“One?” the girl inquires, losing the dour face.
“Yep.” I tilt my head to the side. “I have four, and they’re all hot as fuck.” I’d love to show her some pics, to really rile Dar up, but the guys are well-known, and I don’t want word getting out that I was meeting the enemy for fear it ends up getting back to the psycho. This is already risky enough as it is.
“Well, damn, girl.” She plants her hands on her hips. “Where can I get me some of that?”
“I don’t have all day,” Dar snaps. “Get me a beer.” He dismisses her with a flip of his hand.
“Neither do I.” I slide the piece of paper across the table to him.
“What’s this?”
“Details of a shipment The Sainthood has coming up from Mexico Wednesday night.”
“Mexico?” He rubs at his brow. “I thought they got their supplies from Europe?”
“They’re testing a new supplier.” I pop a chip in my mouth. He grins as he unfolds the paper, reading the details. “You’re welcome.”
“This is good, Lo.”
“I know.” I stand. “Don’t fuck it up. I can’t wait to see the look on Sinner’s face when he finds out you ambushed his delivery.”
“I’ll need more,” he adds. “If you want me to keep quiet about your betrayal.”
“Like I said,” I say, slipping out of the booth and taking my knife from where I placed it on the seat beside me, “I want to see them taken down.” I lean into his face, deliberately lowering my gaze to his mouth and licking my lips. “You don’t need to threaten me.” I press the tip of my knife to his cock. “Or next time, I’ll stab you in the balls.”
I walk off toward the counter, smiling like it’s my birthday, because I just fucking love it when a plan comes together. I hand the blonde a twenty, smirking. “Keep the change, and take my advice—make sure he wraps it before he taps it.”
_______________
We’ve just finished eating our takeout in the basement when Bry shows up at the house a little after nine. “Hey.” I greet him at the door with a quick hug. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too.” He eyes the marks around my neck with suspicion. “You doing okay?”
“I’ve never been better.” I shoot him a cheeky wink as I lead him downstairs to the guys.
“Sit your ass down,” Saint says, gruffly, pointing at the couch across from us. I smirk, because he’s such a grumpy shit.
But he’s my grumpy shit.
Saint pulls me down on the couch between him and Galen, slapping a possessive hand on my thigh. I barely resist the urge to roll my eyes.
Bry casually flips Saint off before dropping onto the couch beside Theo. He leans back, crossing one leg over his knee and smirking. Caz hands him a beer, with a matching smirk, before plonking his butt on the arm of the couch. “Thanks, man.” Bry nods.
“What’s the update?” Saint asks.
“Not a lot,” Bry admits. “Whoever the rat is, he’s well protected. I’ve dropped a couple hints, put out a few feelers, but no one seems to know anything, or if they do, they’re not saying.”
“How can we move this forward?” I ask.
“I suggest we install some cameras and break in to the prez’s office. Nothing goes down without Archer Quinn knowing.”
“You think the rat approached him and he’s dealing with him directly?” Galen asks.
Bry nods.
“It would explain why no one seems to know anything,” Theo supplies.
“Get the cameras set up,” Saint says. “And we’ll plan a B&E after all the shit goes down this week.”
“What shit?” Bry inquires, his brows climbing to his hairline.
“Things that don’t concern you,” Saint says. Until we know exactly where Bry’s loyalties lie, we can’t let him know our true agenda.
“Did Dar mention anything about his deal with me or Galen?” I ask.
“Sly fucker hasn’t said a word to me.” Bry swallows a mouthful of beer. “But he’s shitting bricks. He’s on edge and snapping at everyone and anything. It’s clear he’s rattled.”
“You heard anything about the DEA sniffing around?” Saint asks, and Bry almost chokes on his beer.
“Shit,” he says when he’s composed himself. “No, but that’s not good.”
He won’t meet my eyes, and all the tiny hairs lift on the back of my neck.
Saint bores a hole in his skull, and they enter into a silent face-off for a few beats. “You sure you don’t want to amend your answer?”
The vein in Bry’s neck pulses, but outwardly, he looks unfazed. “I’m sure,” he coolly replies. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”
Silence slices through the air, and everyone feels the tension.
“We have something else for you to do,” Saint says, breaking up the heavy atmosphere.
“Taylor Tamlin,” Theo adds. “We need you to hook up with her again and drill her for intel.”
“Pun intended,” Caz cuts in, wearing a goofy smile.
“We want to know what part she’s played and what she knows,” Galen says.
“Consider it done.” Bry finishes the rest of his beer in one go and stands. “Anything else? I need to get home.”
“We’re good. For now.” Saint says. “Lo will see you out.” Saint sends me a knowing look, and I rise, lifting my shoulder and gesturing at Bry to follow me.
I step out into the cool night air. “If there’s more you know, you need to spit it out,” I say as he throws his leg over his Harley.
“You still don’t trust me.” It’s a statement, not a question. He watches me carefully as he straps his helmet on.
“I get the feeling you’re not telling us everything.”
He places his hands on the handlebars, and his feet are on the ground. He looks me straight in the eye. “Let’s say I wasn’t but the reason is justified, and I believe our goals are aligned, would you still trust me?”
“It’s hard to trust someone who keeps secrets. You know how I feel about that.”
He kick-starts his bike. “I’m not the only one keeping secrets, though, am I, Lo?” he says, staring pointedly at me before taking off and disappearing down the driveway.
_______________
We stay at the house again on Wednesday after my hospital visit. Things are going to hit the fan tonight, provided Dar comes through. We want to be here to watch Sinner’s reaction when he gets the news.
“It’s good to have you all home,” Mom says, sliding the pot roast to the middle of the table. She’s cooked up a delicious feast, and there’s enough food here to feed an army. But the swelling on her cheeks, cut on her lip, bruising on her neck and arms, and the way she’s hobbling around the kitchen has vanquished my appetite. She hasn’t texted me since I’ve been staying at the barn, and I haven’t made the effort to reach out to her either, and now, I feel guilty for abandoning her to a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
Watching her play the perfect Stepford wife aggravates me, and I’m already in a pissy mood because there’s no change in Sariah’s condition, and the doctors aren’t holding out much hope. “Maybe, now we’re home, your fiancé will stop beating the shit out of you,” I snap, unable to hold the words back.