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“Where?”
“What?”
What the fuck am I doing? He dragged his hand over his mouth and down his beard.
“Where are you meeting him?”
“Oh, a café in the west end. The Quick Cup.”
Jekyll nodded. He knew it well, along with the owner. East provided most of the protection for Lawry businesses, but there were a select few that the Underground handled. Usually because they were money laundering for Oz, Rogue, and Trey. And a few times for Inez.
“What time?”
“Four-thirty.” She said. “Why are you asking about my client meeting?”
He wasn’t going to answer that. He ignored the question and shifted the focus back to her.
“Client?” Jekyll scoffed.
“I mean, former inmate.” She said.
“Ex-con,” he challenged. “What was he in for?”
“I don’t think I’m supposed to discuss it with anyone outside of my job. Though I wish I could.” She laughed without an ounce of humor. “I guess I forgot that some crimes are worse than others and hit harder.”
I don’t fucking like this.
“Like what?”
“Just certain ones.” She paused. “Anyway, thanks so much for calling me back. Maybe we’ll bump into each other again.”
He would definitely be seeing her again. Four-thirty tomorrow at The Quick Cup.
When he didn’t respond, he heard a sigh. “Bye, Jekyll.”
The line went dead, and he sat on his bed staring at the wall.
Jekyll had his suspicions about her client, but needed confirmation. He headed out to the living room. A few brothers had joined the group drinking at the table. When Ace looked over at him, he didn’t hesitate.
“How many halfway houses in Lawry?”
Ace arched his brow. “Two. The women’s is on Main Street and the men’s is on the outskirts near Grove Mill.”
Cue lifted his beer. “Yeah, they better fucking keep them all the way out there.”
“Who does it house?” Jekyll asked, knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer.
Cue’s eyes darkened. “Sex offenders.”
Suspicion confirmed.
Jekyll lifted his chin to Cross. “I got something I gotta do tomorrow but I’ll meet you at the Satan’s clubhouse.” Jekyll walked away without waiting on approval.
His visit to Lawry was non-negotiable.
Chapter Seven
Imogene was only half listening at the weekly check in meeting. She had too much on her mind. While she usually rolled with change easily, she was slightly overwhelmed. It felt as though her whole life as she knew it had been flipped upside down. The heavy weight was finally catching up to her. And the irony? It was all her doing. She’d put so much focus on making her father a priority, she’d lost a little of herself, her needs, wants, and life in general.
