“But if this Scottie dude was telling the truth and he didn’t take down those houses, who did?” Zayn asked.
“And is any of this shit connected to the raid on the casino?” Kenzo, the club’s secretary, and a bail bondsman, asked.
Leaning forward I rested my elbows on the table. “I don’t believe in coincidences.” Two hits against us, even in separate cities, in the span of a few weeks was not a coincidence, it was an attack. I might not have all the ducks lined up in a row to prove that shit at the moment, but I’ve been in this game long enough to know when I’ve become somebody’s target. That shit hasn’t happened often because people knew not to fuck with me andthe Ryders, but I was beginning to think there was a renegade on the scene. A stupid one that was about to get taught a very valuable lesson.
“I’ve got the lawyers on the judge who signed the warrant and we’re running down a name …” I paused, tossing my gaze to KC.
“My guy down at the pool hall said he heard that some new guy named Atlas has linked up with Steele’s club. Not sure if it’s the guy Cal said leaned on him to get that warrant in motion, but I put out the word that I’m looking for his ass,” he said.
The Steele Street MC were a shady bunch known for the girls they pimped out at their many strip clubs from Destine up to Delaware. The Ryders had never been into sex workers, and we weren’t going to start so we had no real beef with Steele, but if they were connected to this Atlas person, they could get this heat too.
“This is a distraction from business and y’all know I don’t play that shit. I want this wrapped up expeditiously. Line all these bold ass bastards up so we can mow them down and move the fuck on.” I wasn’t an impatient man, but I hated unnecessary delays and detours. And I definitely hated when a bastard thought he could play in my face. “Rafe, get your crew ready. If the answer is not what we want to hear then somebody’s planning a funeral.”
“Gotchu’,” Rafe grunted with a nod.
“Two big shipments are scheduled for the end of the month,” Zayn said. “Let’s get this shit cleared up before then. We don’t need any unwanted eyes on us.”
After everyone nodded their agreement, Kenzo gave a recap of some old business, and the meeting was over. Lisa, the house manager, always had a meal prepared after our meetings, but I wasn’t staying for that. My wife should be home by now and I’d rather have dinner with her. That thought reminded me of our texts and I reached into my pocket for my phone to see if she wasstill out with Mo. If she was that was cool. I wouldn’t tell her to cut that shit short and meet me at home, no matter how much I wanted to see her.
I’d been thinking about her all damn day. About how much I loved her in my space.Ourspace now. I told her we could build something new if she wanted, but for now she said she was content there and that’s all that mattered to me. We could live in a tent as long as I was cuddling up to Dakota every night.
“You headed out, Boss?” Kenzo asked, as he jogged up beside me.
I glanced over at him. “Yeah.”
“I hear that. Been meaning to tell you that love looks good on you.”
I didn’t know where this was going on how I was supposed to take that, but Kenzo had always been cool with me. So, I gave him a half smile. “Thanks. Did you want something else?” I didn’t have time for the small talk, I was ready to go.
“Oh, nah, I just wanted to say that. And, um, to ask if you know, um, if Dakota could introduce me to her cousin, Kendra.”
“What?” I frowned, then shook my head. “You want me to ask my wife to set you up with her cousin? Are you out of your mind?” Saying it out loud had me chuckling.
“Come on, Fury, man. I saw her last month at this ribbon-cutting ceremony my granny asked me to take her to. She fine as hell and as soon as they introduced her and I heard she was a Donovan, I looked up everything about her. So, yeah, just like if you and Dakota have a reception or party or something since you didn’t have anything formal when you got married. Then I could get an introduction.”
“Or you can get your thirsty ass outta my face,” I said, laughing out loud now.
“Fury, man, you ain’t right for that shit,” he was saying as my phone started to ring.
I was about to say something else when I glanced down at the phone and saw Tor’s name on the screen. I knew before I even swiped that shit that it wasn’t good. So I was already at the door when I answered, “What happened? Where’s Dakota? Is she okay?”
“Yeah, Boss. She’s fine, but this chick she pistol-whipped in the lounge might have a concussion.”
I cut that forty-five-minute drive from Destine to my house down to twenty-seven minutes and almost forgot to re-engage the alarm once I entered the house. By the time I made it up the stairs it was to find an empty bedroom. I almost started to crash the fuck out especially since Dakota hadn’t answered any of my calls during my ride home. All I could think of was that she packed her shit and left because of what happened at the lounge and if that was the case I was gonna hunt her ass down. When I told her this was forever, I meant that shit.
Luckily for us both, once my heart stopped thumping loudly in my ears, I heard water running in the bathroom. Heading in that direction, I pushed the partially open door further and stepped inside. Steam coated the glass doors of the shower, and I started to cross the room and yank it open. I quickly undressed, instead.
When I finally made my way to the door, I’d calmed down a little. She was here in our home and that was all that mattered.
She gasped when I opened the door, her eyes going wide until they met mine. Then, she looked away, muttering a quiet, “hey”.
Closing the door behind me, I stepped closer to her body all covered in soap suds. Touching a finger to her chin, I tilted her head up until she was once again looking at me. “Hey,” I whispered, then dipped my head to peck her lips. “You wanna tell me now or after we finish getting cleaned up?”
She sighed. “Tor’s a snitch. Doesn’t he know what happens to snitches?”
I laughed so loud. “He’s paid to snitch on you, love,” I said when I was able to breathe again.
She pouted and I swear she was the prettiest woman I’d ever seen. “Well, maybe I need to be the one paying him then, so I can tell him when to keep his big mouth shut.”
