Dirty Deals by Nicole James Page 0,27
in prison. He wanted to put a hit out on the judge. I convinced him otherwise. Told him he doesn’t run things around here anymore. Told him any effort to expose the way Rat rigged his sentence would expose the entire club to charges.
“Fuck.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t want to turn his back on the club, so he’ll keep his mouth shut. With any luck, he might get out on parole.”
“You believe that?”
“Fuck no. But I had to throw the man a bone. Can’t have him losing all hope. Who knows with overcrowding… His crime wasn’t violent after all, just drug charges.”
“Guess so.” Reno is quiet for a minute. “Glad I’m not him. Can you imagine facing decades in that shithole?”
“Don’t even want to think about it.”
“Leroy says that place is next to a landfill. On a hot day it stinks like a million dirty diapers and rotten eggs.”
“You tryin’ to make me puke?”
He grins. “Sorry.”
“So, I take it you’re not itching to make a run down to Columbus and visit your former president?”
“Nope. No itch.” He rubs my head. “I’m too busy keeping my current president happy.”
“What’s the deal with Gypsy?” I ask.
He takes a sip of his whiskey. “What do you mean?”
“Showin’ up late for Church. Tryin’ to sneak his cell phone in. What the fuck is that shit about?”
“No clue.”
“He hasn’t said anything to you?”
“Nope.”
“He’s been acting strange, disappearing without a word, and now startin’ to show up late for meetings. This shit’s getting more and more regular. Time to nip it in the bud.”
“You try talkin’ to him?” Reno asks.
“Yeah, says everything’s fine. Whatever’s up, he won’t talk about it. Have Jammer or Bandit keep an eye on him.”
“Done.”
I drain my second beer.
I smell her perfume before her arms slip around my neck. I twist my head. Vee. Her name’s Victoria, but she’s been Vee since the first night she attended a club party. She’s kind of a stuck up bitch, never smiles, always a cutting glance for the other girls. But the boys like her because she can suck the chrome off a trailer hitch.
Myself, I haven’t been too impressed. First, I can’t stand a girl who thinks she’s got some kind of sexual expertise that’ll have me falling at her feet. I’ve never found one who wasn’t over rating herself. Vee’s no different.
Second, I like my women without a shit ton of attitude, thinkin’ she’s doin’ me a fucking favor. Especially when I know she’s dying to be in my bed.
I don’t fucking play games. Not those kind anyway.
“Hey, baby. You feelin’ all right tonight?” she purrs.
“Yup.”
“You wanna go somewhere private? I could make you feel even better.”
“Nope.”
Reno snorts, his shoulders shaking quietly.
She throws a glare his way, then returns her attention to me. “You sure? I know what you like.”
I turn my head. “Beat it, Vee.”
“Come on, baby.”
I turn and pin her with a look. “Did I fuckin’ stutter?”
Her eyes glitter like ice chips, and her chin lifts, but she wisely withdraws her touch and stalks across the room to the guys playing pool.
Reno lets out the chuckle he’s been holding in.
“She keeps that shit up, she’s gonna have to go,” I grunt.
He twists to look over his shoulder. “She’s botherin’ Bandit now. You’re safe.”
“She gets on my nerves. You?”
“I never could stand her. She was only good for a fast blow, then I always pushed her out the fuckin’ door,” Reno mutters.
“You never hit that?” I ask.
“Nope. You?”
“Once. It wasn’t anything special,” I admit.
“Neither was the blow job.” He chuckles, and adds, “I hope you wrapped your shit. No tellin’ where that bitch has been.”
“Always.”
We’re quiet for a moment.
I ask, “Any of the boys holdin’ lingering resentment about what went down with Rat?”
“There were some grumbles at first about leavin’ Growler hangin’ out to dry like that, the whole loyalty thing, but when they were set straight on the cost to the club if we tried to get the sentence overturned, they shut up quick enough.”
“Self preservation. It’s a reliable reaction, unfortunately.”
“It sucks it had to go down that way, but here we are.”
“It wasn’t by my making. Long as they understand that,” I mutter.
“They do.”
“So, how long you gonna let Butterfly out of the cage tonight before you track her down and haul her ass home?” I tease, trying to lighten the mood.
He glances at the time on his phone. “About another fifteen minutes.”
I slap him on the back, and we both chuckle.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ashlynn—
I park my car in the same spot as yesterday