Cruz (Dark and Dirty Sinners' MC #5) - Serena Akeroyd Page 0,125

up in inquiry. “The monitoring equipment, I mean?”

Steel shook his head. “She’s out of it, but she’s doing what she can. We need Mav on this one. You know he’s like a sniffer dog for this shit.”

Nyx and I shared a look, but Link commented, “Guess it’s a good thing Lodestar can help out, period, even if it’s just a little, especially with him…” Link blew out a breath. “Well, wherever his mind’s at.”

“Not wherever, whenever,” Steel corrected with a grimace.

Link winced. “True, man. Can’t believe the fucker’s head is back when he was in the sandbox.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You think he and Nic hooked up?”

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be privy to this conversation, not when they were talking like I wasn’t here anymore, but I wouldn’t argue.

“Maybe. Lodestar never said. Just told us who he was.”

Curiosity hit at Storm’s answer. “Who was he?” I asked.

The ex-VP of this chapter muttered, “His battalion leader.”

“We all know Mav swings both ways. I don’t think he’d have been that upset if he wasn’t emotionally involved with him," Nyx said, a tired sigh rushing from his lips as he scraped a hand over his head.

"Is he dead?" I queried grimly.

Link nodded. “Died in Kembesh.”

"Jesus," I muttered.

"About sums it up." Sin pursed his lips.

“More fucked up that he served in Afghanistan and we never fucking knew it,” Nyx grated out, prompting all of us to wince.

The lack of trust hurt me, so it had to be killing them to know how much he’d hidden from them when they were like legit family.

Clearing his throat, Sin groused, “This is the first time I've heard him mention Nic though. So, all this time, he was hiding the guy from us. What's that about?"

"I don't know, and it doesn't look like we're going to find out," Link rumbled. "Poor Ghost. She looked like Mav reached in and tore her fucking heart out."

"And with the standing up shit?" Nyx shook his head. "That bastard's been hiding that from us for a while as well. It's a good thing I love the fucker, or I'd be in his face right now.

"Who the fuck chooses to live in a wheelchair when they don't have to?"

"Someone who's psychologically damaged?" I pointed out, arching a brow at him.

Nyx huffed. "I'm psychologically damaged. You don't see me free-riding around in a mobility scooter."

"I'd pay to see that," Link said, his tone dead serious, and he earned himself the bird Nyx flipped his way.

"Children, we're getting off-topic," Storm grumbled. "Maverick has always done what he wanted to do. That tells me, for whatever reason, it suited him for people to believe that he couldn't walk."

A thought occurred to me. "You don't think he's in danger, do you?"

"From who? Aside from the Famiglia who are already willing to bomb our compound, you mean?" was Storm's pissed answer.

"I don't know. It just... people might think he isn't a threat if he's in a wheelchair."

"Mav's a threat when he's asleep," Nyx pointed out. "God, it's only recently that we got him to get rid of those fucking crutches." He rubbed his forehead. "I'm so fucking confused."

"Lot to be confused about," Storm agreed, "but as it stands, we got shit to get done. I asked Cruz to start drafting our new clubhouse, and I’ve called in brothers from the other chapters who are in construction.”

Nodding, Link asked, ”Cruz, you think you can handle the drawings?"

"Sure. I've built more complicated things than a clubhouse," I remarked simply, not a whisper of ego to the statement.

Link tipped his head to the side. “Like what?"

I flickered back through my mental portfolio and murmured, "Had to build a bridge once in South America."

Nyx snickered. "I think he can handle the clubhouse."

Storm grunted. "Good. We need you to deal with Indy and this situation with David, Cruz. You can handle that?"

"Of course."

"You going to brand her?" Nyx asked stonily, but his gaze didn't meet mine so I didn't take the question as a threat.

Not that there wasn't a threat brewing...

"When she's ready," I told him.

He muttered, "Good."

Storm cleared his throat. "The guys were telling me that you and your ma cut ties."

"I guess. I mean, I can call on her again. We don't exactly have a mother-son relationship that a lot of people might have, but she'll still pick up the phone if I call." I grimaced. "At least, I think she would. Why?"

"No reason." He stared at me, which made a liar out