CHAPTER 40
Maverick
I feel like I’m being torn in two. I know this shit is important but the last thing I want to do is walk away from Kaya again.
It seems like that’s all I’ve been doing for the last twenty-four hours.
I’m such an idiot. Looking into her eyes, how could I have ever thought she didn’t really care about me.
No woman has ever looked at me the way she does.
And the way her chin trembled when I called her baby. Fuck! It nearly ripped my heart out.
I take my seat and wait for everyone else to do the same.
I see what Ace is doing. The only members in the room are those that were on the run and the officers.
Shade enters with his bulldog, Rascal at his side.
The dog is wearing a cone collar and has a bandage on his ear and a shaved area on his head where a line of stitches can be seen.
I guess that raccoon did a number on him.
Bunker, the treasurer, is the last to enter.
Ace takes his seat at the head of the table and glances around slowly at each one of us.
“We have a fucking problem,” Ace mutters.
Ty and Leo look at each other. Shade glances around the table like he’s just now noticing that half the club isn’t here.
“Brennan has a system about how he works. He loves to give out misinformation, change times and locations and never passes along the information digitally. At one point I even thought he was paranoid.” Ace shakes his head.
“Thank God he is, or we would be having an entirely different conversation right now.”
“What’s going on, Prez?” Shade asks.
Ace frowns. “We have a leak. I hate to think it, but it makes no sense for it to be one of Brennan’s men, especially with how he operates, but here’s the deal.
When Maverick was out with Kaya the other day, we held church and discussed the run.
Time and location were disclosed. Today Brennan changed both, like he often does.
After Carl, Leo, and Ty left with our shipment, Brennan called me and advised that if any of my men were still in the area that they take a ride past the original location. ” Ace waves to Dom.
Dom looks at Shade and then to Leo and Ty. “When Maverick and I turned back and rode past the warehouse there were feds and cops all over it. It was an obvious sting operation that didn’t go their way.”
“Wait.” Shade perks up. “Are you fucking saying that someone in Carnage is running their mouth to the feds?”
“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck.” Deuce says as he leans back in his chair.
“Who?” Leo asks.
“I’m going to assume it’s no one that was on the run.” Ace says.
“It also has to be someone that has no idea how Brennan works. Whoever leaked the time and location must have thought it was correct.” Deuce adds.
Dom leans forward. “Well, it’s not Tank. He’s still in the hospital.”
“His brother could have told him,” I say.
“Maybe it’s Cipher.” Dom turns to his dad. “Rebel and Riker aren’t in here. You can’t think it’s one of them?”
Ace shakes his head. “Right now, all I know, is it’s likely not the people in this room.”
Shade turns his focus to Ty. “What if it’s him? He just got here. How do we know he isn’t doing it to get into some witness protection program to get away from Bishop.”
Ty jerked forward. “Man, fuck off. I ain’t no rat. Why would I screw everything up when I’m here trying to get my girl back.”
Ace shakes his head. “He didn’t have time to become an informant between his ride from Texas to New Jersey. While he was with Buck he was under close supervision and only had access to a burner phone that Buck gave him.”
“Then there’s Ratchet, Flip, and Grayson or a prospect that somehow overheard shit they weren’t supposed to,” Leo adds.
“The bottom line is right now we don’t know, so we’re not going to go around accusing each other without proof. This stays here. Do you all understand me? No one outside this room finds out about this… except Kaya,” Ace says. My eyes snap to his. “How is she doing?”
“I haven’t really gotten to talk to her yet,” I mutter.
His focus stays on me. “I’m going to give Cipher a few days off, so if she’s feeling up to it, I’m going to need her on security.
I don’t have any reason to suspect him, but he would be the one that could cause us the most harm.
He has access to everything. I know Kaya had no knowledge of the original location. ”
I nod. If I know Kaya, she would sit in front of those computers with her whole body stitched up if she had to.
“We’re going to operate as if everything’s normal otherwise. We have more to talk about, but I need everyone else in here.” He lifts his chin to Dom, who gets up and leaves the room to gather the rest of the brothers.
One by one, Grayson, Rebel, Riker, Flip, and Cipher enter with brows raised and confusion on their faces. Not one looks pleased that they were left out of the initial meeting. Dom follows them in and retakes his seat.
