outside a friend’s house after she got back from church.”
Cristiano crosses himself and seems taken aback. “This is a sacrilege. To take a church-going woman on the holy sacrament is an offense to God himself.”
Carlos comes back into the room, followed by two women, carrying coffee and cups. They serve Cristiano and Carlos first, then one of them pours me a coffee. Sean and Wheels decline.
“Do you have cream?” asks Angus. One of the women shakes her head. “Just a dash of milk, then, please.”
We all wait as she pours him a coffee, adds milk, and smiles at him. Angus smiles back and reaches out for the drink. “Thanks so much.” He takes a sip and closes his eyes. “This is really good. Tell me, Cristiano, what type of beans do you use?”
I make a noise in the back of my throat. All this posturing and flattering isn’t getting me any answers.
Cristiano smiles at Angus, then pins me with a hard stare. “I can tell you’re eager to get on with business. They were here on Sunday?”
“Yes,” I reply flatly.
Cristiano addresses Carlos. “Who was here on Sunday?”
“Enrico.”
“Is he here now?” Carlos shakes his head. “Call him.”
“Cristiano, I told you what this meet was about. All we want is answers. Do you have any for us?” asks Wheels.
Cristiano smiles and takes a sip of his coffee. “There were two men and a woman. Her name, I don’t know. The men were Tommy and Garry. I believe Garry is Lola’s brother? Perhaps this was a family dispute?”
“I didn’t mention Lola, and why did they gut one of my men?” I ask quietly.
Cristiano places his cup on the table, his lips turn down, and his head goes from side to side slowly. He locks eyes with me, and those lips turn into a smile.
Cristiano holds up a finger. “Ahh, but we know much about you, Kyle. As for your men, when you catch up with them, you can ask them.”
His whole demeanor is off as though he’s the cat that swallowed the canary. My instincts tell me he knows a hell of a lot more than he’s letting on.
“Do you know where they went and why they’d take one of ours?”
“But not one of yours, is it? Someone much closer than that.” He smiles. “As for your dead, perhaps he owed a debt?” The smile disappears as he sits straighter in the chair. “Perhaps promises were made, and they haven’t been kept.”
“How about we get down to it?” I ask.
Cristiano takes a sip of coffee. “Yvette Cartland, Garry Cartland, and Ben Cartland, who have disappeared by the way, owe me money.”
“You?”
Cristiano grins. “They owe the Rochas.”
“If this debt was to be paid, would my woman be returned to me?”
“You assume I have her?”
“It sounds that way.”
Cristiano shakes his head. “No. We hunt those who do have her.”
“Dead men don’t pay their debts.”
“True, but it sets a precedent. No one will default on us. No one would dare.”
I glance at Sean, who nods once, then looks to the exit, so I stand.
“Thank you for the sit-down.” I push the chair out.
Wheels and Sean stand too.
“Wait.” Cristiano stands and moves around the table to stand before me. “Just so I’m clear. You had nothing to do with the Cartlands defaulting on their debt? And you and your MC have nothing to do with running of the merchandise?”
He’s scrutinizing me, staring me in the eyes, searching for the truth.
“On my mother’s grave, I swear we have nothing to do with the Cartlands’ deal, and we don’t do merchandise,” I growl out the last word. Its very meaning causes me to feel disgust.
His drugs have destroyed so many lives that I won’t allow that poison to infect my MC or my family.
Cristiano nods and steps back, he waves a hand in the air, and his men leave the room. “Good luck in finding your woman. I hope she comes back to you safe and sound.”
That’s our cue to leave. I nod and head for the door. As Wheels walks past Cristiano, he reaches out and pats him on the shoulder. Wheels pauses for a second, then keeps going. Angus is the last one out the door, smiling like an idiot. I get on my bike, and we all ride back to the compound. Whatever the fuck that was, it wasn’t fucking productive. We’re no further ahead than we were.
Making my way up the clubhouse stairs, Logan meets me in the doorway.
“Did you find her or Mom?”
Shaking my