“Just that they’re the ones who did me the favor of disposing of Bomber.” Then she winced. “And half the council. I’m sorry about them.” Her voice had turned small, like she knew what she’d just said and regretted it.
Though we’d all tensed at her cavalier words, it was easy to understand why she’d want Bomber gone.
The bastard had ruined our lives, and was still affecting it to this day.
“We’ve been at war with them for a long time over territory,” Wolfe told her, his voice low.
“Why?”
“They want more of what we’ve got.”
She frowned. “I repeat, why? Rutherford isn’t exactly a hotspot.”
“That’s why we stay under the radar,” Axe pointed out.
“No, it isn’t. There’s no way you’re under the radar. I know Wolfe went to jail, who else did too?”
“All of us except for Flame.”
“Only way the cops will take me is in a body bag.”
At my grim words, panic flared in her face. I didn’t fail to recognize the fact that there was more panic at my words than at her own fate.
Fuck, she loved me.
I already knew it, but seeing was believing.
“Don’t talk like that,” she demanded.
I didn’t reply, because I couldn’t take the words back. I meant them. Every one of them.
Reaching over, I pressed a hand to her knee and murmured, “Our business has diversified.”
“Yeah, but even though it isn’t about drugs anymore, you’re still smuggling cigarettes. That probably pisses off more letter agencies than the drugs, considering you’re helping people evade taxes.” She covered my hand. “You’re just good at not getting caught, and let’s keep it that way, yeah?”
“We’re already cutting back on one aspect of our ops,” Dagger reassured her.
“Which one?”
“Murder for hire,” I told her bluntly, needing her to know what we did for a living.
Of course, she wasn’t surprised. Or, disturbed. “Dirty cunts… buying someone else to do the fucking job.” Naturally she saw it that way. “Wheels will make a good Road Captain, and Ink will make a fabulous Secretary. Rodeo as Sergeant of Arms would fit the position well.”
Her words and change of subject had us all scowling at her.
“Ink isn’t even in the running for a role—”
She held up a hand at Wolfe’s statement. “Trust me, he should be. He’s good.”
“How do you know?”
“I snooped, of course.”
“Snooped where?” Dagger sputtered, but he was laughing.
“You’re always working on something over there, Mr. Treasurer. It’s easy to look at the same screen and see the totals.”
Wolfe grunted. “Good thing you’re trustworthy.”
She bared her teeth. “Best thing that ever happened to you.”
When Wolfe went to speak, I nudged him in the side. “Shut up,” I told them both. “She isn’t wrong. Ink is doing a great job at the tattoo parlor. That place is getting international acclaim for his designs, and his figures are never wrong, are they, Dag? I never have to go over and get them from him because he’s late.” As Enforcer, that was one aspect of my job—to police our own, especially when it came down to our businesses and the money they earned.
“Never. He’s always prompt too. Perfect books.”
“Indie is doing a great job at the bar too though.” Axe folded his arms across his chest. “And he has experience. Ink doesn’t.”
“So, just because he’s young you don’t think he can keep the MC organized?” Lucie snorted. “Grow up. That’s exactly why he can. He’s what, my age? Five years separate us, and there’s already a major difference between how I respond to tech and you do. Take advantage of that. The Secretary isn’t even that big of a role. It’s more managerial. If he can’t handle it, just demote him.”
“Anyone else get the feeling we’re being micromanaged?” Wolfe groused.
“Let a woman walking down death row pick her jailors,” she rasped, and that had us all tensing.
“You’re not going to die,” I ground out, and my hand tightened around her knee to the point where she cried out a little. Only that had me relenting. “Nothing is going to happen to you. We’re going to get through this, get past it, and then just carry on living our lives. Do you hear me?”
She licked her lips, nodded. “I hear you.”
She’d complied, sure, but her voice lacked the power I knew she was capable of.
I’d die first before she did, but she didn’t need to know that. Not yet. Hopefully not ever.
❖
Dagger
“You can’t be serious?”
Ink’s words didn’t exactly encourage us, but I saw the pride glimmering in his eyes, saw the way he’d straightened at