“What the hell was that about?” Rebel asks.
Ace shakes his head. “Just sit down.”
“This is bullshit,” Grayson smacks the table. “How are you just going to leave half of us out for over twenty minutes?”
Ace glares at him but says nothing.
Deuce knocks on the table. “We just had to go over something from the run. Not a big deal.”
“So, tell us,” Flip says. “If it was nothing…”
“It’s not nothing,” I growl. “It’s Bishop. We had to tell the boss about the conversation we had with Brennan before bringing everyone else in.” The lie comes easily and I hope it sounds believable enough for them to back off.
Ace gives me a nod. “Right. So, here’s what’s happening.
I spoke to Vincent a few days ago. He assured me he would reach out to the Raven’s Reapers about Bishop.
The D’Amatos have business with them and the Reapers decided that taking in a rogue club president wasn’t worth risking their relationship with the mob.
This morning, Vincent let me know that they sent Bishop packing. ”
“But we found out that he didn’t leave alone. The guy that brought him in was stripped of his patch and is now with Bishop. Guy’s name is Viper.” I add.
“So now Bishop has a partner?” Riker asks.
Deuce nods. “Maybe two if he hooks back up with Daryl. Reese is the one that Maverick took care of yesterday.”
Flip shakes his head. “Son of a bitch. That’s all we need.”
“We were told they left the Philly area but Brennan didn’t know where they were headed,” Dom says while cracking his knuckles.
Ace drops his fists on the table. “So, we’re on lockdown. Women don’t leave without protection. I think it’s obvious at this point that they have no limits in how they’ll come at us. I don’t want any more of our family getting hurt because of this war.”
Everyone agrees.
“I’ll get back downstairs and search everywhere. There has to be a trace of them somewhere,” Cipher says.
Ace shakes his head. “I want you to take the rest of the day off. Your brother is getting out of the hospital today. Your job is to tend to him.”
“Prez!” Cipher challenges. “Tank’s fine. I should be on this.”
“We brought in Kaya to help you, so that’s what she’s going to do. You need to take care of your brother,” Deuce insists.
Cipher shakes his head in aggravation.
“Bro, you need to get out of the dungeon a little bit. You’re starting to look pasty as fuck,” Leo jokes.
“Exactly. As a matter of fact, why don’t you take the next few days. Go see your mom. We can’t have you burning out when we need you most,” Ace adds.
Cipher throws his hands up. “I don’t need time off!”
Deuce glares at Cipher. “I don’t recall us asking.” His tone is cold and serious, leaving no room for argument.
The room goes deathly quiet. The ones that were left out of the initial meeting can tell something’s off, but they don’t question it. Looks are exchanged, arms are crossed, but the silence continues.
Ace lets out a sigh. “Now, the run was successful so the next step is an exchange with Warner. We’ll be setting that up in the next few days. Otherwise, everything else is moving along. We hired the girls for the club and the grand opening is set for two weeks from Friday.”
This perks everyone up a bit.
Riker slaps my shoulder. “How do you feel about Jessica getting hired?”
I shrug. “As long as it brings her enough money to get the hell out of here, I don’t give a shit.”
Bunker smiles. “Cherry Steel is going to be the headliner on opening night. Then we have Peaches, Lily Lux, Candy Cream, and,” he lifts his chin to me, “The Tennessee Temptress.”
“Jesus Christ,” I mutter.
The guys laugh, the mood lifting slightly.
“Isn’t there one named Diamond something?” Leo asks.
“Yes! Diamond Doll. She’s the one that came out with the diamond pasties and glittery skirt. What I wouldn’t do to get some time with her dark silky skin.” Riker’s eyes glaze over and a goofy grin crosses his lips.
Bunker throws his cigarette pack at Riker’s face while laughing. “She’s headlining Saturday night. We’re trying to get all the girls on stage opening weekend to see how they do.”
“Well, let’s hope Bishop stays the fuck away so we can all get down there and watch,” Flip says with a grin. “We’ve been waiting for this for far too long to miss out.”
After some more talk about the Petal dancers Ace finally raises the gavel and drops it on the table. Everyone seems a bit more at ease except Cipher, who doesn’t appear pleased at all that he’s been relieved of duty for the next couple days. He’s the first one to stand, storming out of the room.