Page 52 of Two Tricks

Nodding, she kept moving around the room. “Can I assume the rest of the guys are with you too?”

“You would assume correct, little hellcat,” Eagle called out, “and you got one hell of a punishment waiting for you when you get back for pulling a stunt like that.”

“Fuck off Eagle,” Dax snapped. “If you were paying attention at all, you’d know it’s your fault I’m even in this situation.”

Eagle scoffed. “Then we must have been listening to two different conversations, because it sounded like if we didn’t come along, the same thing would have happened but with the Mad Dogs. They aren’t as hospitable as we are, to say the least.”

“Why don’t we have this conversation a little later in person,” Dax grumbled. “I somehow have to get my catatonic best friend and your unconscious brother out of here and back to the compound in a Fiat, and then figure out what the fuck to do with our bikes.”

“Just get back here, rebel. Bikes can be replaced, but you guys can’t,” Sprocket said.

They couldn’t see, but Dax flipped off the camera, and I just smiled. “She gave a thumbs up.”

“I’ll just bet she did.” Void smirked.

“We’ll see you when you get here,” I said as I signed off Harper’s system.

I looked at the guys, who looked far more haggard than I was, not used to dealing with this lifestyle. “At this point, you have two choices—make more coffee or try and catch an hour of sleep before she gets here.”

“I’ll get the coffee brewing,” Sprocket said as he heaved himself off the couch.

Eagle rubbed his jaw, deep in thought, while the other two seemed to wait on his direction. This was the biggest difference between how they worked and how Dax and I worked—we were a team. Both of us had strengths that the other didn’t, and we found a way to blend them to work in the best way possible. These bikers needed instruction before they could move forward, not having the autonomy to just pick up a lead and run it down. As they waited for their leader to make up his mind about whatever it was he was thinking about, I pulled up the file on Little Fingers that I hadn’t had a chance to read through yet.

This situation was turning out to have several layers to it, and I just couldn’t seem to see where they all intersected. The cleanup crew I sent to the house gave me the information on the man that Dax interrogated, but he was nothing but a low-level dealer. Little Fingers, on the other hand, was middle management, so the task at hand was to see who he reported to. I needed the top of the food chain to get the full picture.

“So at what point does the elusive Two Tricks deem it necessary to involve himself?” Eagle asked, drawing my attention.

“Oh, he’s been involved through this whole situation. I’ve been keeping him well informed,” I answered.

Eagle grunted and leaned forward on his knees. “See, I’m having a hard time believing that a man as powerful as him is still keeping to the shadows with all this. War with a cartel and a biker gang is not a small problem.”

I glanced up at him, keeping my expression neutral as my anger flared at what I thought he was hinting at. “Are you saying Tricks is a coward?”

“How would I know?” Eagle challenged. “The man never shows his face and uses proxies for all his deals, so who’s to say he’s even alive? With a ghost like that, he could be anyone—even you, Weston.”

Giving him a smirk, I set my laptop to the side. “And if I was Two Tricks, what then? Does it change the situation we’re in or what needs to happen next?”

Void growled at my tone and moved towards me, but Eagle held out a hand, stopping him. “True as that may be, if we are going to war with you, I think it’s only fair that I meet the man I’m asking my people to possibly die protecting.”

Nodding in agreement, I decided to compromise. “I am not Two Tricks, and as for who that is, it’s only fair to have everyone here for that conversation.”

“Fine, if we are going to do this, I’ll make us something to eat. No telling how fast things will move once Mastiff finds out Doc is dead.” Eagle headed into the kitchen, grabbing the coffee cup from Sprocket as he passed.

Sprocket rolled his eyes and went back to make himself a new mug, and I went to pick up my laptop when a shadow loomed over me. Looking up, I found Void standing over me. I quirked an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to speak.

“In the spirit of partnership, I feel that I should tell you that once my little demon is back in this house, I’m not letting her leave us again. She belongs with us whether she realizes it or not. Know that if you try to take her from me and mine, I will not hesitate to kill you, even if it means she will hate me forever,” Void warned.

“Dax was never going to be mine alone—she couldn’t handle that type of relationship. You may think you can keep her against her will, but if she doesn’t want to stay, she won’t—and there is no way in hell I’ll let you do that to her. If you don’t keep her from me, then I won’t keep her from you—fair?” I countered, holding out my hand.

Void wrapped his large hand around mine and squeezed hard enough that I was concerned he might break my hand. “Don’t make me have to hurt you and everything will be fine.”

Having got that off his chest, he headed upstairs.

“So dramatic—am I right?” Cognac said, grinning at me.

I shook my head and got back to work on the matters at hand, knowing Dax would be a tornado of pent-up rage when she got here.

It took longer than I would have liked to get everything settled so we could leave, but I had to go back and grab our bikes and stash them in Harper’s garage. I disabled the garage door and took the keys with me, so it would hopefully keep anyone from messing with them. Putting Harper in the joke of a back seat, still bundled in her blanket, I then maneuvered Picasso into the front passenger seat.