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Um, that would be a hard no.

Imogene didn’t miss the irony in the comment. She was practically on the verge of desperation for companionship, and the only person wanting to spend time with her was a man she wanted to keep at a safe distance.

“I’d categorize us as associates.” She smiled and reached for her bag, eager to change the subject. “Have you gotten a chance to check out any of the programs I mentioned?” She pulled out a stack of pamphlets. “I have a few more, if you’re…”

“I think you’re single.”

Oh hell. Imogene sighed and rested against the back of the booth.

“I’m not.”

His brows hiked, and his lips twitched. “You lying?”

Yes. It had been years since she’d gone on a date and even longer since she’d been in a committed relationship. But she wouldn’t share any of that with Logan. Imogene was fully prepared to commit to the bit.

“Of course not.” She glanced down at her phone. “In fact, I’m meeting him in a half hour, so we should really stay on task. The programs?”

He narrowed his eyes, and there was a shift in the air. It was unsettling, and she felt her heart rate pick up speed. They may have been in a public setting, but an unexplainable fear washed over her.

I don’t get paid enough for this.

****

It was just after five when they returned to the clubhouse from a ride. Not a run. Not business. A long ride on the roads he loved the most. While he’d missed the club and freedom when he was incarcerated, his motorcycle had also been on the top of his list. Some brothers collected bikes, owned a few, and traded them out, depending on the ride. Jekyll had one. It was symbolic of his loner status.

He walked out of his house and started toward the clubhouse. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to the layout of the secret neighborhood, but admittedly, he liked it. Construction had started on a few more houses. He glanced over at the empty lot between his house and Cross’s. It was meant for Hyde, but he hadn’t taken the club up on the offer. He had his reasons. Unless there was a party, meeting, or run, he spent most of his time at Penny’s. Hyde got some shit from the others but not Jekyll. He wouldn’t taunt his cousin over wanting some semblance of balance with his woman. It was a luxury neither one of them had been afforded growing up.

Jekyll headed straight to the meeting in Ace’s wing of the clubhouse. He walked in to find most brothers already there. He took his seat next to Hyde and waited for Ace to begin.

“Got a call from Griggs. They want to add a third to their next shipment.”

The room was drowned in silence. Satan’s Hex had struck a deal while he was away. Since the former president and VP had been locked up, leadership had shifted, and bigger, riskier deals had been set in motion. They’d taken on larger shipments and paid for them. So where was the issue? They didn’t have the distribution reach. Where the fuck is the money coming from?

“They take on new distribution?” Hyde asked.

“Not that we know of, and all that shit has to be accounted for. Griggs claimed their dealers are selling more, but even if that’s true, it means their whole area, down to the fucking bingo hall would be buyers. It doesn’t add up.”

“Unless they’re stock piling for a delivery across state lines,” Cross said.

“And they know as part of the deal only we do state to state transport?” Jekyll asked.

Even after being caught up on all the club business he’d missed after being away for two years, there were always some missing pieces. It had been a hard rule that due to the nature of the risk involving across state lines transfers, only Killcreek could move the product. There was a heavier penalty and a great enough risk to take down the club they’d spent decades building. Compounded with exposing Inez and the Underground, Killcreek didn’t make exceptions when it came to out of state transfers.

Cross ground his teeth. “Oh, they know.”

“Dumb fucks!” Oak laughed.

Ace cocked his brow. “They are. But if they got friends in high places that we don’t know about” —he paused, shifting his gaze over the brothers— “it becomes our problem. ’Cause if the product gets in the wrong hands, it could be traced back to us.”

Cue scoffed, stretching his arms overhead. “I’ve been saying this from the beginning. They’re gonna try to run it through Ghosttown.”

It was the only unsecured point. While the small town and the resident club had the protection of the Underground, it meant nothing if Satan’s moved through the shadows.

“You think they’ve done it before?” Jekyll asked.

His question caught the attention of every member. He straightened in his seat, rested his elbows on the table, and shifted his gaze between Ace and Cross.

“They’re asking for a third increase, right? That’s pretty confident.”