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I raked a hand through my hair, angry and frustrated. Ready to fucking blow my lid. “Thanks Tanya, but this shit has got to stop. What can we do?”
She put a sympathetic hand on my shoulder and sighed. “We’ll figure it out. I’m working on it. I know you have your own sources, so just keep me in the loop and I’ll fix it. That’s what you pay me to do.”
Tanya was right. And, she was one of the most capable women I’d ever met. “Fine.”
“Great. I’ll talk to you in a day or so after I make sure Dodds’ boss knows what the little shit has been up to. Have a good evening everyone!” She rushed out damn near as quickly as she entered.
Now that the drama had passed, a few of the girls and their guests wandered back to the common area and I smiled at Katrina. “I guess your emergency protocol works.”
She looked up, pale and shaken, with a watery smile. “Yeah. Sorry about all this.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Katrina. Not one goddamn thing. This is on us, but I promise you I’m gonna fix it. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not, but thanks anyway, Cross.”
Thanks? She was thanking me for nearly getting her locked up. “One of the guys will make sure you get home okay.”
“Thank you. You’re a good man, Cross.”
I snorted at that but offered up a weak smile before I left, barely able to keep my eyes open. I was headed home, but as I passed a familiar intersection, the desire to turn right and then left in front of the little house with vibrant shutters and tons of plants all around all but killed me. I wanted to go see Moon so bad. But, she didn’t need this shit in her life, not as a single mom and definitely not with a sick fucking kid.
So once again I denied myself the pleasure of her kisses and aimed my bike toward home.
***
“Hey man, you got a minute?” Jag stood in the doorway of my office with a blank expression on his face and I hated like hell that I could no longer read him. He was quieter than normal and sullen all the goddamn time. Not that I blamed him. Hell, some might argue that I’d been nursing a broken heart for too damn long, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.
“Yeah, come on in. What’s up?”
“I’ve been doing some digging,” he said as he walked in and closed the door behind him, as clear a sign as any that he had something serious to discuss. “I came across some campaign contributions that I’m pretty sure are going to Pacheco filtered through a bunch of shell corporations. I just can’t be sure yet.”
“But?” I’d known Jag long enough to know when he had more to say.
“But I’m pretty sure it’s coming from Roadkill. Why else wouldn’t they have handled Vigo immediately? No other MC would’ve let him live as long they did.”
Shit. Jag was right. “That has to be the missing piece. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why the fuck they hadn’t killed him, yet, and why he’d stuck around Mayhem for so long. Now it’s all starting to make sense. In a fucked up kind of way.”
“Yeah. I’ll keep digging for connections between Pacheco and Roadkill and I’ll let you know what I come up with.” Jag was eager to leave my office and though I’d never admit that shit to anyone, it stung. I knew better than to take it personally, hell I’d shut damn near everyone out after Lauren and my baby died. But, Vivi wasn’t dead. She’d be back. Lauren wouldn’t.
“Thanks, Jag. When, or if this shit ever ends maybe you should take some time off and head east.”
He froze. “Not until she’s done with her time.” Jag looked at me like I was singlehandedly responsible for Vivi having to work for the government to pay off her crimes. And ours.
“I did what I had to, Jag.”
His black brows rose in surprise but that was the only indication of what was going on in his mind. “Never said you didn’t.”
“Jag,” I began, frustration and weariness in my voice.
“No, Cross. You’re my leader and my brother, but I don’t wanna hear this shit. You’re still grieving over your wife so don’t give me shit about Vivi, yeah?”
He was right. I nodded. “Okay. Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.”
“Just doing my job, man.” With another blank expression and another nod, Jag left me alone again with my thoughts, which seemed to switch between all the trouble the club had been having to the bohemian sexy mama who’d completely captivated me.
What could possibly be more fucking complicated?
Another knock sounded, and I bit back a groan. I’d never get through the actual work I had to do with these constant fucking interruptions. Probably means I should go to my real home. “Yeah?”
