Chapter 26
Tico
We walk downstairs to Wire’s cave and knock on his door.
Wire’s room is the only one that was built differently from the others.
On the main floor is the security hub or the ‘cave’.
In the back of the room is a private staircase that leads up to his room on the second floor that’s directly above the cave.
He opens the door and the anxious look in his eyes has me even further on edge. Wire ushers us in, though he hesitates with Xochitl and Poison, but at my nod, he lets them in and quickly closes the door. A second later, someone knocks and Wire lets Taco in.
“Prez, VP, we have a problem,” Wire says as he sits down at his desk and his wall of monitors.
“We have a rat?” I ask and Wire hesitates but he also looks relieved that I know.
“Yes. I don’t have enough data yet, but someone hacked the cameras at the hotel.
I had no problems seeing Psycho, Clutch, Ricky and Bobby…
but Kane’s feed was weird. I noticed he was acting kind of off yesterday and then he was checking his phone a lot last night before everyone left the warehouse.
I dug into it after the attack and found the hack.
The west cameras, the ones that were pointed at Kane at the hotel, were playing on a loop. ”
“Which gave a window for Ryan and the others to sneak out and then attack us,” Ember states, her voice even colder and harder than before.
“How did they get onto the property?” I ask, anger simmering in my veins.
“They cut the fence along the tree line. I already have Clutch out looking at the fence to fix it. When he’s done, I will be installing more cameras along the fence line.
I’ll also be building in a notification system when the cameras detect something outside of my set parameters and I’ll be adding a way where we can electrify the fence if need be. ”
“What about the other stuff I asked you to dig into?” I ask him.
His gaze hesitantly slips to Ember, then to Xochitl and Poison. Xochitl stands.
“We’ll leave so you can talk privately. I’ll email you the pictures that Byte, Wire’s counterpart,” Xochitl explains for Ember, “has of the gang members that Oasis, Scooter, and Drone hired. She was able to get their names, too.”
She pulls out her phone and a moment later, Wire’s computer dings with the incoming email. He pulls up the pictures and then puts their names into his program that will dig up any and all dirt on them. Then, they both quietly slip out, shutting the door behind them.
Wire looks questioningly at Ember and then cocks an eyebrow at me.
“She can hear this. She also agreed to help lure Scooter and Oasis out and help the women they are hiding at their clubhouse.”
Wire gives a curt nod and turns back to his computers.
“I compiled information from each time one of our shipments, runs, or deliveries were compromised. Then I made a list of who was all present on those runs, including what happened last night. There were five of us that were there each time. Daemon, Radar, Gorgon, Sandman, and Corvus.”
Hearing mis hermanos (my brothers) names like that is like a punch to the gut.
Judging by the sound of disbelief when Ember hears Daemon’s name, she’s feeling the same way.
I don’t want to believe one of mis hermanos (my brothers) betrayed us, but then my brain snags on the names again.
Switching gears, I think about how last night played out.
Daemon and Radar were with me last night, riding with the point group that led the caravan back to the clubhouse.
Per the video feed I watched from last night, Gorgon and Sandman were glued to Pyper’s side, and then mi mamá (my mom) when she arrived.
Corvus on the other hand, was chilling in the main room scrolling on his phone.
Kane though… Why was he acting weird last night? Why was his camera feed on a loop? Yeah, he wasn’t one of the names Wire just listed, but still… Does he know who hacked into the cameras?
What if… My gut twists.
“Keep your eyes and ears open. Don’t ignore red flags just because they are nuestro hermano (our brother). We need to flush out who it is and quickly.”
“I have a question,” Ember says quietly, as if she’s not sure if is allowed to question us.
At my nod, she continues. “You said the five of them were at every location when something went wrong. That may be true, however…the rat could have tipped off locations and timing but also stayed behind so that the clubhouse wasn’t completely unmanned.
He also could have stayed behind to keep attention off of himself as a suspect. ”
My gut clenches at having my own thoughts spoken aloud and to have someone else have the same train of thought. My gaze snaps to Taco’s and I can see the same worry in his eyes.
And the same promise.
Whoever the rat is will regret ever going against the Royal Bastards MC.
Pulling out my phone, I hesitate. Two of the men Wire listed are my officers—Daemon and Radar. But having someone else come to the same conclusion I did…
Mentally, I replay scenarios, and red flags, from the past few months that I once dismissed again in my mind. My gut twists at how much we may have missed. Chingar (fuck). Knowing I could be showing my hand if I’m wrong, but needing more eyes, I send a text to our officers only thread.
Pocketing my phone, I look down at Ember. “Vicious, I need to brief the officers about this.”
She gives me a curt nod and stands. “I’ll go see how Rochelle’s settling in since I’m assuming you want to be present when I talk to Sunny?”
The muscles in my jaw clench. “Yes.” Chingar (fuck), I hope that puta (bitch) doesn’t cause any more problems after this. We have enough problems on our plate as it is right now.
Ember leans forward, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “Go do what you need to do, Tico. I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if I see anything.”
I watch her go as she slips out of the room and when the door closes, the tension in the room thickens.
“Wire. I want you to pull the feed for the last three months. See if there’s anything we missed.
I also want you to check the books with Shuriken.
If someone’s tipping off our locations, then I wouldn’t put it past them to also be stealing from us as well.
Don’t discuss your findings with anyone except for Taco or me.
Same for Shuriken. I have a feeling Ember may be right.
Something’s telling me it isn’t those five, but we need to be sure. ”
Taco’s and Wire’s eyes harden but Wire gives me a curt nod, already turning towards his computer.
