26
ROWAN
Lenny walks into church at the clubhouse the next day and sets his bag down, taking out his laptop and a few folders before claiming his seat. Last night ended a little differently than we had planned, but that’s why Lenny is here today, so we can see what kind of dirt he’s dug up on Laura.
Laura is literally working with every person we don’t want her to, and it has us unsettled. I know that Everly is trying to remain calm, but I can see the freak-out lingering beneath her skin. She’s moments away from blowing up and I want to avoid that at all costs.
“Laura has been busy,” Lenny tells us. “She’s had a few meetings with Russel at his firm since we last spoke.
Obviously, I can’t give you specifics of their meetings, but we know what they’re meeting about.
” He slides a folder over to me and I flip it open, letting Everly see what’s inside.
There are photos of her mom walking into Russel’s office with time stamps.
When we’re done looking, I slide them toward Grayson and Axel, who are sitting in on our meeting.
“What was out of the ordinary, was Laura meeting up with Devil’s Knights members at their headquarters.
” None of us react to his news and he chuckles.
“I’m assuming by your silence that you already knew about that meeting. ”
“We did,” I murmur. “Although, we’re still not sure why it happened.”
“I have to be honest,” Lenny says as he steeples his fingers in front of his face. “I think she’s going to try to take down the club in order to get to Hazel.”
I clench my jaw and Everly’s hand snakes onto my thigh, giving it a squeeze when she feels my unease.
“We all know that won’t happen,” Axel mutters. “Obviously, she doesn’t know much about our club if she thinks a small club could do us any real harm.”
“Or they’ve led her on to believe that they could,” Grayson replies.
“That’s the more likely option,” I sigh. “Could they be watching court cases and know what’s happening?”
I feel Everly tense beside me, so I wrap my arm around her.
“That’s possible,” Lenny admits. “I think it’s more plausible that they’re using Russel. Well, using or threatening him. He is already in their debt, and he’s lost his son in the process. He might be willing to do whatever it takes to keep himself out of their cross hairs.”
“I can’t believe that he would put his own grandchild at risk, though,” Everly says. “He might have done some questionable things but that doesn’t sound like the man I knew.”
Lenny purses his lips. “Unfortunately, money and power will make people you think you knew become complete strangers. I’ve seen it all too often.”
“Do you have any more intel on the Devil’s Knights?” Grayson asks.
Lenny opens a few files on his laptop and starts to read.
“Yes, their president is a man named Drew Castle. He’s got a rap sheet a mile long and it’s not for petty stuff, either.
He’s been charged with multiple counts of assault and battery, resisting arrest, and domestic violence.
He spent fifteen years in prison and got out five years ago.
He would have been back in after his last charge, but his parole ended two months beforehand.
” He turns to face me. “His domestic violence charge was dropped. The girlfriend didn’t give a reason, but I’m sure we all know why. ”
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.
“Because it was Jennifer.”
I nod my head. I don’t like Jennifer, and I don’t like what she did in front of Everly, but no woman deserves to be abused. That’s something our club is staunchly against.
“How long ago was this?” I ask.
“Eleven months ago.”
“Isn’t that kind of suspicious?” Everly asks from beside me. My frown makes her continue. “That has to be around the time that her and Travis were hooking up. Right?”
“Shit,” Grayson mutters.
“You’re probably right,” I tell her. “I wonder if she was sleeping with him to get back on Drew’s good side. She probably thought that she could pass him information.”
“Didn’t the Devil’s Knights member tell us that Drew wanted Everly as repayment for Travis sleeping with his girl, though?” Axel asks.
“Yeah,” Everly says as her body rattles with her shivers. “He did. So, why would she have slept with Travis, then?”
“Why don’t we just ask her?” I offer as I pull my phone from my pocket. “Anyone still got her number?”
“I thought you might need it,” Lenny says before rattling the number off for me. “Do you think she’ll tell us anything?”
I shrug. “It’s worth a shot.”
I shoot off a text.
Rowan: Hey, it’s Rowan. I need you to come to the clubhouse.
Everly snorts. “She’s going to think it’s for something totally different than you’re actually summoning her for.”
“Who cares?” I say as I pull Everly’s chair closer to mine. “We just need some information.” My phone vibrates on the table.
Jennifer: Be there soon!
“She’s coming,” I tell everyone as I pocket my phone.
“She thinks she’s going to be coming,” Axel says with a waggle of his brows making Everly snort in laughter.
“Fuck off,” I mutter.
“Let’s go out to the bar because I don’t want that bitch anywhere near church,” Grayson grumbles as he stands.
We wait for Lenny to pack up his belongings and then walk out to the bar where the rest of the guys are. We set up Lenny and Everly at the bar and me, Axel, and Grayson stand a little further down by Cane, Atlas, Cole, and Nash.
“Rowan!” A familiar, grating voice calls out, making us turn toward the open door she came through. She looks around the room, her eyes landing on me. “There you are!”
I take a deep breath as she walks over to us, my brothers standing on either side of me. “Jennifer,” I mutter in greeting.
She gives me a big smile. “You look hot, babe,” she says with a wink. “I’m here for whatever you needed me for.”
I fight back my gag and can hear Axel snickering behind me. “Let’s all go sit down,” I say as I gesture to the large table.
She shrugs and moves over there with an exaggerated sway of her nonexistent hips. I shoot an unimpressed look at the guys and follow her.
She sits down and we all take seats away from her. She doesn’t like that, though. No, she moves and takes the seat right beside me.
“Listen, we just need to ask you a few things,” I tell her as I try to scoot away.
“Whatever you need, Rowan,” Jennifer purrs, her hand finding my knee and slipping higher toward my crotch.
Before I can even tell her to back off, Everly’s voice comes from beside us.
“Take your fucking hand off him.”
Jennifer looks up with a smirk. “Oh, honey. You must be a new club slut. That’s not how it works around here.”
Her words make Everly’s jaw clench. “I’m not a club slut. I’m his old lady. Now take your hand off my man.”
Jennifer laughs and stands in front of us. “We’ll see about that. He called me here, isn’t that right, Rowan?”
Jennifer barely finishes that sentence before Everly backhands her.