She sighs. “Thank god the rally is coming up. I’ll be able to take my mind off him there.”
“Is he going to the rally?”
“Not likely. He’s not a patch holder with the club, so he won’t be invited.”
I grab a rag and wipe the bar down. “You sure know a lot about this world. I hope to be as knowledgeable as you one day.”
That makes her snort. “I only know so much because I knew the guys before I started working here.”
“Stripping, right?” I look her up and down. “I bet you were awesome.”
“I wasn’t too bad, if I do say so myself.”
“Were you stripping at the club that Saint owns?”
“Yeah. I lucked out getting a job there. Usually the girls have to audition, but Mama Bear saw me and hired me on the spot.”
“That’s so awesome.”
She grins. “We’ll have to go sometime. I think you’d be able to appreciate it.”
“That sounds fun.” I pause. “How long did you work there before you ended up here?”
“Maybe six months. Again, Mama Bear was the one who recommended me for the job, even though I didn’t have any bartending experience.”
“What happened to the last bartender?”
“She couldn’t hang. Same with the one you replaced. Mama Bear had to fire her.” She lets out a laugh. “Why all the questions?”
“Just trying to figure everything out.” I look down. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be welcomed here.”
“You’re dating two of the club officers. I think you’re fine.”
Her phone goes off and she says, “I’m going to grab this.”
When she’s gone, I go over everything she said to me. It makes sense that she’s Agent Hill’s other mole. I mean, what are the chances that two bartenders would get canned so Jas and I could have jobs?
One of the guys flags me down for a beer. I wave at him and grab a bottle and an empty ashtray. It’s scary how well I know these guys.
As I approach, he says to his tablemate, “There’s no fucking way it’s Psy.”
“I’m telling you, that’s what I heard. Psy and his brother, Maniac, are trying to take down the Inferno Bastards and our club.”
Both go silent as I reach the table. I put down the beer and grab the full ashtray.
“Anything else, boys?”
“Maybe a few more bottles?”
“Sure thing.”
They pick up their conversation when I leave. When I get back, I hear a bit more.
“-is crazy for not canceling the rally. What if they attack us there?”
“Then we’ll fuck them up.”
“I don’t know, man. This is getting too messy for me. I mean, he’s texting members, trying to get them on his side.”
“Did you tell Saint?”
“Fuck yeah I did. I’m not going to withhold info from the Prez.”
I put the bottles down. “Here ya go. Let me know if you need anything.”
Neither acknowledge me and I go back to the bar. My pulse pounds in my ears. Psycho and his brother are out to get the club? And the FBI? Fuck. But, does Agent Hill know about Psycho and his brother?
I send him a text and get a reply right away. Looks like I’m meeting him tomorrow.
Agent Hill is waiting for me at a coffee shop on the opposite end of town from where we usually meet.
“Ms. Mayhem.”
I sit across from him.
“Agent Hill, are you aware that another club has been targeting the Devil’s Regents?”
His eyebrow lifts. “I can’t say that it surprises me.”
“Did your other informant not tell you? It’s been the talk of everyone the last few days, especially since it involves a member of the club and his brother.”
“No, I had not heard this information.”
“And why is that, Agent Hill? Why hasn’t your informant told you something so big?” I shake my head. “When I told you about the first run being sabotaged, I thought you were involved. That you, or someone you work with, told the Inferno Bastards where they were going to be that night.”
“As I’ve already said, that’s not something we would have done.”
“I see that now, Agent Hill. But if it’s not you or your men, then could it possibly be your other source inside the club?”
“She’s given us no reason to not trust her.”
She!
“But, it’s possible, mainly when you consider that she hasn’t told you about the other club.” I inhale. “What if she’s playing both sides? Telling you just enough to satisfy you, but telling them more.”
“And why would she do that? She’s being well compensated for her troubles. When she’s finished with the Devil’s Regents, she will have a new life where no one can find her.”
I let out a small laugh. “A pipedream, Agent Hill. We both know that no one gets a fresh start. Not really.”
“What is it you’d like me to do, Ms. Mayhem?”
“Tell me her name. I’ll keep an eye on her. If she’s working both sides, she’s going to get sloppy.”
“No.”
“Please, Agent Hill. I… I can’t sit by and let someone hurt these men.”
His eyebrow lifts. “It would seem you’re too close to these thugs to see them for what they really are. They aren’t the good guys. And, if another club or one of their own is out to get them, there’s a reason for it. You’ve been there for a month now. I’ve been watching them for years. You don’t know them, Ms. Mayhem.”
But I do.
“Agent Hill, with all due respect, it’s you who doesn’t know them. They are good guys.”
“I wonder if you would say that if you weren’t having sex with two of the club officers.” He eyes me. “And I wonder if they would still want you if they knew your past. What you’ve done and what’s been done to you.”
His words are meant to hurt, but they don’t. Instead, they piss me off. I’ve dealt with men like this my entire life and I’m tired of it.
“Fuck you, Agent Hill. I was fucking raped. That was not my fault.”
He opens his mouth, but I’m on a roll.
“And if you threaten me again, you’re going to regret it.”
“Is that so?”
I nod. “If they’re as bad as you’re saying they are, imagine what they’d do if they knew you were blackmailing me, among other things.” I stand. “We’re done here.”
I leave the coffee shop, ignoring him calling my name.
I’m through being the victim. It’s time to take things back into my own hands. That means changing a few things. I pass a trash can and toss the fancy phone Agent Hill gave me. It probably has a tracking device in it, anyway. My next stop is to my phone carrier store. I tell them a little sob story about a fake ex and walk out twenty minutes later with a new phone and a new number.
The first app I install is Uber. When my car comes, I head back to the club. The second part of my plan is going to be tricky, but I have faith it’ll work. I mean, it has to.