Cruz (Dark and Dirty Sinners' MC #5) - Serena Akeroyd Page 0,133

Tatána betrayed the fucking club,” she snarled. “I helped bring that bitch onto the compound.”

“You saved her from starving to death in that hell-hole, Ghost and Amara too. You did good. But what I was going to say is that, however they were bought, I know the Sinners well enough to figure out they’re dismantling the operation. They might be evil cunts who have no problem with selling guns and drugs but you know what they’re like with the skin trade. That matters, Giulia. That matters to so many women.”

She bit her lip. “True. Tatána is still a cunt though.”

“How do you know any of this?”

“I have ears, don’t I?”

Amused, I tugged on her hand. “Tatána did what she did because she wanted more.” I released a shaky breath, unsure whether to tell her the truth or not and feeling guilty for questioning when she was opening up to me. But secrets and me were old friends… “Cruz hasn’t really mentioned it but I know David ran off because—”

“Why?” she prompted when my words tailed off.

“Remember I told you he was like my stalker?”

“No ‘like’ about it. You called it how it is,” she rumbled gruffly.

“I think he found out about Cruz, and then got to Tatána and used her to get eyes and ears in the clubhouse. I’m not sure if he was just trying to monitor Cruz because of me, or if he had deeper motivations, but—”

“Jesus,” she rasped, her eyes widening with the implications. “She was helping him spy on you?”

I dipped my chin. “I think so.” That was all that Cruz had told me, anyway. Even then, he hadn’t told me much, mostly because I didn't think the council had clued him in on it either. He was probably as much in the dark as I was. The last thing he’d mentioned about David was the order from the council that I head to the police to report him missing. “I can’t be mad at her though. He was a pretty good-looking guy—”

“For a weirdo,” she said with a snort.

“But he was kind. Why wouldn’t she respond to that? And why wouldn’t she want what Ghost has?” I winced. “This sounds weird, but he was never suggestive. I don't think sex—”

“You mean he just wanted to protect you, not possess you?”

I pondered that. “Maybe. I was like an object. Not a woman, you know? If he was just really sweet to her, kind and gentle, after what she’d been through, why wouldn’t she fall for him? Especially when he wasn’t interested in sex?”

Giulia narrowed her eyes. “How did they meet?”

“No idea. None at all.”

“I didn’t even know she was leaving the compound.”

I snorted. “You just thought she was there twenty-four-seven?”

She shrugged. “Never really thought about it, but yeah. They were all scared of their own shadows for a long time. As far as I knew, nothing has changed much.” She pursed her lips. “Granted, I wasn’t spending as much time with them toward the blast. I had my hands full with the club snatch.”

“Well, we know she was good at sneaking around, don’t we? If she could plant stuff at the clubhouse with no one knowing?”

“Bitch deserved to burn alive.”

I winced. “Ouch.”

“Fucking hate traitors,” she muttered, her arms going around her waist again. “I hope the brothers find that prick David and slaughter him too.”

“Christ, you’re bloodthirsty.”

She bared her teeth at me. “Trust me, I know.”

“You resent that Bear killed Luke for you, don’t you?” I surmised gruffly.

“I fucking do.” She tipped her chin up. “I’ll never be a victim. Ever again. That’s why I don’t need that Prospect out there.”

“In our world, a treasure unprotected isn't a treasure at all,” I told her. “You know that.”

Her mouth tightened, but I saw a warmth in her eyes that let me know I’d softened her up for Nyx.

Fucker owed me and didn’t even know it.

“I guess.”

Both of us jumped when the buzzer sounded as the door opened, and in walked a customer.

I’d been Jun’s tattoo artist for years, and she wanted a quick touch up on a piece she had on her arm with the addition of her new baby's name to it.

I mocked it up for her, then when she was happy, moved it to my workstation.

Grateful Giulia was there, I left her to woman the front desk, and went to work on Jun's tattoo.

It barely took twenty minutes, and I always felt kind of shitty when a tattoo didn't take a long time. Like I