Page 41 of Cole

“He asked for money that wasn’t owed. Dumbass thought he could charge a disrespect tax.’”

Gage squinted at me. “On whose authority?”

The memory hit me like a wrench smacking my ankle. His mouth running the other night at the bar, and me only half listening to him. I’d been distracted. Distracted by the strawberry blonde with the sharp tongue and sharp chin. The one who had held my hand so gently, after biting me. A distraction like I hadn’t had in a long, long time. Ever, maybe. Goldilocks was the only thing I’d been focused on. Finn had wanted to handle something and had said something about being backup. Did I agree to let him do this? No, I was pretty sure I’d gone back on that, but had Finn been really listening? Of fucking course not.

“I think this is my fault,” I said.

Gage’s mouth pressed into a thin line.

“Do you need backup?” Maddox asked.

“No,” I said instinctively. I knew Rusty would respect me coming on my own, calm and ready to smooth things over. If I brought a crowd with me, he would see it as a threat.

“Lock the front at one and kick out anyone who overstays their welcome. You know what to do if I’m not back by two. Burn all the accounts and get rid of any stock we have.”

Maddox nodded and stepped behind the bar. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and scanned the room.

“What about Finn? Do you want me to head over to his mom’s apartment in the morning?” Gage asked.

“If I can get him out of there alive, then I’ll deal with him before breakfast.”

Gage nodded, and I turned to head out. I grabbed my cut, gun, and the keys to my bike before slipping out the back door of the shop. I needed the cold air on my face more than anything else. The night was thin and mean. I could feel the salt in the air even though the coast was miles off. Kicking the bike to life, I headed east. The engine rattled off the walls of the alleys I used to make my way to Finn. I opened the throttle as soon as the road was clear in front of me.

The wind whipped at my face as the ride stripped away every last thought except one. That this was happening because I’d been too focused on the blond. I’d been more invested in the way she watched the room and how all the men in the room watched her. I let her get in the way of taking care of one of my own. If something happened to Finn, I would have no one to blame but myself. It was getting harder and harder to quell his curiosity about MC life. He wanted in, and I was starting to wonder if I could really stop him. Kid was determined.

The meeting spot was behind an old and run-down lumber yard. The place had been a ghost town for years, and now its only use was as a place for stray cats and unsavory business deals. Rusty liked the spot because the stacks of old, graying lumber made a series of mazes that would confuse anyone unfamiliar with the layout. It was easy to tuck men away, unseen and unheard, and pretend that you were alone.

I pulled up to the rusted-out gate and killed the engine. The gate screeched open, letting everyone know I had arrived. Rusty stepped out of the darkness like a boulder. He was a big man with an even bigger belly, but he still moved like he could pack a nasty punch. Two of his guys flanked him, both of whom I recognized from the multiple deals I’d done with Rusty. Just over his shoulder, I could make out Finn sitting on a stack of pallets with his hands zip-tied in front of him.

“Bailey,” Rusty said, more of an accusation than a greeting.

“Rusty,” I matched.

We stood the customary distance apart. Not close enough to reach the other person, but close enough that I could smell the menthol on his breath.

“So, you thought it was a good idea to send me a charity case?” he asked.

“I sent you a clean delivery. The charity case sent himself,” I responded.

“I didn’t realize that the Hounds took in kids to their ranks. Your standards are falling.”

“He isn’t patched in, but the Hounds are in his blood. None of this is relevant. I will take care of this in-house. How can I make it so we can both just walk away from this?” I asked.

“Why should I let him stand on those legs a second longer? The kid needs to learn a lesson, and I could make him an example so none of your guys think they can try anything like this again. He said something about being done taking short money. Something about ‘we know our value.’”

“The kid hears ‘value’ and thinks it means cash in his pocket,” I said, not glancing at Finn. “He hasn’t learned enough about our kind of business yet.”

“Maybe he needs to learn what happens when you run your mouth,” one of Rusty’s guys said.

“Don’t,” I said, taking care to keep my tone even. Not raised or sharp.

Rusty raised an eyebrow at me. “Why should we let him walk away?”

“Because I would consider it a favor,” I said.

Rusty nodded to me to continue.

“I would owe you a favor, and you know that I keep to what I owe,” I said.