It was worse because even though Vince said all the right shit and promised to make it right with Axel, Splice’s gut instinct was on red alert, wondering how long Vince had been talking to Harvey before they were spotted, and whether it was the first time he’d brought a shady Riot Brothers deal to them under the radar?
Right now, he missed his girl and wanted to put his eyes on her, so that’s where he headed after sending a text to Axel, filling him in.
* * *
NOW
This whole day could go fuck itself, Splice thought.
It had been a series of distractions, constantly taking his time away from Lisa—similar to the other night at Tomb’s place—and that didn’t sit well with a man obsessed with being near her. He just needed to speak with the police after the bar brawl the other night. But tonight’s situation was more serious.
He threw his leg over his bike, left it parked in his usual bay on the club forecourt, and prowled into the clubhouse, heading out the back to where Primo’s office was. The room was kept locked for security reasons. If the club were ever raided and they weren’t given prior notice, as they had in the past, the electronically locked room would give Primo time to wipe what needed wiping before the cops got their mitts on it.
So, after knocking, he waited until Primo opened and ushered him in, locking the door behind them.
“A call came through right before I contacted you,” Primo said.
Splice’s jaw pulsed with anger as he leaned his hip against the desk. “It didn’t go through to Lisa’s phone?”
“Nah, I already blocked any unknown numbers from reaching her phone. It came through on the cloned line. I answered but said nothing. The guy said much the same as he did to Lisa before. Warned her to get out of town and do it now, or else some shit would go down, and it would all be her fault.”
The mad cunt. Splice’s two fists at his sides clenched hard.
“Tell me you could trace a location.”
“I triangulated it to here.” He tapped the screen.
No, it couldn’t be. Only one person was associated with that area.
“Come with me. Bring that burner phone.” He gritted his teeth and took off, ripping the door open. He went the back way and hopped onto his bike. Primo easily kept up, and they went to that neighborhood without delay.
Splice’s head was ready to explode; he was sure that Primo must have it wrong, but his gut knew Primo didn’t get intel wrong. Ever. He just hoped it was the first time.
They had to wait a while, longer than an hour, but the guy they were waiting for walked out of a building.
“Make the call now.” Splice issued. His eyes narrowed at the figure across the street.
Splice’s world imploded as he watched silently, and the guy pulled the phone out of his pocket, answering with a gruff, “Who is it?” Then he must have realized he’d answered the wrong phone and hung up. The guy looked around, standing at the corner of the street, then strode to his car and climbed behind the wheel.
It wasn’t a ‘gotcha’ moment.
It was a ‘what the actual fuck,’ moment.
A rat. Betrayal at its worst.
Splice felt as if he were split in two.
But he kept his body moving as he rode back to the MC. He connected to Axel first.
“Prez, I know it’s shit timing, but I need a church meeting.”
No one called an unscheduled church without a good reason, so Axel agreed after asking a few questions.
“Hell.” Axel’s response. “I’ll get everyone at the table ASAP.” The Prez hung up, and Splice swung down off the bike.
“You okay, man?” Primo asked.
“Nah, but I will be.”
