Dakota paid attention to every detail. I admired that about her knowing that there would be some details I’d work harder for her not to notice.
It was my turn to sigh now. KC and Rafe knew where I was, and since my cousin, Zayn, was now the front-facing president of the club, KC had most likely given him my location, too. The three of them were also the only ones who knew about me and Dakota. Well, aside from the security detail I hired for her. But even they came from an outside firm. To protect the optics for me and Dakota, going through Spades Security was smarter than letting Rafe assemble a team to guard her. But none of them would call unless there was an emergency.
With that in mind, and because the phone hadn’t stopped buzzing during my musing, I dug into my pocket to retrieve it. “Speak,” I grumbled after swiping to answer KC’s call.
“We got a problem,” my younger brother said. I could hear the anger in his voice. KC had two speeds—goofy and deadly.The latter was seeping through the phone and I immediately tensed.
“Maleeka?” Dakota’s eyes widened as I asked after my sister.
“Yeah, man. She just called and said they’re raiding the place. I’m headed there now, and Zayn’s gonna meet me.”
“What the fuck?” We worked hard to keep our legal businesses above reproach. The Spades casino was one of the first big ventures we went into about six years ago. Since it was the only casino in Destine, the small town I called home before I started Blackbond and moved to Alexandria, we knew it would be under closer scrutiny. That’s why we put Maleeka in place to manage it, and she did a phenomenal job. There wasn’t a license or contract that Maleeka didn’t personally oversee and confirm. She ran a tight casino floor and the lounge attached to it. Not to mention the fact that we had a few Destine police on our payroll. So who the hell had authorized a raid?
“LeLe is about to slit the feds’ throat,” KC said.
“Wait, it’s a federal raid? They got a warrant?”
“Yeah, Tito said the dude pressed that shit up against LeLe’s chest and told her to read it if she could read at all. I’m cuttin’ off every one of his fuckin’ fingers when I get there!”
And KC would do just that. I knew because I was the one who’d taught him how to cut at the joint to inflict the most pain.
“Shit!” I moved away from Dakota, then stood. “Tell Tito to keep her cool. You and Zayn contain this situation first. I’ll be there in a few hours, and I want names, badge numbers and that fuckin’ warrant as soon as I touch down.”
“On it.”
Disconnecting the call, I turned to see that Dakota had already started packing up the picnic stuff.
“I’m sorry,” I said when she looked over her shoulder at me. “I gotta go handle this.”
She shook her head. “No worries, baby. I know this is a part of your world.”
After crossing back to where she was kneeling on the blanket, I crouched down and hooked a finger under her chin. “This is the part you’re trying to navigate, right?”
She nodded and frowned.
“You’re not a stranger to any of this, love. Remember how we met?”
That frown lifted into a weak smile. “I know. But I can chalk that up to being a part of my job. I clean crime scenes for the police department just like I clean them after a drug-deal gone bad, or a hit. At the end of the day, I go back to my office and generate an invoice so I can pay my employees. Your end is way more nuanced.”
“That’smyend,” I told her. “You don’t have to do anything more than what you’re already doing. I’d never ask that of you.”
Before she could respond or overthink this anymore than she already was, I dropped a quick kiss on her lips meant to signal that we’d talk about this later. Then, I helped her pack.
CHAPTER 7
FURY
The Blackbond Group Presentsappeared in a swirling gold font amidst the deep purple background on the screen.
I’d been in such a hurry to get to Dakota that I hadn’t thought about my work schedule. And while I hadn’t planned to intrude on her girls’ trip by staying the entire week, I had hoped for at least one more night with her in my arms. I guess it all worked out since this meeting was on the books first thing this morning.
“The Pantheon Collection.” I read the words in front of me. Purple, gold, and cream elements formed the intro page of the presentation, and I dragged a finger over the pad of my laptop, flipping to the next slide.
Hieroglyphics filled the page, growing bolder as the words faded away. Then, in what looked like a sandstorm of cream and gold glitter, the first bike appeared with the nameIsis: Goddess of Magicbeneath it. “Shit.” I breathed the singular word as a close-up of the sweetest sport bike I’d ever seen came into view. V4 engine, 214+ horsepower, ABS traction and slide control; all that power masked in a pristine white exterior.
I moved to the next slide and was equally blown away withAmun: God of Air, a bold red, twin cylinder-engine beauty. But it was the last slide that sealed the deal for me.Anubis: God of the Dead, in delicious matte black was a high-revving homologation especially made for racing.
“This is fuckin’ amazing,” I said, lifting my eyes to peer over the screen at the man sitting on the opposite side of my desk.
