“Of course she isn’t.”
“I’m glad I don’t drink the water at the clubhouse.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“You and Nero.”
I’m really fucking confused then remember what Nero keeps on saying to me about how he fell for Taylor without expecting or planning it.
“If you think it has anything to do with the water we’re drinking, then we need to have a chat about the rules of attraction.”
“I’m good.”
I hate that he only says what he has carefully thought about saying. He’s not the type to have an open conversation with. Not that I need to be talking to him about my feelings for Charley.
Which have only gotten stronger, and harder to ignore after hearing what she went through to get here. Other people have had it harder, and that is bad for them, but this is whatshewent through, her trauma is valid.
Blaze drinks coffee like it’s his lifeline. Sometimes I think he’s traded in one vice for another but he told me a while ago he only drinks de-caf, he doesn’t like plain water or soda, so coffee is his go to.No one ever questions him sitting in bars with a mug in his hand. Not that he frequents them often.
“Any word on the Kivisto’s?”
“I have some intel, they’re second generation American. They’re firmly established in Savonlinna where their family originates. It’s bordered with Russia.”
“Don’t tell me they work with the Russians?” My body tenses up.
“Not found any ties yet, serious at least. Maybe a few deals back before the war. Like most people they seem to steer clear of the Russians.”
“Good, we don’t want to have to deal with that too.”
“Even Storm knows better than to get into bed with the Russians.”
“You think he’s that clever?”
“He’s got to have some brain cells to be able to keep hidden from us.”
He means him. Blaze is getting more pissed every day that passes where he hasn’t managed to track down Storm.
“They’re not big players,” he goes on about the Kivisto’s. “My guess is Storm is trying to link them up with another player. One we don’t know about.”
“Well, that’s worrying as shit.”
“I’m surmising.”
“Blaze, you don’t surmise. You don’t verbalize shit if you don’t think there is a legit reason to say it.”
“Yeah, well until I know for sure, I’m not spreading it around. Nero will bring it to church when I have more news.”
He is saying keep this to myself until Nero is ready to share. As the sergeant-at-arms for the club, he isn’t in the wrong for filling me in. Nero won’t be pissed at Blaze for that.
“You want me to do anything else with this stuff?” he points to the pictures of the Barton’s.
Maybe I can’t go there and kick their asses, but I can mess with them. I grin at Blaze and he lets out a heavy sigh.
“Maybe Stephen is about to have a bad run at his finals.”
“Maybe,” he shakes his head and turns back to his computers.
“Or their bank might make some bad investments for them.”
