Page 30 of Property of Quake

The seriousness in her tone has my attention piqued. “Everything okay?”

Savvy shrugs. “Don’t know, hence why I need you.”

She pushes off the wall, and I follow her back inside. We weave through the thinning crowd, coming to a stop at a hightop table that’s positioned in a corner. It’s not lost on me that this is a spot where we can see the entire space.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“What do you know about Keith?"

My eyes immediately dart to the bar. “The new prospect?” She nods, and I shrug. “He was vetted before being asked to prospect, but I don’t know much about him other than what was found in the background check. He’s twenty-three, was a hangaround for a year before his prospecting started, a couple underage drinking violations, has a vintage Harley that he takes care of… nothing remarkable. Why?”

“Check out the girl with him,” she instructs, nodding toward the pair.

As soon as I shift my gaze from Keith to the girl, my nerve endings buzz.

She can’t be more than sixteen, maybe seventeen. She’s skinny in the way addicts are, and she’s wearing a baggy sweatshirt that swallows her frame and a denim mini skirt. Her eyes are shifty, but I can’t tell if it’s from fear or simply a desperate need to get high. Either way, I don’t have a good feeling about her.

I pull out my cell and shoot off a quick text to Lyric and Zombie, telling them to come to me. I don’t want to lose sight of Keith or the girl, and I don’t want to draw any attention.

My brothers are at the table within a minute.

“What’s up?” Lyric asks.

I tip my head in Keith’s direction. “What do you see?”

Lyric and Zombie follow my line of sight, and their expressions immediately harden.

“Fuck, how old is she?” Lyric asks.

“Don’t know,” I reply with a shrug that’s far too casual for the situation.

“Is that his girlfriend?” Zombie asks.

“Don’t know.”

“She looks young,” Savvy states. “I probably wouldn’t have given her a second thought because maybe she’s family, ya know? But Keith introduced her to me and said that she was wanting to become a club whore.”

“He what?” I snap.

For several long seconds, none of us speak. Motorcycle clubs have rules, and this isn’t even in a gray area. Club whores aren’t recruited, and we certainly don’t tolerate underage shit.

“We’re sure she’s not family?” Zombie pushes. “A cousin, maybe?”

“Would you offer up family, cousin or otherwise, as a sexual sacrifice to a bunch of bikers?” I counter.

“Goddammit,” he snarls.

“What do we know about him?” Lyric asks.

“Not much beyond what’s in his file,” I say. “Haven’t noticed anything suspicious or concerning… until now.”

“Then figure this shit out,” he orders.

I level my gaze on his. “You want me to dig?”

“Yeah. Dig fucking deep.” His voice is calm, too calm. “And figure out who the hell she is?”

“Her age is priority,” Zombie adds. “Everything else is secondary.”