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I dreamed about what we did, about what else I’d like to do.

And some time in the middle of the night, we did it again.

And more.

Chapter Fifteen

Knox

I’m daydreaming about fucking my wife. I should’ve been listening to my brothers, hell my father, as they talked about club business. But I wasn’t. Because I fucking couldn’t.

“You listenin’, Knox?” Hatchet’s voice cut through my thoughts with entirely too much fucking amusement. It was like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Yeah,” I lied easily, and looked up to find half the table watching me. Smirking. Knowing. “Just thinking about a few things.”

“A red-headed, green-eyed thing?” Rook asked with a shit-eating grin stretched across his face.

“Yes,” I said. “And no.” I shifted in my seat and pulled my focus back where it belonged. “Just trying to put some pieces together and they’re not making a fucking bit of sense.” I looked to Switch. “You find anything on Rex’s anonymous accounts yet?”

Switch leaned back in his chair. “All but one.”

It was just the way of the universe that it was probably the most important account. “The others turn up anything?”

He showed off what we all called his evil genius grin, which meant he found something useful. “Plenty.” He pulled up his laptop and turned it around. “Rex has a string of stash houses across the state, and he’s been renting them out to a crew called the Crimson Outlaws. They ride bikes but it’s not an MC. They’re mostly known as traffickers. Drugs on occasion, if the money is right, but mostly kids. Sixteen and under.”

The room went quiet.

“So what,” Warden said finally, his voice flat as ever. “Why would Rex give a fuck if anyone knew about that? That money is as green as anybody else’s.”

Switch shrugged. “I agree, but none of this cash is going to the MC.” He glanced around the table. “I’m guessing his men would have a problem with that.”

“So we use it,” I declared, loud enough to make sure I had everybody’s attention, and then I looked at each and every one of them the way I’d seen Hatchet do a million times since I was a kid. “Let’s sow some tension with these fuckers. Let the right people know Rex has been holding out. Let it do the work for us.”

Hatchet nodded, chin dipping as his gaze moved around the room before it settled back on me. The look in his eyes said something he didn’t say out loud. Something like that’s my boy. “Torch. Ace.” He pointed across the table. “Head into Warlords territory and make some noise. Torque will back you up.” Then he looked to me. “You and Rook go talk to Rex. Rile him up a little.”

Rook was on his feet before Hatchet finished the sentence. His grin was back in place, his eyes lit with the joy of a man who loved to cause chaos. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” He looked at me. “Let’s go stir up some shit.”

We hopped on our bikes and rode out into the afternoon sun, the mountain road opening up ahead of us, and my mind drifted back to Ivy before I’d made it half a mile. I was on a mountain road thinking about a woman other than Sarah, which I counted as a win.

Dammit.

Ivy had gotten under my skin, and after Sarah, I’d promised myself I wouldn’t let that happen again. I couldn’t afford to be distracted, not now while I had to keep my MC above water. Not while I had to keep my wife safe. Shit was too precarious right now, which meant I needed to shut that shit down. Right now.

I had to keep this club whole and my wife safe.

That was it.

That was the goal.

That and nothing more.

I tightened my grip on the bars and focused on the road as my gaze narrowed to the stretch of road in front of me.

***

We found Rex holding court at The Mean Green, a shitty little pub that sat just over the Redstone border. He used the place to conduct business without running afoul of the Iron Vows. His gaze was on me the moment I stepped through the door, as if he was expecting me. It was that quick flash of surprise that told me I’d shocked him. He schooled his features quickly before a wide, ugly smile made an appearance.

“Well. Look at that, boys.” He spread his arms wide, putting on a show. “My son-in-law is here for a visit.” A ripple of laughter moved through his men, but Rex’s smile didn’t reach his cold, dead eyes. “All sales final, I’m afraid. You can’t send her back.”