Chapter 23
Nick
“Hey Prez.” Tony gives me a nod as he enters the clubhouse. “How’s it going?”
“Not bad. Could be better,” I grunt. “You boys ready to go out on our first run tomorrow?”
“Fuck yeah, I am.” He grins. “I’m looking forward to seeing how you do.”
“Damn Ghost and his spies,” I mutter.
“Not a spy brother, just gotta make sure the club is doing what it’s supposed to be doing.”
“And it will.” I nod. “Make sure the others know we leave at midnight tomorrow.”
“You got it.” He claps my back as I pass him, heading out of the club.
At first, this chapter of the MC was just going to keep doing small, local jobs, but Kane decided he wanted to start running guns and made a proposal.
We pick them up from the docks here in Georgia and meet them at a halfway point in Chicago.
We’ll do business there before his men take the rest back with them.
After everything he’s done to help us, it’s the least we can do.
He’s only asking for a delivery once a month and the rest of the time things will be pretty chill.
He said we have the option to get involved with more, but honestly, I kind of want to take it slow for the next few years, build the club, and spend time with my brothers and our Omega.
And kids. I want kids. Lots of kids.
I’ve never wanted kids before, never saw the point in bringing kids into this fucked up life, not with my dad still breathing.
It’s an option now, and it’s something I’d love to have with Nova. Not that she knows, because any time I’m around that damn woman, I can’t seem to have a conversation with her. She’s always opening up her bratty mouth and has a snarky response to almost everything I say.
“Nick!” Rica shouts as she runs toward me.
“Hey, kiddo.” I scoop her up. “How’s the best little sister ever?” I kiss her cheek. “You being good for Auntie Robyn?”
She nods her little head, blond curls tamed and in the cutest little ringlets. “Yup. The best. She’s gonna take me and Tyler out for ice cream.” Her little blue eyes light up.
“Make sure you get extra sprinkles.”
“Oh, I will,” she says seriously, and I chuckle.
“Alright. Be good. Have fun.” I give her a hug and put her down.
“Bye!” she calls out as she runs to Tyler who’s standing nearby.
The two of them are always together. Tyler has taken on the role of her protector.
I’m glad. No one will ever hurt Rica again, but we’re well over twenty-five years older than her.
If anything, we’re more father figures to her than her brothers.
Tyler fits that spot easily. He’s someone closer to her age that she can grow up with and he can be around more often.
It doesn’t mean we don’t spend time with her.
When we can, she comes over to our place and Nova makes it a big movie night sleepover.
Rica seems to be the only other person Petunia doesn’t hiss at. That opossum lets her carry her around like a damn doll. I don’t get it.
I’ll deny it to my death bed, but it’s fucking adorable to watch the two of them together.
As for her mother, Julia has stayed away since Will made her leave. I’m glad he did, because if he didn’t, I would have.
There’s only so much I can put up with out of respect for Kane, but disrespecting my Omega and putting hands on her is where I draw the line.
My phone rings, pulling my attention from the two kids walking away.
“Hey,” I answer Rafe’s call.
“Hey, man. Where are you?”
“The club, why?” My brows furrow.
“Remember that cop you had us looking into?”
My spine straightens. “Yes,” I say slowly.
Everything Rafe and the guys were able to get on him wasn’t much help.
His parents were normal people, and he lived a normal life.
Joined the police force out of high school, followed in his father’s footsteps.
He’s never been charged for anything, not that I’d trust it since his father was a cop.
Apart from the year he was out of work following a case that fucked him up mentally, he’s been a model police officer.
Shame, because I can’t risk having a brown noser on my ass.
He chose the wrong people to put his focus on.
As much as I hated my father, the one thing he did that benefited us was paying off the police. Not only here in St. Mary, but also the Savannah police department.
It made it a hell of a lot easier to do our little side hustle. We might have had the attention of the media from time to time, but for the most part, it was never an issue for us.
Until now. And to bring my Omega into it? Not a fucking chance.
“I thought you’d want to know, we’re downtown right now and he’s here.”
“Okay?” That's not surprising. I’ve had them keeping an eye on him and he’s been patrolling downtown for weeks now.
“He’s not alone.”
“Out with it Rafe,” I growl.
“He’s with Nova.”
“What?” I growl. “What the fuck do you mean he’s with Nova? Is that fucker harrassing her? I swear to god, I’m going to fucking kill him.”
