Frisco

31. Shane

31

SHANE

I was just dressed when there was a knock at the door. It was Boise, and I went and closed the bedroom door. Kali and I had not talked after whatever the fuck that had been, and she was getting dressed too.

I went back, opening the main door.

Boise stepped inside, his gaze going to the bedroom door, but he didn’t comment. He moved to the kitchen table where I had my weapons out. I began putting them back on, one after another. My cut was last.

“Crow?” he asked.

I shook my head. I couldn’t talk about that with Kali able to hear.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her. She was a steel trap, the strongest there was. But this was club business. I didn’t want her in the position of hearing anything. It was also against policy.

He nodded. “You still looking to head to Frisco tomorrow?”

The door opened and Kali came out, but she paused, seeing Boise. She wore shorts and a tank top, and her hair was loose. She pulled her fingers through the ends. Avoiding my gaze, she gave Boise a small smile and slipped into the bathroom. I heard the shower turn back on a second later.

“Do I ask what that was about?” Boise glanced at the closed bathroom door.

I grunted. “I don’t even know what that was about.” I nodded in her direction. “Ask around. She wants to get to Fallen Crest.”

“Fallen Crest? What are we doing there?”

“Nothing, but she’s got friends there, and she wants to meet up with them.”

Boise, not one to indicate emotion, was this time showing his surprise. His eyebrows went up. “We’re not supposed to be in Fallen Crest.”

He was referring to a past agreement we’d come to with people who were just that—in the past. He was wrong about part of it. “It’s Roussou we’re not supposed to go through. Fallen Crest was never a part of that agreement.”

“Still. There’s cops there. Rich folk.”

I nodded, giving the bathroom door a hard look. “She wants to go, and I’m not letting her go in alone. Not yet.”

He glanced back too. “So what? You’re the national VP. No way you’re going in alone.”

This meant some concessions. “No cuts? A small group of us?”

He gave me a long, hard look. Then swore. “Stripes is out.”

I nodded. He had history with both towns. “Grab Corvette. Roadie.”

“Me.”

We shared a grin. “No other person at my side.”

“Okay then. What do you want me to tell the others?”

“The truth. I got to give some attention to my woman, and she wants to go to Fallen Crest. We’ll take her, go from there, and meet the rest when they’re rested?”

His eyes narrowed. “No one’s going to want to be here without you.”

Yeah. I got that.

The shower cut off inside.

I had to make a decision.

I reached for my cut. “Tell them to suit up. We’ll head to The Bonfire and stay there. It’s not that far from Fallen Crest. That’s something.”

Boise gave a nod, then took off.

I finished getting my stuff together—not that I ever had much with me. A bag. That’s about it. Kali was still in the bathroom, so I went and put her stuff together too. Her phone was out. I left that alone, leaving her bag next to it. I took mine with me, heading out.

Stripes appeared once I had closed the door, which wasn’t surprising. The guy was everywhere. That’s why I’d put him on Crow.

He glanced around. “Boise said we’re heading out?”

“If you want. I’m going to Fallen Crest. The rest can head to The Bonfire.”

He nodded, his hands going into his pockets. He did this when he had something he wanted to say. “You got something to say?”

His head lifted, but went right back down. “I got history there.”

“I’m aware.”

“Boise said you’re taking Core and Road.”

“I’m aware of that too.”

We cut across the front driveway, going to my bike. Crow was waiting for me on the front porch of the main house. He had a whole bunch of his men with him, and his eyes were tracking us. I recognized the look on his face too. He had something to say as well.

“I’m thinking there might be a line of people waiting to converse with me,” I told Stripes. “Say your piece. What’s up?”

He took a breath, then expelled it. “I want to go with you.”

“No.”

“Ghost.”

“No.” I stopped, facing him. “We’re going in without our cuts. It’s not something I feel comfortable with, but I also don’t feel comfortable about some other things. You’re not coming. Cops will spot you, recognize you, and you know they’ll want payback. Or some of them will.”

He cursed, turning away.

“What else do you have to say before I go over there and Frisco’s VP finds something to talk to me about?”

Stripes shot me a grin, his hands still in his pockets. “I got nothing then. Wanted to put my pitch in to go with you. I know Fallen Crest, know where all the dirty assholes are.”

“I’m aware of your history, but my woman’s friends are putting roots down in a place called Manny’s.”

His head jerked back, his whole body stilling.

Yeah. That was the reaction I knew he’d have. He had serious history with a few people who were close to that place’s owners.

He cursed. “I didn’t think it would get that close.”

“It’s that close.”

He drew in a breath. “Yeah. Okay. Maybe I’ll stick it out here a bit, do more of what you asked me to do before heading back.”

“Ask a brother to go with you. One of ours.”

He nodded, already starting to walk away. “Will do.” His eyes went past my shoulder, and he gave me a small heads up. I didn’t need the warning. I heard the gravel and knew who was coming my way.

As I turned around, Crow was alone. His men were still on the front porch, all watching their VP approach me.

