Donnie glares at me. “Don’t you fucking dare assume I’m in bed with him. You know damn well I don’t want the Sons in New Brunswick.” He drags a hand down his face. “My guess, he’s been watching you, and now he thinks you’re cornered. He probably thinks you don’t have another option.”
I scoff. “Fucking idiot.”
“Hm.” Donnie studies me for a moment. “Better for me if you talk to him in here so I don’t have to clean up after you.”
“Fuck you,” I snap back. “We both know that’s a clean-up job you’d enjoy.”
He shrugs. “Maybe. But you know my ass is on the line either way. If John finds out I let Becker in, I’ll be the one paying for it.”
“Better hurry up and go get him then,” I say, sitting down on the edge of the bed again. “I’m fucking waiting.”
Donnie rolls his eyes, then turns and leaves me alone again in the hollow silence of the block.
What thefuck.
I run a hand through my hair and blow out a breath. Frank fucking Becker.
The heavy sound of boots on concrete grows louder as he approaches, but I don’t move from the bed. He doesn’t get an ounce of fucking respect from me when he thinks he can drag his dirty empire intomytown and strong-arm the Basin Kings into bending to him.
“Alder Roy,” Frank says, stopping in front of the bars.
I lean back on my hands and just stare at him.
He smiles, flashing a gold tooth and a scar that splits his lip. He’s about Kurt’s age, but the lines on his face make him look about fifteen years older. Running and probably consuming hard drugs will do that.
“Thanks for meeting with me,” he says smoothly.
I keep my mouth shut, biting down on the words I want to throw at him. That he’s cowardly enough to wait until I’m locked behind bars, where he knows I don’t have a gun in reach.
“You’re probably wondering why I came to you and not Kurt,” he continues, tilting his head slightly as he studies me like some caged animal he’s got on display.
He’s not completely wrong about that.
“Because you saw your chance for safety,” I finally say, unable to hold it in any longer. “It’s alright, Frank, I know I’ve been a little trigger-happy lately. You can admit you’re scared.”I tilt my head to mirror his, my gaze sharpening as I watch him watch me. “But you made a mistake thinking bars between us mean you’re safe.”
Frank scoffs, but his smile lingers, tugging at his ugly scar. Behind him, Donnie shifts against the wall, bracing himself like he’s waiting for the room to ignite.
“Let’s cut to the chase,” Frank says, his smile falling. “I know your club is struggling. Your auctions aren’t what they used to be, and your future doesn’t look kind.” He pauses for a moment. “And I know your only other option is to run guns.”
Everything in me goes still as I stare back at him.
His creepy smile returns. “I have my sources, Alder.”
My eyes flick to Donnie behind him, but he looks just as surprised as I feel as he shoots daggers at the back of Frank’s head.
“And I’m talking to you, not Kurt, because I knowyouare the one who gets things done.”
“I’m not getting a single fucking thing done for you.” I rise from the bed and step closer to the bars. “You can take your dirty fucking drugs and get the fuck out of our province. We’re not your runners.”
Frank’s gaze is steady as he slowly nods. “So what’s your plan then? You’ve got that Porsche sitting on ice, waiting for the heat to die down. And I know you’re eyeing a few cars south of the border, ready to move on them.”
My fists tighten, and my insides burn with anger.How the fuck does he know that…
He glances briefly at Donnie before turning back to me. “Would be a real shame if another anonymous tip found its way to the sergeant. One that gives him just enough evidence to put you down for good.”
I step into the bars and wrap both hands around them, pulling myself in close to stare directly into his eyes. “Try me, fucker.”
He just shrugs one shoulder. “I don’t need to. You don’t have another plan. If you wanted to run guns, you would have already. Which means the choice is simple. You move our product, or your auctions burn.”
