“We need to get started,” Indie complained but shut up quickly when Mamma Dot threw him a look.
“Boys gotta eat. Besides. You can’t plan on an empty stomach.”
Indie rolled his eyes at me and then shoved his cup under the coffee machine and stuffed in a pod. Soon coffee mingled with the smell of bacon, creating the perfect storm.
“Hurry up and eat, and then get upstairs, Reap.”
I nodded, my mouth already stuffed full. This wouldn’t last two minutes.
There were only a few of us in church. Officers or brothers we trusted. I glanced around the table. We’d become the old guard. I didn’t know when. But at some point, we were the longest serving members. The others before us now dead. Indie,Fury. Demon. Magnet. Barry the Blade, the Twins, and me. We were now the originals.
“First the women,” Indie started.
“We’ve got cameras on everyone’s house, Indie,” Fury spoke up first. “I’ve got the funeral home covered in cameras and alarms, Ciara is being babysat by Demon every fucking night she works…”
“And drinking all our cut of the profits…” Barry the Blade complained from across the table.
“Don’t know what else I’m supposed to fucking do while I watch women take their clothes off every night.” Demon smirked.
“Fucking stay at home. There’s security all over that place now. More when Tyne Thunder become Kings’ prospects.”
“Nee way, mate. They’ve already tried getting to her once. I’ll fucking kill any fucker who even looks at her the wrong way.”
“That’s what we’re all afraid of,” Indie waded in. “What about Alice?”
“Fury’s put up cameras in the vets. Arsehole boss has paid for all the work and we can watch from our phones. She’s still further away than we’d like, but at least there’s two of us to man-mark her.”
Magnet scoffed; the muffled laugh, badly disguised as a cough, sounded more like he’d just choked on something.
“Good. Emmie is still a little out on a limb, but we’ll make sure Security Sam has a word with his team and keep eyes on her.”
The table nodded, and I joined in, a slight pull on my stomach. With eyes on Emmie, there wouldn’t be much on Sophie. But Soph wasn’t mine, and so demanding she was protected too wasn’t as easy.
“Suzy?” Indie turned to Magnet.
“At home. Supposed to be bed resting but doing everything she can to be fucking here at every opportunity.” Magnet pulled his hand across his face.
“I’ll talk to her. Club order to stay at home and away from this place until we’re free of the Hand.”
“Thanks, Indie.”
“What about Mamma Dot and Grace?” I asked.
“If anyone wants to volunteer as tribute to tell Mamma Dot what to do, go for it,” Indie answered, the rest of the men around the table breaking into deep chuckles. “But seriously. Fury, you’re going to need to deal with that one. I need your mam to stay home. Can Jake help with keeping watch on her?”
Fury shrugged, the look on his face darkening. “Don’t want to ask Jake for a favour,” he answered petulantly, like he was ten years old again.
“Aye. Hardly a favour though, is it? It’s his mother too.”
Fury nodded but said no more.
“And what about Grace?” Barry the Blade asked.
Indie swallowed, a sudden wave of tension on his face.
“I dunno. If I could convince her to come home, I can only bring her here. But up there she’s so far away, and with the tidal times we won’t always be able to reach her if we need to.”
“Do the Hand even know where she is?”