He gave me a chin-lift. “Heard a rumor you’re heading out.”

I grunted. “Boise’s fast.”

He laughed. “What are your plans concerning what I talked to you about?”

Right . All the brothers he didn’t trust, and he’d given me good reason not to trust them as well. I gave him a hard look. “What you said was serious. It’s not against the rules to have side jobs, side hustles. You know that, but Estrada’s moving southeast, right toward where our national prez is currently still laid up. Trust and believe that I’m going to take what you’re proposing into strong consideration, but I need to handle a couple things before making that move. You hear me?”

What we weren’t saying had to do with digging six feet down for a few guys, guys we called brothers, and finally doing what I came here to do. But before all that, I needed to tend to Kali.

Crow gave a small nod, easing up. “I hear you.” He scanned the front yard, seeing some of the other guys packing up their bikes, and some that weren’t. “Plans for your men?”

I relayed the plans I’d hashed out with Boise and Stripes just now.

As I spoke, Machete crossed the yard, coming from the barn. Claudia came behind him, her hands stuck in her back pockets. As he angled toward me, she shifted to the house, moving past the guys on the porch. She almost had a bounce to her step, but she wasn’t looking my way.

I doubted Kali’s sister would look my way ever again, not unless her life was on the line. Just my guess.

“I’ll keep in touch with you?” Crow asked.

I nodded his way as he went toward the house, and Machete came over.

He glanced in Crow’s direction. “That one’s got a different look to him.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Machete watched as Crow conversed with some of his men before they moved off the porch, going for one of the other barns.

He shook his head. “Just got a feeling. The guy’s off.”

I had that feeling too. “Got nothing to go on with that, though.”

“No, but we got computer people. They can be steered to look a certain way.” He gave me a look.

Yeah. Maybe he was right. I’d have to make that call as soon as I could.

“You came over for a reason. What’s up?” I asked him.

“Just seeing how the sister is?” He glanced at the house. “Claude’s a little worried, thinks Kali’s out of her depth, considering her recent divorce.”

Fuck’s sake . I gave him a long look, a very hard look too. “It’s cool you and the missus are clicking, but you know her. This is her wading in, and you know I won’t be receptive.”

He grinned, a dry chuckle coming out of him. “I said as much, but she wouldn’t stop yapping until I told her I’d say something. For what it’s worth, I think part of her wants to mess with your relationship and the other part of her is concerned. The ex did a trip on the sister.”

I stifled a sigh because I knew all this too. “Tell your woman that if she wades into mine, I’m wading into hers.”

His eyes narrowed. “That a threat?”

“No, but she’ll sure as shit take it as one. The way she thinks, she won’t be able to get that out of her mind. Might give me and Kali some peace for a few days, at least.”

He grinned, but Machete had ceased to exist for me.

Kali was coming my way, her bag in hand. She trudged across the gravel, her shoulders bent forward and one of her hands in her front pocket. Goddamn. Her long legs showed through jeans that were ripped and torn. I wasn’t one for trends, but I thanked all fashionable people out there for these good-ass views of those long legs of hers.

She had a tank top on, a black bra showing underneath it, and my dick was hard all over again.

This woman.

She looked up, and her eyes warmed at finding me watching her.

Fuck . One look from her like that, and I’d kill anyone she asked.

She slowed, just out of my reach, and drew upright, shifting back on her feet. “Saw my bag. Saw your stuff was gone. Made an educated guess.”

I reached forward, taking her bag from her and making damn sure my hand grazed her fingers and arm in the process. Her eyes got all dark at the touch, and she swayed toward me. I was pretty sure she didn’t know she was doing that either. Then she sucked in a breath and jerked back.

She rolled her eyes. “I turn into a mindless, sex-starved woman with you.” She laughed at herself, her mouth curving up.

That made me want to swoop in and kiss that smile until it was mine. I refrained. “Me and a few of the guys are going to take you to Fallen Crest.”

Her eyes snapped to mine, widening. “Really?”

“You gotta know, the club has some history in these parts, but I’ve no mind to let you walk in there by yourself. I’m coming with you, and we won’t be wearing our cuts. I’m hoping that’ll make things a little smoother.” I gave her a small nod. “Doing that for you.”

Us taking off our cuts, or hiding our cuts, meant something. Our cuts were our most sacred possessions.

Her mouth formed a small O.

She got it. “Thank you.”

I leaned in, touching my mouth to hers. A sweet, lingering kiss. She tasted like fresh lemonade on a hot day, making me want to curl my toes up and pretend I was a kid again with no worries, not knowing the shadows in the world. She was like that to me.

I lifted my mouth, just a bit, and said, “Give your friends a call, see where they are? We’ll hook up with them tonight.”

She nodded, her mouth moving against mine with the motion. Then she lifted up on her toes, grabbed the back of my neck, and pressed her mouth, hot and hard, to mine.

Well then. Looked like I’d just made an impression.

I wanted to make more of them.