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“He shouldn’t be surprised when he’s thrown to them,” Rogue finished.

“I’m sorry, Steele.” Blade slid his hand into his pocket. “This is my club, and I have families to protect. The Italians want him. Do you know where he is?”

Emotions churned in my gut. Jazzy was right. He’d brought the fucking mafia to the doorstep of the MC. Vega was right, too. Kodiak was already a ghost. That didn’t mean I was going to be a part of sending him to his grave. “I’m not protecting him. I’m sorry, but even if I did know where he was, I wouldn’t chase him down to give you the keys to his casket. What are our options?”

“Fuck you.” Tank lunged to his feet. “The mafia doesn’t do sorry. They deal in retribution.”

I stood and glared at Blade. “Since when do we do the mafia’s dirty work? They want him, they can find him.”

Veins pulsed in Tank’s neck. “I’m deep in this shit with the mafia. It was on my fucking watch, and Kodiak was there on my fucking word. You think they’re not looking at me? That they’re not looking at the kid?” He indicated Cruz. “You going to trade this club for your Crawler brother? When I find him, he’s fucking dead.”

“Nah. We’re not turning on each other,” Rogue said.

“Take a walk.” Bullet shoved Tank toward the door. “Go with him,” he said to Dozer and Cruz.

“Brunos are looking for him, but it doesn’t matter who finds him first because I’m going to fucking kill him. Either way, he’s fucked.” Tank spewed more anger as he stormed out of the MC. A moment later, his Harley rumbled and roared out of the lot.

Jazzy and Blade sat in the chairs across from us. Rogue took the seat next to Jazzy.

“We need a plan.” Blade lowered his voice. “I’m not sacrificing my club because Kodiak couldn’t keep his nose clean. Can you find him?”

“Maybe.” I glanced at Vega then turned back to Blade. “But I’m not helping you put him in a body bag.”

Jazzy leaned into the table. “I agree that we keep our hands clean by not washing them in a brother’s blood. But Kodiak ceased being a brother when he signed on for a death wish. Stealing from the fucking mafia? What the fuck was he thinking?”

Rogue draped an arm across the back of Jazzy’s chair. “Is there another way?”

Bullet cracked his neck. “I got a bit of history with Marco Bruno. He’s not someone you want to cross. I wouldn’t want to meet any of his associates in a dark alley.”

“His brother, Luca, is an asshole, but you can reason with him,” Bullet said. “I know him from High Protocol.”

Torch and Gabi played in the BDSM community. Bullet and Stormy had dabbled in the scene, which was how I heard about it. Not my kink because I preferred a soft, warm teacher with the sweetest pussy I’d ever tasted.

Bullet leaned into the table. “Tank and Cruz aren’t paying for Kodiak’s crimes. We also can’t give the Brunos what we don’t have. But we can tell them what they want to know.” He turned to me. “Where is he?”

My chest was tight, and indecision warred in my mind. I could find him, but I wasn’t going to be responsible for burying my best friend. “That’s the same as handing him over.”

“I can’t forget what Kodiak did for you,” Blade said to Bullet. Then he glanced at Rogue.

“I told you when you sewed on that president patch that when you make a decision, I’m a yes,” Rogue said.

“If you find him,” Blade said to me as he stood. “Take his cut. And tell him to run.”

“Take a walk?” I asked Vega.

We casually made our way out of the club. Fire crackled and popped in the oil drum. I nodded to Murph and a couple of others as we strode past them and followed the pathway around the side of the building.

“Text him. Ask him if he’s down to party tonight.”

Vega pulled out his phone. “He’s going to know something is up if I don’t mention him missing church.” Vega’s thumbs moved across the keypad. “Where are you?” he asked as he typed. “Jazzy’s going to have your ass for missing church. It’s not showing as delivered. Maybe last night was a final good time.” Vega lifted his head. “Think he’s gone out bad?”

“He’s got nothing to lose. I could’ve handled this different,” I said. “I should’ve told him I was going to the board.”

“Hellers might not be looking for trouble, but they aren’t going to let a patch bring down their club. He’s getting off easy.”

I nodded. “Wrench would’ve taken his bike and burned his ink from his body. Kodiak thinks the Hellers have gone soft.” I wasn’t so sure after listening to Tank talk about taking him to Bullet’s barn. “The only thing keeping him from going scorched earth would be his loyalty to you and Bullet.”

Knowing he’d see me as a traitor cut like a knife to my throat.