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Natalie smiles at him, and I grind my teeth. I know she smiles at people; I just hate when it’s not at me.

“I didn’t want to burden you with more. You’ve already done so much for me,” she says, and Vinny nods in understanding.

“I’m honor bound by my father to keep you safe from harm. The best way to do that is to align ourselves as a united front.” He speaks like a father to a child, or an old friend, which I guess they are in a way. They’ve been in each other’s lives for a while, crossing paths one way or another. “Besides, this isn’t just me being nice. Having a connection on the West Coast helps me too.”

I snort. “Of course it does.”

He shrugs. “I’m a businessman, after all.”

“So you keep reminding us.” I roll my eyes at the guy but can’t find it in me to hate him. I might want to punch him, but I do most people. Even my brothers. It’s the way I’m built. Been in more fights at the club than most, usually coming in to “help” break them up and getting in a punch here or there to curb my lust for causing a bit of mayhem.

“Okay, so I have the Hounds and the Leones.” Damn, she’s been at this for less than a day and she already sounds tired. Do I think she can do this? Of course. But watching her like this, struggling to stand in the shallow end when I know there’s much more out there in the deep end, kills me. Considering what she’ll have to deal with day to day, one small takeover is a typical Tuesday night from what I can see.

“That covers the East Coast and the middle. You need one more,” Gina adds.

Nat looks at her. “Where?”

“Along the border.”

“Canada?”

I fold my lips in to hold back the laughter about to burst from my mouth. I don’t think anyone here but Natalie thinks the border with Canada is the one to focus on.

Gina shrugs it off as if it could be a key factor. “Sure, but I was thinking south.”

“You mean Mexico. You want me to work with the cartel?”

“Nah—they’re too messy.”

Natalie throws her head back and her hands up in exasperation. She’s over this back-and-forth and just wants an answer. “Then who?”

Gina smiles and looks at me.

“No,” I say with far more force than I meant to have in this meeting.

“Why not?” Gina says with a pout.

I cross my arms and glare at her. “Because I said so.”

“No to who? Who are we talking about?” Natalie asks us both, but it’s Vinny who answers.

“The Devils Damned.” He locks eyes with me for a moment after he says it. I’m not sure if he knows all that went down with them or not, but I wouldn’t put it past him. Vinny is the type of man who seems to know your dark secrets before you do.

I break eye contact with him and look at my Sunshine. I see the wheels spinning in her mind. She’s far smarter than me, but I don’t see how them being on her side could help turn the tide. They run the southern border. They can get things to her or, at the least, make sure things don’t get through to her if they come on board. But can they be trusted? That’s the issue.

Duke was their VP. He went after Hounds women and kids on more than one occasion. He had a hard-on for our territory for years. Supposedly, it went as far back as when Law first started prospecting. Something got in Duke’s head that had him going after the Hounds, and he never let up.

His people protected him from us. Hell, even the fucking Crazy Eights made plays to keep him safe in a way that benefited them with the Devils Damned. The Hounds have never gotten the better end of the stick in dealings with them.

Till me and what I got out of it.

Sunshine.

The best damn thing ever.

But does Natalie know about our history? Know that putting Hounds and Devils in the same space could be a recipe for a ticking bomb about to explode? And not just me getting pissed off.

They’re out for themselves, not for others. They might do jobs for the cartels on the side, but they’re maniacs. The money drives them, not the brotherhood. They deal in just about anything if it gets them cash. The collective group is about making themselves richer. Psy and a few of his closest boys seem to be in for other things, like revenge for his sister, but I’m not sure if I trust that long-term. Might have been just a one-off thing.