Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
RED
Red stalked out of Kit’s bedroom, painfully aware of the semi he was sporting thanks to Kit’s unfortunate choice of words. That brat deserved a spanking. He really did. The mocking chuckle that followed him out the door didn’t help.
But he wouldn’t be the one to do it. It wouldn’t be his hand making contact with that taut fleshy globe, no matter how much he wanted it to be.
“We’ve just shut down the last orphanage.”
Red paused on the stairs. He didn’t know that voice, but it came from the kitchen. Who the hell were CDR letting in here?
He took the last few steps at a run and stopped just inside the kitchen.
Four men sat at the table. Two of them he knew, Jace and Craig Booker.
The two on the opposite side of the table were strangers to him, one a broad-shouldered man, with bright green eyes and dark hair, graying at the temples.
Red put him in his early forties. The other was younger, blond hair turning to ash, and brown eyes.
They sat close together, closer than they would if they were just co-workers.
Red ignored everyone, focusing on Craig. “Craig, who are the strangers?” he said coolly.
Craig turned to him. “Hear us out before you explode, Red. This is Callum Ross.” He indicated the dark-haired guy.
Red’s jaw dropped.
Callum Ross. Callum David Ross, founder of CDR. The guy was a legend around the local security world.
Ross stood up and shook his hand, his smile professional. “Pleased to meet you.”
That was an English accent, which meant Red had a feeling he knew who the other man was. Josh Cooper, Ross’s husband.
And Cooper’s reputation was…how was he described?
“A fucking nightmare and the most devious man he’d ever met.”
That was someone who’d worked at CDR when Josh was there. Now he and Ross had their own firm in London, and yet, according to gossip, they were always this side of the Pond, poking their nose in CDR business.
Josh also stood. His smile was brighter, friendlier, yet his expression was all shark. “Baxter.”
Even from the one word, he definitely wasn’t English. New York maybe?
Yeah, Red didn’t trust this man an inch.
He turned to Craig. “Why are they here?”
“Because I know the cartel your client managed to upset,” Ross said, his tone cool. “Dominic asked me to talk to Craig and Quinn.”
Red furrowed his brow. “So this is more than just a beef between clubs?”
“Monroe got involved in something above his paygrade.”
“You know these people?”
Ross inclined his head.
As far as Red knew, CDR didn’t carry out that kind of work, but then what did he know? He’d only worked for them for a day.
“What are we talking about?” he demanded.
“Drugs and trafficking mainly,” Ross said. “Not a major player but trying to become one.”
Cooper nodded. “Our intel says your client seriously pissed them off with that stunt he played.”
“I’m just the bodyguard,” Red said bluntly. “And that started two days ago. I have no idea what stunt he did pull.”
“Stole shipments of drugs destined for Europe and resold them.”
“The idiot,” Red spat out.
What the hell did Tony think he was doing? He was a small time MC President. Not a crook. Red remembered Kit’s hesitation when he mentioned their finances. Maybe he was into more dangerous territory than Red had known. He hadn’t been around much for the past decade or so. What the heck did he know?
Cooper nodded. “These guys don’t knock on the door and ask for their drugs back. They play dirty.”
“Which is why they’re going after Kit,” Red surmised.
Craig nodded. “Josh thinks we need to move Kit and Tony.”
Red had expected that, although he didn’t miss the jolt of disappointment that his time with Kit was already at an end. “You can’t put them together. You need to move Kit far away from his brother.”
“We? You, Red.” Now Craig sounded amused. “You’re the one handling Kit. CDR is responsible for Tony.”
“You still want me to be his bodyguard?”
Craig raised an eyebrow. “Unless you want to be reassigned?”
“No!”
Red turned to see Kit in the doorway, wide-eyed and ashen faced.
“What’s going on?” Kit demanded.
“CDR want to move you and Tony,” Red said.
Without thinking, he strode to Kit and gathered him into his side, feeling the tremors running through him. Kit burrowed against him and Red held him close, knowing the boy had to be terrified.
Kit looked up at him. “What about you?”
Red knew all four men were watching them like they were the main attraction at the circus, and he didn’t miss the smirks on Craig’s and Jace’s faces. He decided to ignore them. “When are we going and where?”
He felt Kit relax at the ‘we’.
“Within the hour,” Craig said. “Jace and Padraig are taking you to a safe house.”
Red noticed he didn’t give the destination.
“Where’s Tony?” Kit asked.
“In his study, talking to Dominic Cook,” Josh said.
At Kit’s look of confusion, Red said, “Top dog at CDR.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ross grimace and Cooper smirk at his husband.
“It’s my name on the door and yet he’s the top dog,” Ross complained.
