3. Dax #2
Mike turned to look at me and saluted before grabbing a pizza pan to get started on my usual order.
I knew Mike would join us when he finished with the pizza since he was really who I needed to talk to.
He was one of my people. I met him after he lost his tongue after being tortured by his old gang, and I found a place for him, being my ears at certain catering events.
This was his cover job, but he did really love to cook, so it worked for both of us.
Robert knew he was tied to me, but I didn’t think he knew just how loyal his head chief was to the Hidden Empire.
The office was small with a desk, filing cabinets, and two chairs, leaving Eagle to stand behind me like the guard dog he was pretending to be. “Look, I’ll cut to the chase since I don’t have much time to play games. You have a snitch in your crew, and they’re helping the people coming after me.”
Robert’s jaw dropped in shock at the news. “Why do you think it’s us?”
“That’s a reasonable question, so I’ll humor you.
I ordered a pizza about two-ish weeks ago, and a driver who wasn’t Tino showed up with a gun in his pocket and tried to kidnap my best friend.
Now, I’ll admit he didn’t know it was my house, but that’s beside the point since he was an errand boy for the Mad Dogs.
What I do know is that someone here had to tell the Mad Dogs that I ordered and it was for three people, letting them know that Harper was with me. You starting to see my dilemma?”
“Give me a moment to look something up so I don’t give you the wrong information,” Robert said, sweat beading on his forehead.
I nodded, allowing it. See, I’m not unreasonable when people are willing to give me the information I want.
He clacked away on his keyboard, and we sat silently waiting.
I leaned my head back and looked up at Eagle.
His eyes met mine, and I could see the warmth in them that was only reserved for me, making me smirk as I winked at him.
“Ah, just as I thought,” Robert announced, drawing my attention back to him.
“The same day you ordered, Tino quit on the spot and left, saying he’d take your order, then would be done.
I was skeptical about whether he’d actually do it, but I never got a call from you saying your food didn’t arrive, so I figured it was a non-issue. ”
“I’m going to need Tino’s address and any other information you have on him,” Wes stated. “For now, we won’t establish a new driver, and we’ll just pick up for the time being.”
“Whatever you feel will work best, we’ll do our best to accommodate,” Robert agreed, nodding his head. “Is there anything else I can do?”
“Yes, you can leave the office and let me talk to Mike. I just need a little more information on Tino from someone who isn’t his boss,” I explained.
“Let me send him in,” he agreed and shoved himself out of his chair and fled out the door.
As we waited, Eagle settled his hands on my shoulders and gently worked his thumbs along the back of my neck. “You believe him?”
“I will once Mike confirms his story. He’s one of my people.
Since he has no loyalty to Robert, he’ll tell me what’s really going on here.
I’d like to believe that it’s just a problem with Tino, but I don’t think we’ll get that lucky,” I answered with a sigh.
A knock sounded at the door before Mike walked in and bowed his head to me in greeting.
“How are you, my friend?” I asked, signing along as I spoke.
“Is it true that your house got blown up?” Mike asked, looking concerned.
“Yes, which is why I’m here. I’m trying to figure out who knew where my house was and one of the few places that delivers is here. Can you tell me what happened with Tino?”
“Tino was a good guy, but I know his mom had a stroke and ended up in the hospital. She can’t take care of herself anymore and needs to go into a special home that can help her the way she needs.
It was more than Tino could cover with what he made working all his jobs, and it was really stressing him out.
Then a couple weeks ago, he told me he found a way to get ahead of things, but he’d need to stop working here. ”
“So, you think he sold me out for the money to cover the medical bills?” I questioned, even though it made perfect sense. “Why wouldn’t he come ask me for help? The reason I trusted him is because he was a friend of my brother’s before he got mixed up in the biker-gang life.”
Mike shrugged and shook his head. “I tried to get him to talk to me, but he was very tight-lipped about the whole matter. He quit while I was working a party you needed me at. I know if I were around, I’d have been able to tell if he was up to something.”
“You think the loose end is just him, or is there anyone else you’ve been keeping an eye on?”
“No, this place is clean. They’re all too scared of you now that you’ve announced you’ve been Two Tricks all along.
Congratulations on coming out, by the way, it’s about time you owned up to who you really are.
You’d be surprised to know there was a large group who wanted you to take Tricks out and run things instead. ”
“Let’s just hope they’re happy now they know it was me all along.” I chuckled.
“They are. What they didn’t like about Tricks was the mystery. People want to know who they’re following. Almost everyone knows Dax, the enforcer, and her partner, Weston, but no one knows Tricks. Hard to trust the man behind the curtain and all that.”
When Mike put it that way, I had to agree with him.
I wouldn’t like it either if I didn’t know who was making the rules.
“Thanks, Mike. If you think of anything else we need to know, you know how to reach me. Oh, anything to know about that party? I’ve been a little out of the loop after getting shot. ”
“Nothing that you don’t already know. Just know that the Mad Dogs and the De León Cartel aren’t done with you yet.”
“Trust me, they’re next on my list,” I said, shaking Mike’s hand before leaving the office and grabbing our food.