The only problem was ending my relationship with Laken when she was crucial to the investigation. I was pretty damn certain that Reaper only trusted me because his favourite kid did, and getting rid of that security, especially now that Harleigh Rose was involved in the MC, was a dangerous move I couldn’t risk.
“Does he know his sister is involved with the cops?” I asked, because even though he loved his sister, I couldn’t see the new prospect, King Garro, liking that idea.
Wrath’s mouth thinned. “No, and actually, didn’t know that ’til now. Just thought you two had a history.”
“We do,” I said, taking a chance on him just as he’d taken a gamble on me. “And she is.”
“Right, well I’m guessin’ you don’t want me to tell King, that’s fine, that’s her business and it might fuck with my gig. King kept his part’a our bargain. Kylie’s been stayn’ up in Entrance until this week ’cause my girl loves her Mama and it’s her birthday. She’ll go back up after that. Can’t risk it.”
“She gonna stay up there with King forever?” I asked because I knew the answer was no.
His face hardened, and he turned to face me. “They call me Wrath ’cause I’m a big guy, strong enough to crush bones between my fingers, and when roused, I’m a vengeful beast, but they shoulda called me “Hound” ’cause I’m smart ’nough to see shit and know shit others don’t.” He paused. “Like the fact that Harleigh Rose or her daddy prob’ly killed my bastard ass cousin for beatin’ her one too many times. Or that Reaper keeps an iron lock down on his source in the Port Authority, but he’s got a new bitch in his bed he talks to so the opportunities ripe for the takin’ to help you bring these sons of bitches down. Like the fact that you’re a fuckin’ cop and I knew it only ’cause I could fuckin’ smell it on ya.”
I rubbed a hand over my face, reeling from the sudden turn of events, trying to figure out how I could make this work to my advantage and feeling grateful I’d decided not to wear a wire that night, otherwise cops would be rolling up to turn Wrath C.I. even as we spoke.
“Why didn’t you go to the cops? Why didn’t you turn me in?”
“First, liked you,” he shrugged. “Even ’fore shit happened with Kylie, thought ’bout leavin’, defectin’ to another club that stood for what I wanted, family and freedom to live without rules. The Fallen seemed to fit, made a deal with King that when the time came, I’d be welcomed there if I worked with them to take out the club.”
“You’re working with The Fallen,” I echoed.
“They know they got an inside man, don’t know who it is only that I’m feedin’ them solid intel. Didn’t want this shit spreadin’ so only King knows.”
I raised my brows and let out a low whistle. “Not even Zeus Garro?”
Wrath’s smile flashed white through his beard. “Not yet.”
“Fuck, well, why tell me this?”
Wrath looked back to the house. “We both got girls in this fight, I figure we need each other.” He peered at me and for the first time in the three years I’d known him, I could see his soul shining in his eyes, wide and deep as a well, seemingly black but filled with something a fuckuva lot lighter than anyone gave him credit for. “You with me?”
I shouldn’t have been.
It was my job to take him into the station, get him set up properly as a confidential informant, promise to get protection I knew wouldn’t be given to his woman, and let the higher-ups make the bigger calls.
I was just a grunt.
But I looked into Wrath Marsden’s eyes and saw a soul I could respect a lot fucking more than I respected the paper pushers I worked under, the father who’d taught me the police were elementally, eternally in the right, and I made another of a series of decisions in my life that were not morally good, that pushed me in the direction of another kind of brotherhood than the one with the men in blue.
I took Wrath’s offered hand in mine and clapped him on the back.
I left the weed at King and Cress’s front door before I hauled back to Entrance going fifty kilometers over the speed limit so that I’d beat the brothers back to the clubhouse. I’d told Farrah and Reaper that I was going to take a nap in Wrath’s room while I waited for him to get back from the job, then I’d climbed out the window, jumping to the garage roof and then the soft grass at its back. My car was still parked prominently in the front yard of the compound so it was a good thing I’d learned to hotwire cars when I was twelve and King was bored enough one day to teach me. Newer cars were a pain because of alarm systems and automatic start buttons, but I’d found a beautiful old model Aston Martin DB5 just sittin’ pretty in a driveway a few blocks away that did the trick.
I parked it in the same spot I’d found it and then couldn’t resist using the pink lipstick I found in the passenger seat to press a kiss to the side window and write a little “xoxo, thanks for the ride” underneath.
I’d just climbed back through the window and changed into one of Wrath’s tee shirts because mine were covered in dirt and it would better cement my napping story anyway when I felt the thunder of bikes rolling into the drive.
Still, I stayed upstairs.
It was only when the second, lesser growl sounded outside that I knew Danner and Wrath were back that I realized the danger of Danner coming inside.
Farrah was still there, and she knew him. Sure, she’d been high and obliterated as Ben Franklin’s lightning struck kite each time he’d visited to have a chat with her about raising her kids right, but Danner was not the kind of man a woman could forget.
I jumped off the bed and raced down the stairs. Thankfully, Wrath and Danner were just climbing up the steps when I crashed through the door and launched myself at Wrath.
Instinctively, he caught me and my legs went around his waist even though he was too mammoth for me to wrap them fully around and I had long legs.
I dipped my face to his shoulder so that any of the onlookers would think I was giving my man a tender embrace. It was sketchy to warn him in front of Wrath, but I figured I knew enough about his secrets to blackmail him if he gave us grief about it.
“Farrah’s inside,” I whispered to Danner who had immediately locked furious eyes on me.
I guessed I wasn’t forgiven for getting involved in the ambush.
“You cannot come in. Farrah’s inside,” I repeated.
The fury dimmed then flared to life again reminding me that he hated my mum even more than I did.
“Need ya to take my woman home,” Wrath said loudly to Danner. “She’s got school tomorrow and I’m gonna be ’ere awhile debriefin’. You got ’er?”
“Yeah, brother,” Danner agreed easily then looked over my shoulder. “You cool with that, Prez?”
“Sure the girl’s mum would like to spend more time with ’er. Why don’t you leave her here while we finish up our business? Won’t take long.”
It was formed like a question, but we had no choice.
My heart was lurching in my chest, overtaxed by the amount of excitement I’d had that day.