Chapter 13 #3
He looks up at me when I enter the room. “You’re the one who kicked me,” he says. “You asshole, you mangled my leg.”
“Yeah, that’ll happen when you’re guardin’ stolen property in Sons’ territory.
Messin’ around with the Hyenas wasn’t one of your smarter moves.
” I spin his chair around and squat down facing him.
“Here’s where you are. Getting grabbed by us, well that makes you a loose end now.
Santos doesn’t come ridin’ to the rescue for fools that got themselves abducted by the enemy. You know that, right?”
He gives one slight nod acknowledging what I said was true.
“That means the only people worth negotiating with are us. You don’t owe Santos anything. Talk to us and maybe we let you go if your intel is good.”
He looks at Slate, who’s leaning on the wall cleaning his nails with a huge hunting knife.
He shoots Jasper a quick glance before looking back at me.
He didn’t have any skin in the game and we all knew it.
Even his cartel wouldn’t expect him to suffer for the Hyenas.
As long as he didn’t talk about the cartel, he would likely remain in good standing with them.
“Fine, what do you want to know?” he asks.
“What would it take for Coal to walk away and leave his daughter with us? Everyone has a price. What’s his?”
The man actually laughs. “You think this is just a father missing his daughter or a pride thing?” He looks at me intently. “Coal bought his way into our pipeline. He now has access to everything our organization does to make money. That privilege didn’t come cheap.”
Slate asks from across the room, “How did Coal’s broke ass club afford that?”
I already know before he says it. “It was Stripe, right?”
“Yeah, of course it was,” he replies. “Stripe is the old brother with the white streak who’s so fuckin’ creepy he can’t manage to get laid even by club girls. The man who has had his eye on your old lady since she was a little girl.”
Before I even think about what I’m doing, my fist flies out and slams into his mouth.
Jasper gives me a rough push, “Don’t shoot the fuckin’ messenger just because you don’t like the message, Jinx.”
Our club prez is not wrong about that. I shoot him a sorry but not sorry look before stepping back.
“Continue, asshole,” Jasper says.
“Stripe has been a good little earner in his club for a lot of years. He doesn’t have a house or anything of value.
He’s been saving all this time for one thing.
He paid for Coal’s buy-in, in exchange for having their pretty little club princess all to himself.
” He shifts in the chair, easing the bad leg.
“If Coal can’t provide the girl, then he’s gonna need to give Stripe back his money.
He doesn’t make this right with his road captain, no brother’s gonna trust him. ”
I murmur, “Coal would have a mutiny on his hands.”
Slate snorts a laugh. “So, Coal didn’t promise his daughter to a loyal brother. The filthy fucker sold her to cover a debt.”
“And instead of giving herself to Stripe, she rode off on the back of my bike.”
“Coal has been obsessed with takin’ down the Sons for as long as anyone can remember and you just keep giving him more incentives to grind your club into dust. What with stealing the woman he traded to get access to our organization and torching a quarter million in product the other night, I don’t see him makin’ a deal anytime soon. ”
Slate says one word from the wall. “Truth.”
Jasper asks, “So Coal has to get the girl back and tear down our club just to keep his own men from turning against him. Is that what I’m hearing you say?”
“Yeah, and even after you burned down his warehouse, he’s still got enough brothers, bikes, and weapons to make a run at your compound.
When the interrogation is over, I go back to check on Nora. I tell her what we discovered only because she needs to know what her father is capable of. And we’ve both learned the costs of keeping secrets from one another. I want to build a family and life with her based on truth, respect and trust.
She sets her book aside. “I’m not surprised my father did something like this, I’ve always known he would throw my brothers under the bus to get what he wanted. I’m a woman, and worth less in his eyes, so it makes sense.” She smooths her hand over her flat stomach.
“Nora, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault that I was born into an MC where people are money. The thing my father is about to learn is that I refuse to be sold. It’s going to be a rude awakening for him.”
“We’re gonna keep you safe, sweetness. I promise you that.”
“Are you sure I’m worth the fight? My father’s coming, and he has always had a way of getting what he wants in the end.”
“Of course you’re worth it,” I tell her. “Our kid is worth it too. Let your father come. We’ll have the home court advantage.” I bring her hand to my lips and drop little kisses on each knuckle. “I’ve got a trick or two up my sleeve.”
“I still worry for you,” she says quietly. “Don’t turn your back on my father or my brothers, Jinx. They play for keeps.”