13. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
The morning light streamed through my window, rousing me from what was possibly the most restful sleep I’d ever had before, even though we were up most of the night. I’d awakened her twice more through the night; those times felt transcendent. It felt like our souls were connected on a different level. I vowed right before sleep took me, and we had both been finally sated, that I would risk my life for hers. Nothing, and no one, was going to touch her.
They’d have to kill me first.
I slid out of bed, trying not to rouse Lyra from her sleep. Flashes of her coming on my tongue, my fingers, and my dick as I brought her to the edge and let her fall over and over again, bombarded my mind. I shook the images free from my headspace. No matter how I’d like to dwell on them, unfortunately, there was a lot to do today.
I slipped on my jeans and retrieved my phone. I shot a quick text to Wires, letting him know that he needed to see if he could coordinate with someone in the Oakland Chapter to find out when this guy popped up in Lyra’s life. Through some of our discussions through the night, she’d told me that she had moved to Fremont, California and took over Jevry’s apartment lease when Jevry moved to Oakland for a new job. I slowly concluded that Deacon Onassis possibly had been trailing her even before she’d come to New Orleans. Hopefully, Wires could find actual proof of that.
The other thing that needed to be taken care of today was the visit to Vinny in prison and our guns. We needed to know how long the Greeks had been here and what they were planning. Anyone who knowingly came into our territory to do business under our noses was looking for trouble.
Fucking with the Sinners was going to get you nothing but the trouble you were seeking.
I called my brother, gently closing the door behind me as I stepped into the hallway. Remy answered on the first ring. His raspy voice filled my ears.
“Are you up?” I asked him, heading down the stairs to the bar. I needed a drink, preferably something that burned when going down my throat.
“Never went to sleep,” he answered. “What’s up?”
“Vinny. We need to get in to see him. And I wanted to know how you were doing.”
I had the feeling my brother was enamored with our unconscious guest.
“I’m fine.” He sighed. “Especially now that she’s waking up.”
I poured myself a shot of whiskey and downed it. I closed my eyes as the liquid burned on its way down.
“When did she wake up? I need to tell Lyra.”
“Around two this morning, but right now, she’s asleep. She just opened her eyes, looked around. Fucking smiled at me and then closed them again,” he relayed.
I smiled. Yup, he is a goner, too.
“That’s great, man. You stay there with her, and I’ll call Haven Richardson. She’ll be able to get into the prison a hell of a lot quicker than one of us.”
Remy snorted. “Hell, if one of us walks through the damned door, we ain’t walking out, for damned sure.”
I chuckled because he was goddamned right. Those sons of bitches had been trying to bring us down for as long as I could remember. Remy got lucky when that judge decided to send his ass to the military instead of prison.
“What about our prisoner?” I asked, knowing that he was dead, but I wanted to hear him say it.
“Disposed,” Remy said as I poured another shot. “You talk to Loki yet about what’s going on?”
“Not yet. Was heading that way now,” I said, downing the drink, then running my free hand through my hair.
“Keep me informed,” Remy said, then hung up. And I turned on my heels, running smack dead into Ebony.
“Where’s the bitch?” she snarled.
“Ebony, get the fuck out of my way.”
Her possessiveness as if she was my Old Lady was fucking exhausting. I was trying to be nice, but she was getting on the last damned thread of nerve I had.
“I waited for you last night, baby,” she purred, and the shit had me wincing like nails on a chalkboard. To think I used to find her sexy as hell. She was nothing compared to Lyra.
“I was with my Old Lady last night,” I answered her, and a satisfying smirk graced my lips at the look of horror on her face. And when it morphed into anger, I threw my head back and laughed.
All out fucking laughed because Ebony was a fucking joke if she thought she was Old Lady material.
“Oh, you didn’t think that you were going to be the one riding bitch on my bike, did you? You have literally fucked every one of my brothers except for my actual brother.”
There was no way in hell I was wifeing her.
I didn’t know what kind of sound that was that came from her when she reached back and slapped the hell out of me. It sounded like an animal dying and needed to be put out of its misery. When I didn’t react, she reared back to give me a second slap, but the contact never came because Lyra grabbed Ebony’s wrist and whirled her around. I knew it fucking hurt, but she didn’t so much as wince.
“You got a fucking problem putting your hands on people,” Lyra growled. “I’m gonna tell you this for the last time. You keep your hands off what’s mine.”
Lyra never let go of Ebony’s wrist, and suddenly, Ebony howled in pain after Lyra did some type of move like she took karate lessons. Ebony’s arm was wrapped behind her back, and Ebony couldn’t move. I heard the crunch of bone and knew that Lyra had broken her arm. Tears streamed down Ebony’s cheeks as her pleading eyes looked to me for help.
