1. Dax #2
I grinned at her, she wasn’t a push over that’s for sure. “Trust me if they were worth the introduction they would already be on his radar. He makes the first move not the other way around. It’s how he does business.”
“Then it seems I have taken up your time unnecessarily,” Gabriella finally admitted, knowing she was regretting coming here to meet me and trusting Kimber. “Let me leave you with some information, maybe you could pass it along just on the off chance he overlooked a promising venture.”
“Leave me the details and I’ll reach out if something changes,” I said, without really committing to anything.
“Very well,” Gabriella nodded, reaching for her purse and pulling out a business card and a manila envelope with papers.
We both stood and gave each other one more assessing look as they made their way down the stairs and out of the shop. Looking down at the card I saw she was a lawyer, a very expensive one if the firm name was anything to go by.
“She’s legit,” Weston assured. “I checked into her while you were talking.”
Drawing my attention I looked up at him leaning against the doorway to the office.
Wes was every girl's wet dream. His short hair was slick and styled to perfection.
He had dark brown eyes that missed nothing and full lips that begged to be kissed.
He took care of himself and his toned muscles showing through his snug shirt.
In my opinion, it helped that he was tatted from that strong stubborn jaw down to his big toe.
How did I know? Well, eighty percent of the art on his body was done by me.
Wes and I had been best friends since we were both in the same foster care house.
We managed to stick together through everything and come out on top.
Wes was a kick-ass hacking genius, anything that had to do with technology was his bitch.
A few times the FBI and the CIA tried to recruit him from college but he turned them down not wanting to leave me on my own.
“You check her accounts?” I asked, knowing he’s already done it.
“She doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s payroll we need to be concerned about. Although it looks like her law office is going to offer her a partnership buy-in soon which could change that,” Wes informed me.
I grinned at him shaking my head and slipped past him into our office. “What else did you find on her? I know she isn’t clean if she’s looking to broker a deal with Tricks.”
I dropped into my chair and rolled over to his side of the large metal desk we shared.
He had two monitors filled with dozens of open windows and information.
He liked to live in organized chaos on his computer but in the real world, he was a neat freak.
Which drove me crazy when he yelled at me for leaving messes everywhere in our shared townhouse.
He had his own floor and I had mine for a reason.
“It’s not that she’s dirty per-say, more some people in her family she helps.” Wes sat back from the keyboard and looked at me.
Oh, this wasn’t going to be good.
“The Rossi family is an interesting find. The parents are straight-laced second-generation Italians. Emilo, Gabriella’s father is also a lawyer but works mostly with immigration cases. Mother—Rossa has been a homemaker their whole marriage.”
I frowned not seeing why he was so worried, I opened my mouth to ask but he stopped me with a look. Huffing I sat back letting him have his way driving me crazy.
“It’s the two boys we need to watch out for. Gabriella is the oldest by two years, her brothers Enzo and Teo are the problem. They are the leaders of the Phantom Saints MC.”
If he had told me they were mobsters I would have been prepared for that being from an Italian family but not this.
My history with bikers was less than stellar.
When Devin had to take the fall on a major drug bust for his vice president that landed him in jail for two years, it was the beginning of the end.
Trying to survive in jail he got cornered into working with a rival drug ring.
The Blackjax’s saw this as a betrayal and they turned their backs on him.
Devin would still be alive if his supposed MC family had taken him back.
“The sister works for them, does the family as well?” I asked, trying to figure out their circle.
“Gabriella is their lawyer and has gotten them out of plenty of charges and jail time. Dad knows but wants nothing to do with any of it. Mom might know but she plays dumb keeping her nose out of it,” Wes answered readily.
“Wait, the Phantom Saints?” I questioned.
“Yup.”
“Fuck me! There is no way I will allow a meeting with them. Tricks is on the top of their to do list.” I said, shoving myself out of my chair and pacing. “The Blackjax’s were family to them and Tricks wiped them out.”
“I get that but, if they really want to make a deal the only thing holding them back is that they’re a motorcycle gang,” Wes countered. “Gabriella wasn’t wrong, they are no small fish.”
“Seriously, you know Two Tricks never works with MC’s,” I fumed. “It’s always been that way. My job is to protect Tricks, so how could I advocate for them when they might just kill Tricks if they don’t get their way?”
“You’re telling me Tricks would pass up the chance to have the largest west coast MC gang in his back pocket because it’s dangerous?” Wes scoffed, folding his arms over his chest letting me know he was upset with me. “You know Tricks is smart enough to see this is a good idea.”
Times were changing and the Phantom Saints were making a mark, drawing unwanted attention from competition.
You could only stay the big fish for as long as you could hold it and from what I found out today Tricks needed to worry about the De León cartel.
Having an established MC gang to act as your army would make defending your empire much easier.
“Then why don’t you convince Tricks this is a good idea?” I snapped, not wanting to give in to the idea just yet.
Wes shook his head at me turning back to his computers ignoring me.
There were not many people I let ignore me— scratch that there was one person I would let do that.
So I growled and stormed out the door and down towards the studio space.
I needed to sketch, punch, or fuck something and soon.
It was the only way I could process all of this without blowing up at someone.
“Hey, boss lady,” Jonesie called, as I passed his space.
I paused, took a deep breath and walked a step back. “What’s up slacker, you just getting set up for the day?”
Jonesie grinned at me. He was a huge beast of a man but had a heart of gold. “You know I ain’t no slacker, taking care of a pregnant wife is harder than you think.”
I laughed knowing just how much work Maria could be pregnant. “What, this is like your fourth kid right? Why don’t you leave the poor woman alone for a little while.”
“Me?” Jonesie said, shocked. “That woman won’t leave me alone. If she doesn’t get her some then I never know when she’ll attack me. It’s better I just give in and let her enjoy herself than fight it.”
“Must be such a hardship for you,” I tease.
“Just you wait when you find the right guy and he locks you down. You'll be feeling my hardship,” Jonsie said, winking at me.
“That’s where you're wrong, no one man can lock this sweet ass down. Too much of a free spirit for that shit,” I said, leaving him to prep for his client.
“Ha! Then hell girl get two or three. If anyone could handle that much man it would be you,” Jonsie called after me.