28. Rogue
ROGUE
Angel’s still recovering when I get up the next morning and meet Hayze for coffee downstairs in the club room.
“I swear to God, nothing has ever scared me more than her being back in the hands of the Scorpions. Nothing could have hit me worse than seeing my Angel tied up in the Scorpions lair, stripped almost bare from neck to waist.”
He holds his mug in hand. “I put her sister in the spare bedroom down the hall from me. She was having nightmares last night.”
“Fucking savages. Who knows what they did to her. I put out a call to Carver over in Phoenix. He’s recently patched over to the Royal Bastards in Phoenix. But all the men were up north making a run last night. He’s in tight with the Rivals over in Vegas.”
Hayze’s eyebrows lift. “They run for the Larussios. Mob family who took over Vegas, right?”
“Exactly. The Larussios have a chokehold on the DeSantis family and gave them a warning about running women and trafficking girls. Carter said they told him the Scorpions were working for the DeSantis crew.
“Hayze meets my eyes. “I’d hate to be them when the Larussios come back to clarify that message.”
“No doubt. Carver’s going to get me a meetup with the prez of the Rivals.
The territory is so big they have two, split by area.
Sounds like they want to get as much information as they can about women being trafficked in the southwest and down to the border, and beyond.
The Larussio crime family, they don’t fucking like traffickers, and gangs that run women.
They have a contract with Duchess, head of the Royal Harlots chapter to send women on the run to her through the Harlots over in Phoenix. ”
His eyes narrow. “Jameson Winter’s sister, Duchess?”
I nod. “The very same. Small fucking world.”
“He started the Royal Bastards and his sister has an entire network funneling girls to her, and they can make good bank on her side business alone. She uses the Royal Harlots in Phoenix to run interference with trafficked women in Vegas to help the girls get away from their captors and head safely up north to another chapter. And I can’t confirm this, but it sounds like she gets a decent amount of her girls from a contract with the Larussios.
If they or any of their crews come across trafficked women who don’t want to stay in Vegas and work in any of their clubs, they make a call to Duchess and she and the Harlots in Phoenix do the rest.”
“Good on Duchess. And you’re going to meet with the Rival’s prez that can get you in direct contact with the Larussios tomorrow?”
I nod. “I want the fucking man behind this. The one who paid millions of dollars for my Angel, and it sounds like the Larussios may be interested in learning who he is too. As long as he’s out there, and the Scorpions we killed owe that fuck money he already paid, and according to our fucking rat they still owe it, we’re vulnerable.
I need to find out and deal with the loose ends to keep her safe. ”
Hayze takes a long draw of his coffee. “Okay, but you’re not going without me or some of our crew, right? We have each other’s back, no solo missioning, and no way we’re letting you deal with this alone.”
“Here’s the thing. I’ll take a crew, but I want you to stay here and take care of the ladies.”
Hayze scowls. “I’m not a fucking babysitter.”
“I’m asking my best friend and my second to take my position here at the fort while I’m gone. If anything goes wrong, I want you here, in charge, stepping up and taking care of those two women and our crew. You got me?”
His eyes close and then reopen. “I don’t fucking like it one bit. I should be out on the road with you and the guys.”
I shake my head. “I’ve already let the guys know. The others will be staying at the club. You call out for them if you need them.”
His eyes meet mine. Hayze still doesn’t fucking like it but he’ll do as I asked. “The women and the crew will be safe with me.”
“Good. Angel’s going to ask where I’m at when she comes down this morning. I went to deal with some club business. That’s all you know. I don’t want Angel worried about anything. All her attention should be on her sister right now.”
His jaw tightens but Hayze will do whatever it takes to keep this club including the ladies safe and I know it or I wouldn’t leave him in charge.
“Keep in touch,” he says as I pull on my cut, check the gun at the back of my waist, and head for the door.