I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head. “I told you to fucking leave me alone. And in case you didn’t know, my Old Lady gets real jealous when other women touch me.”
Lyra let go of Ebony’s arm and pushed her away, but I didn’t miss the look of surprise Lyra gave me. Ebony peered up at her through narrowed slits and tears. I almost thought that Ebony was going to lunge at Lyra. Lyra must’ve thought so too because before I could move to grab her, Lyra punched Ebony in the face, and the mahogany beauty was out cold on the clubhouse floor.
“Shit! Fuck, that hurt!” Lyra yelled, shaking out her hurt, taped fingers.
A few people were rambling around at this time of morning, but those who were either clapped or were shocked.
“Y’all pack her shit up and get her out of here,” I ordered two of the prospects who’d come in at the commotion, then I turned to Lyra.
“Fuck! Come on, Floyd Mayweather, let’s get you some clothes. I’ve got a meeting with Loki.”
As we walked back up the stairs, cheers and claps sounded through the clubhouse. The crowd fell away, and I had tunnel vision with Lyra at the end of that tunnel.
The smile on her face as I took her hand and led her upstairs couldn’t be wiped away. Riot’s Old Lady met us at the top of the stairs.
“Tara, can you get her some clothes? We need two more sets, too, while you’re at it. I have to meet with Loki.”
Tara smiled between the two of us, then nodded. “Sure. Come on, honey, and welcome to the Wives’ Club,” Tara said, putting a hand on the small of Lyra’s back and ushering her away.
“Oh, we aren’t married,” I heard Lyra say as I watched them move further down the hall.
“Sure,” Tara said, then smiled over her shoulder at me.
I nodded and mouthed a ‘ thank you’ before I headed to Loki’s office, but first, I needed to call the lawyer.
She answered on the second ring.
“Haven Richardson’s office. This is Monique. How may I help you?”
“Yes, may I speak to Ms. Richardson, please?” I asked in the most professional voice I could muster as I walked back to my room and closed the door.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for Ms. Richardson to come to the phone.
“One moment, please,” Monica responded. She punched some numbers, and classical music blared through the line.
“This is Haven Richardson. How may I help you?” Ms. Richardson's calm, soothing voice hit my ears.
“Ahh, Ms. Richardson. Good morning. I’m glad I caught you. Is this a bad time?” I felt like a fucking businessman talking with her.
“No. This is a great time. How can I help you, Mister…,” she paused to get my name.
“Mr. LeBlanc, owner of LeBlanc Gator Tours and Vice President of Sin City MC New Orleans Chapter.”
Silence.
I expected it. But I also expected that she would be nothing but a professional, and I was going to assume that her Russian boyfriend had told her that because of him, she now worked for us.
She cleared her throat. “How may I help you, Mr. LeBlanc?”
Good girl.
“I’ve got a job for you,” I replied.
“I’m listening,” she answered.
Admittedly, I was taken aback. I thought she would buck, but I imagine there was something in it for her Russian boyfriend to work for us. We would be remiss to think that the Russians would not have some information fed to them by her, but we would know what they were doing at all times as well.
“There’s a prisoner we need a chat with. None of us would be able to get into the prison to talk to him. We need you to go and ask him a few questions,” I informed her.
“And who is this prisoner?” she asked, but I could hear it was through gritted teeth.
She hated this, and I supposed I didn’t blame her, considering she used to put people like me and her boyfriend behind bars for a living.
“Vinny Benoit.”
“And why am I speaking with Mr. Benoit?”
I could hear the scratch of a pen running across paper as she spoke with me.
“We need to know when he first contacted the Onassis Crime Syndicate about our gun shipment, and then we need to know where they met to pick up my guns,” I answered, making my way down the stairs and toward Loki’s office.
I was aware of the eyes on me of the people who saw that little display that Lyra put on. It didn’t bother me, though; I was glad she was mine. Glad she stood up to Ebony. That meant that none of the other club whores would try her now.
“And just how am I supposed to get into the prison, let alone speak to Mr. Benoit.” I heard the haughtiness in her tone. This woman was used to doing things on her own terms. She didn’t like that she had to answer to someone else.
Well, she needed to take that up with her boyfriend. He was the one who decided he wanted to do business in our territory.
“You’re a smart woman, Ms. Richardson. I’m sure you can figure it out. Text me at this number when you get your answers. And, preferably, today,” I added, then I ended the call as I knocked on Loki’s door.
“It’s open,” was voiced through the heavy wooden door, and I pushed it open and then closed it behind me. For the second time in a few days, I was sitting in front of Loki’s desk, explaining to him yet another clusterfuck.