“Not exactly, I don’t think. The two of them are... hanging out... I think?”
My brows furrow. “What the fuck do you mean hanging out?”
“Hold on.”
My phone pings with a notification. Looking at my text messages, I fucking vibrate with fury as I stare at a photo of that cop and my Omega. My Omega, who’s fucking got her head tossed back laughing as they sit outside the coffee shop she loves.
“I’m on my way,” I growl into the phone before hanging up.
Storming to my bike, I grab my helmet and shove it on. I don’t know what the fuck is going on right now, but I’m going to fucking find out!
I’m seething as I get on my bike and take off out of the compound. What the fuck is Nova up to? Making friends with the fucking cop who’s trying to put her pack in jail? How could she?
Anger rises as I think maybe, just-fucking-maybe, she’s working with him. Is she going against us and feeding information to this man?
The thought is a punch to the gut.
She wouldn’t, would she?
If she was planning on throwing us under the bus, why let Will and Ian bite her? We’re her scent matches, if we go to jail and she goes into heat, she could fucking die.
No way. There’s no way I’m going to let myself believe that she would betray us like that.
Something is up and I’m going to find out what it is.
That little rat of a cop has been sniffing around my Omega the past few weeks. Rafe said he and his guys have found Tucker, more than once, going into Ian’s bakery when Nova is there with Ian.
Has he been harassing her, or is there something more?
I swear to god if that fucker is trying to get with my Omega, I’m going to kill him!
Zipping down the winding roads toward town, I can’t help but think of a million more things, all worst cases.
By the time I’m turning down the road toward them, I’m livid, chest heaving, blood pounding in my ears.
Pulling up to the cafe, I look around but don’t see Nova or Tucker.
Scanning my surroundings, I look for them. When I spot them, they’re by Will’s truck.
My hands clench as I watch the two of them fucking hug. Then I see red when Nova leans in and kisses the motherfucker on the cheek.
“He’s fucking dead!” I growl as Nova gets into the truck.
I watch as she pulls out and heads down the street.
He watches her go with a fucking dopey-ass smile that I can’t wait to wipe off his face.
He looks down at something in his hand then his head snaps up.
He calls something out that I can’t hear, running towards the direction Nova left. I watch the truck, but she keeps going.
He stops running and turns back around, heading for a black car parked a few spots down from where Nova was parked.
He pulls out onto the road and I watch as he heads in the same direction as her. That's when I begin to follow.
It’s been far too long since I’ve had blood on my hands, and I think it’s about time I change that. Officer Davis is going to regret fucking with the wrong pack. And with my Omega.
I’m careful not to follow too closely, keeping a few cars-length of space between us. I’m not sure where he’s going. Home? Or, the station possibly.
The longer I follow him, the more I begin to realize we’re heading toward my home.
This fucker isn’t dumb enough to go to my house, is he?
I growl as I watch him turn onto the road that leads into our driveway. He is. He’s fucking going to my fucking home!
I’m choosing to take this as a positive. If I kill him at my place, it’s easier to hide the evidence and get rid of his body.
If I don’t get to him first, I know Ian will. Last time I talked to him, he was at home.
Giving him some time to get down there, I wait before following after, not wanting to spook him or tip him off to my presence. I stop and park my bike a little ways down the road. Getting off, I jog toward the house.
A few seconds later, I see him getting out of his car.
I duck behind a tree, just out of view of the house, then crouch behind Will’s truck, then the cop’s car.
I reach for my gun, pulling it free from its holster and flick the safety off.
I’m not going to shoot him, at least not right now.
We don’t have any nearby neighbors, but just in case, I don’t want someone hearing gunshots and calling his buddies to the scene.
I’d rather use the silencer I have inside.
I’m going to have to check and see if we have enough plastic in the garage. If not, I don’t think Ian would mind going to pick some up. I spent a hell of a lot of money on those floors. I’m not going to let his blood stain them.
Tucker lifts his hand to knock, something gripped in his other hand. Quickly but carefully, I sneak up behind him.
Lifting the gun, I press it to the back of his head. “Someone has a death wish,” I growl, making Tucker jump.
He spins around, eyes wide and lips parted in shock as the gun is now against his forehead.
“What the fuck are you doing at my house?” I snarl.