18. Ultimate Reward
Chapter 18
Ultimate Reward
Mensa
Five days had passed since Mensa helped Whitney move. The investigators were being very tight-lipped on both the shooting and the fire. Mensa had insisted on Whitney staying with him at the clubhouse to be safe. However, last night, they’d stayed at her place. He walked into the clubhouse on Thursday morning, and came face to face with Block and Har. That was odd since both of them had day jobs.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“The arson investigators are focused on Dontrell,” Har said.
“Got that from him when Whitney and I talked to him last Friday.”
The silence lingered, and his chest tightened. “Are they going to arrest—”
“Not yet; they’re lining shit up so it’s harder for Dontrell to post bail.”
Mensa’s eyes widened. “Did they even question the Corrupt Chrome MC?”
Block dragged a hand down his face. “If we were targeting somebody, and took such a drastic step, you know we’d have someone with either the fire department or police in our pocket.”
He couldn’t argue that.
Instead, he changed the subject. “What about the shooting? Sure as hell, the cops should be all over Corrupt Chrome for that.”
Har tipped his head to the side. “You’re right, but since no one was hurt, the news coverage is dying down. Police called ‘Nic an hour ago. They’re keeping an eye out for Rod. I don’t put much stock in that though.”
Mensa shook his head. “Detective Fortner claimed they couldn't find a Corrupt Chrome member named Rod.”
Har nodded. “I don't doubt it. Seems Rod’s gone AWOL.”
“Convenient,” Mensa said.
“Coward is more like it,” Block muttered.
“Anybody know more about him?” Mensa asked.
Har hesitated. “Corrupt Chrome has a chapter in Memphis. I'm waiting on our Riot brothers there to get back to me.”
“Fuck,” Mensa hissed.
“Where’s ‘that woman’?” Har asked, grinning.
Mensa just kept himself from rolling his eyes. “At Hard Pressed until I go get her for lunch.”
“Thinking you need to keep someone on her,” Har said.
He nodded. “You’re right. I’ll get a prospect over to the shop while I take care of what I need to do here.”
Mensa packed a duffel bag to take to Whitney’s. Two minutes ago, a prospect texted that he was in place outside Hard Pressed.
His phone rang, and he expected to see the prospect’s number, but his mom’s name lit up the display.
“Hey, Mom.”
“I know you’re a grown man, Kenneth, but I shouldn’t hear about a shooting at your workplace from your cousin!”
He bit back his immediate response – that the shooting had been days ago. That would only rile her further. “Sorry, Mom. I should have called, but it’s been a little hectic around here.”
“Hectic? Is that the term for dealing with police officers and being questioned downtown?”
His brows drew together. “Who said I was questioned downtown?”
“Are you saying you weren’t?”
He sighed. “Mom, who told you that?”
She held out on answering for so long, he almost gave up. Then she said, “Finneas mentioned you were questioned.”
His head reared back. “Finn told you that?”
“That isn’t the point here.”
It was totally the point, because his mom wouldn’t have any reason to talk to Finn about Mensa going downtown for questioning. Mensa’s cousin, Jonah, had moved in with Mom and Dad. He was an avid gamer, and he’d bonded with Finn. The two of them routinely played different games, and Finn probably would have mentioned Mensa’s police questioning to Jonah.
That had to be how she knew. “Have you been eavesdropping on Jonah? He’s twenty-three, Mom. Just because he lives at your house doesn’t give you the right to listen in on his gaming conversations.”
She sighed. “Jonah’s had enough heartbreak in his life. He never tells me what’s going on with him and Denver, so as long as he lives here, I’m going to do my best to protect him from a young woman hurting him.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Mom. He also deserves to live in a place where his privacy is respected since Uncle Jack damn sure had no respect for Jonah’s or Riley’s privacy.”
“Don’t you dare compare me to Jack,” she said in a stern voice. “Have the police caught the shooter?”
He let her have the subject change. “Not yet, and to be honest, they’re chalking it up to an aggravated bar fight. I’m safe, and you don’t have anything to worry about.”
At the familiar sound of her chuckle, he could practically see Mom’s skeptical expression. “You ever have children, Kenneth, you’ll find there’s always something to worry about. I love you. Plan on coming to dinner on Sunday. It’d be nice if you brought Whitney along, too. Goodbye, dear.”
With the double beep of his phone, he knew she’d hung up on him, but he’d also be having words with Finn. Making Jonah feel like he was one of the guys was one thing, but sharing serious shit while gaming with his cousin wasn’t smart. His mom might have listened in physically, but who was to say someone couldn’t hack into their feed… and he could practically hear Finn say Mensa was overly paranoid.
Security meant everything in their world – at least as far as Mensa was concerned. He thought Finn understood that, but it seemed he needed a reminder.
His phone chimed with a text notification.
Your woman is getting in a car with Riley. Not sure where they’re going, I’m following them.
He nodded and sent a text back.
Good. Let me know where you end up.
He contemplated the last thing his mom said. It’d be nice if you brought Whitney along . If things were different between him and Whitney, he’d think it were too soon for a family dinner. But, the two of them were moving along at a rapid pace. He hardly ever helped his MC brothers move, and he damn sure didn’t help a woman move.
He couldn’t deny that something with her was different. The life or death situation with the Corrupt Chrome resulting in a shared hotel room, may have led to them getting physical, but it didn’t explain him calling her his woman.
The last fifteen months of dancing around her, complaining about her presence, and busting his ass to make sure he avoided her - it was all a strange prelude to reality.
She was it for him.
Suddenly, he wondered why Ben hadn’t taken more care. How could any man let a woman like her slip through his fingers?
He shook off that asinine line of thought. That man’s ignorance resulted in Mensa reaping the ultimate reward.
Another text came through.
They’re at the mall. Do I need to go inside?
Are you allergic to the mall, prospect?
No, but the fuckin’ perfume gives me a headache.
Mensa chuckled. With that information, he ought to insist that the prospect tail the women, but he didn’t want them aware of the prospect’s presence.
No, just watch Riley’s car.
Mensa couldn’t stand the mall either, but he had the sudden urge to see his woman and ask her to Sunday dinner.