“You got it, Prez. I’ll get things rolling and meet you in Church in a minute.”
Taco follows me out of Wire’s room and once we’re all in Church with the rest of my officers, I let them see my fury.
“Mis hermanos (My brothers), what I’m about to say to you does not leave this room.” I pause as I look at each of my officers and wait until they all nod in agreement. “There’s a rat in our walls.”
Instantly, the air fills with their rage, rage so thick you can practically taste it.
“Is there anyone you already suspect?” Cobra asks, his hands clenching and unclenching on the table.
“Yes. Wire, show us what happened last night before the attack.”
For the next few minutes, Wire plays the video feed from the hotel.
“I tracked Zane’s phone, but the tracking went dark a few minutes before the hotel feed loop started. It came back online fifteen minutes later, which coincides with the timing that we pulled back most of the guys from the hotel because of the attack here.”
He goes on to explain what else he found out. Daemon and Radar both wear identical shocked looks when Wire says their names.
“I’m not a rat,” Daemon says, his jaw clenched so hard I’m surprised he hasn’t cracked a tooth.
“You can trace everything on my phone, my personal laptop, my room, anything. I know what it feels like to be betrayed by a club and I’d never do that to the Royal Bastards. The Royal Bastards are my family.”
“You can check my room and devices, too,” Radar says, his voice tight and barely restrained with anger. “Whatever the fuck you need. I’m not a rat. This club is my family.”
I dip my chin in thanks, hating that I have to suspect them, even though my gut tells me the rat is someone else.
Shuriken rasps his knuckles on the table.
“Prez, there’s been other problems besides what Wire just mentioned.
For the past two months when we discussed numbers, several books were off and I’ve been digging into them.
I’ve been tracing the money, but Wire, I need your help to confirm everything.
” He turns from Wire to look at me. “The tattoo parlor, the gym, the garage, and our weed businesses all have numbers that aren’t aligning.
However, the biggest discrepancy was with our mules and slingers. ”
Everything in me goes still at that.
Shuriken and Radar oversee our weed sales and routes. We don’t run or sell anything harder.
Not anymore, anyway.
The club used to run and sell harder drugs, but then my cousin, Julio, died from an overdose.
That happened back when Papá (Dad) was alive and I hadn’t earned my Enforcer patch yet.
His death rocked our club because even though he wasn’t a member, he was always here at the clubhouse or working in our garage.
While we know the laced drugs that killed him didn’t come from us—the baggie found on him when he died had a nearby gang’s logo on it—neither Papá (Dad) nor I could stomach selling those drugs anymore.
To this day, I still don’t fully know how Papá (Dad) got us out of the business.
All I know is that a club about two hours south of us picked up our contracts in our stead.
Some of mis hermanos (my brothers) weren’t happy about losing the cash but like Papá (Dad) and me, they also felt responsible for Julio’s death despite the fact that it wasn’t our drugs that killed him. Now we only sell and run weed.
However, a few years ago, some of our other businesses expanded and new ones opened.
Those changes started pulling Shuriken away from helping oversee our weed business more frequently since he also does all of our books.
That’s where Corvus came in. By then, he’d been making comments about wanting to get into the trade, so we brought him in.
His integration was slow at first, but then he worked his way up to overseeing it alongside Radar and Shuriken.
Now there’s money missing from several businesses, Zane’s security feed on a loop, Zane’s phone going dark, and someone leaking our locations when we’re on runs.
But if it is Zane or Corvus…then why are they betraying us? Is it both of them? Or just one of them?
Or is it someone else just trying to point fingers towards someone else?
Pushing those worries aside, for now at least, I look at each of mis hermanos (my brothers). “Keep your eyes and ears open. Don’t hesitate just because someone is nuestro hermano (our brother). That said, we need proof before we accuse, or punish, anyone.”
All of mis hermanos (my brothers) dip their chins in understanding. I rasp my knuckles on the table in thought and then turn to Daemon.
“Ember agreed to help lure out the Chrome Vipers.” I pause and look at each of them. “We need to discuss how we’re going to do so. And when.”
For the next hour, we hash out a plan that I’m not one hundred percent behind, mainly because it’s my Ol’ Lady that we’re putting in danger, but it’s our best shot to stop these fuckers once and for all.
I’m the last to leave Church, and when I walk out into the main room, I’m immediately on edge.
Ember, Pyper, and Rochelle are all sitting at a table together, talking, but Ember’s posture is rigid.
I glance around and force my face to remain calm when I notice Corvus is sitting a few tables away.
He’s drinking a beer and appears to just be scrolling through his phone, but he’s positioned himself so that he’s directly across from Ember.
Every few seconds, his eyes flick up at Ember before returning to his phone.
A phone that seems to be pointed straight at Ember.
I look around the room, but nothing else seems to be amiss.
Though I do note that Zane isn’t in the main room—he must be in his room or with one of the bunnies. My gaze goes back to Corvus.
“That’s not a club issued phone,” Wire whispers as he comes up beside me and it takes me a moment before I realize he’s right.
It’s a small thing to notice from a distance, but it proves it’s not the Samsung Galaxy S26 that everyone in the club gets. The S26 has a small, raised section around all three cameras on the back of the phone.
The phone Corvus is using does not have that raised section around the cameras.
My gut twists. Normally, I wouldn’t think twice about one of mis hermanos (my brothers) having a second phone, but after what I’ve learned today, it makes me suspicious.
“Can you access it?” I ask and Wire smirks in response. “Do it.”