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They both glare at me in return.
“Anyway, Jiggy and I pulled the story out of Pants.”
“How is that scary mountain man?” Z asks.
“He’s apparently a hog farmer now. Doesn’t seem as excited about the porn as Ice and T-Bone.”
“Not surprised. About either of those.” Rock says. “Go on.”
“He says they have people inside ATF now. Sounds like blackmail for one, and another might be family to Ice or someone at their charter.”
“Fuck me.” Rock focuses his stare on Z. “That’s new territory.”
Z runs his hand over his jaw. “They think that’s gonna give ‘em enough cover to do what?”
“I think they want back into guns.”
“Priest won’t go for that. Even if ATF is covered. Too much potential to go wrong.”
“Right. That’s what Jigsaw and I thought.”
“Although…” Z says.
“Here we go,” Rock mutters.
“Demons never got out of guns that we know of. Maybe we can work this situation to their advantage. If we don’t want to split what’s coming to them after DeLova retires, maybe we can hook them up with Virginia.”
“I thought you were worried we’d all get swept up in that?” I ask.
Z shrugs. “Sounds like we will one way or another.”
“Might as well roll with it,” Rock adds. “That what you’re suggesting?”
“If Ice already has this set up, he’s not going to back off just because we ask him nicely. And if we rat him out to Priest, that’s not good for anyone either. Sounds like it’s a done deal.”
“Might as well do what we can to make it beneficial for everyone.” Rock focuses on me again. “If they come at us for RICO at some point, they’re going to want the ones directly involved. They’ll dick all of us around, no doubt, but I think we can manage to minimize our risk.”
“All right.” I’m not as convinced as they seem to be. “Still thought you should know.”
“Fuck yeah.” Z slaps my arm. “Thanks for keeping those big ears open.”
“Anything else?” Rock asks.
“Oh, Ice has cameras stashed all over the clubhouse.”
Z shrugs. “So do we.”
“No, bedrooms too.”
He cracks up, slapping his hand on the table. “Didn’t warn a brother?”
“No,” I growl. “Pants said something about the porn house being wired so Ice can keep tabs on his girl. Prompted me to take a closer look at my room.”
“That’s probably the answer to how he managed to hook someone at ATF,” Rock says.
“My thoughts too.”
“Better be careful if you bring Shelby there,” Z warns. “She doesn’t need a ‘country superstar railed in biker clubhouse’ video all over the Internet.”
“Fuck off,” I growl.
“Just sayin’.” He holds up his hands in a “no harm” gesture.
Rock side-eyes him. “Extorting law enforcement is one thing. Betraying a brother that way is something else entirely. You think Ice is capable of that?”
“These days, I think anyone’s capable of anything.” Z’s dimples vanish, his face turning dead serious. “Only brothers I trust with my life have New York stitched on their bottom rockers.”
Rock lifts his coffee cup in Z’s direction. “Amen to that, brother.”Chapter Forty-FourShelby
Another dressing room in another city.
I stare at myself in the mirror, waiting for Cindy to begin her magic.
Greg knocks and pushes the door open. “How are you feeling tonight?”
“Good.” I bit my lip. “You haven’t gotten any more calls from my mom, have you?”
His mouth twists down.
Bad sign.
“She really wants you to call her,” he finally says. “She’s worried about you.”
“Well, then I hope you told her I’m peachy.”
“Yes,” he answers slowly.
My gaze drops to his hands, narrowing on what looks like a black envelope in one.
My stomach drops.
“Oh, yeah. Someone dropped this off at the ticket office for you.” He tosses the envelope in my lap.
Not again.
“Where’d it come from?” I stare at the envelope the same way I’d stare at a rat swinging by its tail.
“Don’t know. Probably fan mail.” He shrugs and walks out.
Cindy frowns at the envelope. “Looks kinda like a kid’s handwriting.”
No doubt whatever’s inside won’t be kid-friendly.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” she asks.
“I guess.” I pick it up and rip open the flap. Just like before, there’s a piece of black paper inside. Slowly, I tug it out and unfold it.
Same silver writing.
This time, the note’s longer and scrawled on the page from top to bottom. Fear twists my insides.
My Shelby,
I hope you enjoyed your time with your new boyfriend. Soon you won’t have any need for men in your life besides me. I was so disappointed to see you cavorting around with some strange man again like a whore. But that’s what your industry does to young, beautiful girls, isn’t it? Turns them into whores.
It’s a conundrum because your music is how I met and fell in love with you and yet your behavior disappoints me.
I don’t want to hurt you, I promise.
I just want to make you happy. And I will.
Soon.
All my love.
