he’s getting his fingers dirty, I can pull records and connect the dots. But I’d need time and access.”
“What about his daughter?” Wolf asks. “That girl’s smokin’. Maybe I can persuade her to snoop on daddy dearest and get my dick wet at the same time.”
