Ethan (Devil's Flame MC #9) - Romi Hart Page 0,68

look special in the least.

There were file cabinets against one wall, a ceiling fan above to keep the air moving. A few posters and pictures littered the walls, mostly of motorcycles and a few pictures of the crew. To her pleasant surprise, there were no girly posters up, and she approved overall of the décor, feeling a bit less out of place.

At the same time, all the chairs were filled, and every pair of eyes turned to look at her, making Brett feel like she was under a microscope for evaluation. Corey sat at the head of the table, a younger blond guy to one side and Rafe on the other. Rafe stood, motioning for her to take his chair, and while it was courteous, it also felt very strange and out of place to be offered the seat that belonged to the VP. Zeke, next to him, stood as well, offering Ethan the seat. This really was the royal treatment.

Corey cleared his throat and gave her a teasing smile. “You know, we’ve never invited a woman to join us at the table. But you’ve earned a lot of respect, and we’d like to welcome you before we get started.”

She nodded, pleased with the kindness and the lack of negativity around the table. No one seemed opposed to her presence, and the young blond even seemed eager to see what she would say. “I appreciate the invitation. I understand we have several business issues to discuss.”

“That’s very true.” Corey scowled and turned to Ethan. “Before we start the meeting, though, I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. Ethan, have you discussed the idea of having the Silver Suns patch over as a new chapter of the Devil’s Flames with Brett?”

Ethan nodded. “We spoke last night. We haven’t discussed it at length. There were obviously extenuating circumstances, but she’s aware of the thought process behind it and the benefits to all parties.” Brett could feel his tension, and she shifted in her seat so her leg pressed against his. They’d dropped hands when they’d been seated, but the connection had been obvious when they walked in. She simply didn’t want to disrespect the formality of the setting by getting overly touchy with Ethan now.

He seemed to relax slightly, and it gave her a bit of renewed breath as well. Separately, they were both strong. Together, they were impenetrable, and maybe that was why their relationship had developed in such a whirlwind.

Corey just nodded. “Well, we need to discuss exactly what’s involved in that transaction, and we also have some new information that could clear up a lot of the problems your club has been having. Dennis apparently had a few new facts, but Tony brought us a good deal more this morning, and I think you’re going to find your answers and the overall solution to the problems here.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Brett agreed. “And I’m open to ideas in both areas. I respect the Devil’s Flames, your business practices, and what you stand for. I’d like to think we could uphold the same morals and prosperity.”

“Alright. I’m calling the meeting to order. Let’s talk partnership.”

23

Ethan knew Brett was poised, but the way she conducted herself through the club meeting was impressive. He mostly watched quietly as she spoke with Corey, exchanging details of the patching process and expectations, not injecting anything into the discussion except to remind Brett that she had possibilities for continued involvement, as well as appointment of the president of the chapter.

It was the information about her attackers and how that related to the club and Martin that he worried about. After all, he had no clue what had come in this morning while he dozed after watching Brett sleep most of the night. And with the attack being fresh, and having just found out her brother was dead, Ethan wouldn’t blame her for falling apart, if this all had something to do with his misconduct.

“Do you know the Dirty Shadows?” Corey asked her, and Ethan instantly had a bad taste in his mouth. He didn’t know a lot about them, but that particular club wasn’t very well liked, and he had heard they did some bad business.

Brett scowled. “They came around a time or two, making some noise about buying out the Silver Suns. Not just patching them over, but actually buying them out, almost like a slave trade. Martin told me he didn’t want anything to do with them. Something