“You barely worked at CDR,” Cooper pointed out. “Dominic has always been top dog.”
“At least someone realizes it.” Cook walked in, followed by Tony who narrowed his eyes as he spotted Kit in Red’s arms.
Red went to let Kit go, but the boy buried his face against Red’s chest.
“No, not yet,” Kit whimpered.
He couldn’t push him away, not now. He would just have to deal with the inevitable fallout from Tony later.
“So fucking predictable,” Jace said.
Red turned to him. “What does that mean?”
He looked at Craig who was clearly trying and failing to hide a smirk, but it was Dominic Cook who answered.
“You are all the same. All bluster one day and like marshmallows the next.”
“I dare you to say that to Mo,” Craig said.
“What makes you think I haven’t?”
“You still have your teeth.”
“Top dog, remember?” Cook smirked at Craig.
Red was damned sure Mo wouldn’t give a rat’s ass whether Cook was the top dog or not. But as no one, aside from Tony, seemed bothered by Kit being in his arms, he decided to focus on that.
Callum Ross glanced at his husband. “It’s time we made a move.”
Cooper nodded. “We’ll get out of your hair. Craig, I’ll forward the intel to you within the hour. Red, Kit, it’s good to meet you.”
Red noticed he didn’t say the same to Tony. He waited until Jace showed them to the door before he said, “We need to pack.”
Craig nodded. “You do.”
“What am I packing for?”
“The cold. Warm clothes, boots. You don’t need a tux.”
The mountains. Red got it. Now he had a fair idea where they were going, but he wasn’t going to say anything in front of Tony. The past hour had proved he couldn’t trust his friend.
“I’ll need to go via my place to pick up clothes.”
“We’ll go there en route,” Jace said.
Kit shifted in Red’s arms. He gazed up at Red. “You’re not leaving me?”
Red pushed back his bangs so he could look down into Kit’s storm-gray eyes. “Not until this is over,” he promised.
“Where are you taking me?” Tony demanded.
Cook’s top lip curled. “Somewhere secure.”
Kit pushed away from Red who dropped his arms, but was ready to hold him again if needed. “What about the club? What’s going to happen to that?”
“Little Pete and Cross are taking over until I get back,” Tony said.
“Won’t they be in danger?” Kit asked.
“They’re just managing the members, and no one is going near here.”
Red raised an eyebrow at Craig who said, “We’ll keep an eye on them.”
That seemed to reassure Kit, but from the sick expression on Tony’s face, he was more than aware that the cartel could go after the rest of the Evergreen Wolves. CDR couldn’t guard them all.
Red laid his hands on Kit’s shoulders. “Start packing. I’ll be with you shortly. Stay away from the window.”
“I’ll go with him until you get there,” Jace said, returning from escorting the two men out.
“I’m going to talk to Padraig,” Cook said and strode from the room.
Kit whimpered and clutched onto Red.
Red didn’t want to leave Kit’s side, even for a moment, but he had something to say to Tony, and he didn’t want Kit to overhear.
“I won’t be long,” he promised.
Jace led Kit away. Red waited until they reached the top landing before he turned on Tony, his expression so furious that the other man took a step backward.
“What the fuck were you thinking?”
Tony’s expression turned cold. “It’s business. Club business.”
“It’s criminal and now you’ve dragged the whole club into your fuck-up.” Red waited for a moment. “Is the club involved in this?”
“That’s not your business. You stepped away from the club a long time ago.”
Red stared at him. Tony didn’t seem to have an ounce of remorse for putting the club in danger, and worse, his baby brother. He clenched his fist, ready to take a swing at Tony for his goddamn stupidity.
“Baxter, stand down.” Craig got to his feet, clearly anticipating trouble.
“He’s put the lives of his entire club at stake. For what?” Red snapped. “Money? Power?”
Tony barked out a bitter laugh. “You think it’s just me? Mom and Dad and Grandpops were involved in this from the beginning, Red.”
“I didn’t see that.” He’d never have gotten involved with the club if he had.
Even from a kid, Red had a strong moral compass. He’d known some of the club members were involved in petty crime, but he’d stayed clear of them. He’d had no idea about Tony and his family.
“Your parents. Was it a car accident?”
They’d been killed outright in a collision with a semi about thirteen years earlier. At least that was the story Tony had told him.
“It was an accident,” Tony said, and he looked genuinely distraught. “They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“And you took over, including the family business,” Red spat.
“Dad had been grooming me for some time. I was ready. I knew what I had to do.”
“And Kit?”
Tony shrugged. “He’s never had any interest in the family business or the club.”
“But he knows about it?”
“Some,” Tony allowed. “I kept him away from most of it. If anything happens to me, he’s taken care of, but the club goes to my seconds.”