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“They’ve got fuck all. It’s why he’s bringing it to her. Telling her could be a mistake, but we don’t have a choice now.” He finishes his drink, slamming his glass down. “Ripley heard it was the Acers that shot up the club, but there’s no way they did it without help. The bigger question is was it Bonner or Rogers?”
“But isn’t that where the tip off about Laskin dealing on our patch came from, Ripley’s mate on the inside?”
“Yeah, it is. Ripley’s wary about the whole thing and thinks maybe it was all part of the same ruse. He’s guessing they were hoping we’d both be there and could take us out together in one fell swoop.”
“And his mate?”
“Dead. He found out yesterday from the guy’s sister.”
“Fuck!”
“Let’s get the fuck out of here. The deal with Marchant is done, and we need to get Rox home and out of sight.”
I finish my drink, sliding my glass on to the bar next to Maddox’s, and follow him out.
As I suspected she’s not in the toilet or the office, and when we reach the car park it’s not her car that’s missing but mine.
Maddox laughs as he strides to his bike. “Guess you’re walking home, Zee, unless you’ve got her keys.”
“Funny fucker. How are you laughing about this?”
He swings his leg over his bike, and says, “She’s in your car, right?” I nod. “So, we don’t need to worry about finding her this time.” He pulls his helmet down over his head and starts the engine, revving it before peeling away and leaving me standing there.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I open the tracking app. I’m surprised to see she’s headed for the house, and I quickly order an uber.
Back at the house, I find Maddox in the kitchen tucking into a bowl of pasta and drinking a beer.
“Where is she?”
Maddox swallows his mouthful and washes it down with a swig of beer. “In her room making a call apparently.”
“So, you haven’t spoken to her yet?”
“Nope.” He delivers the one-word answer with a pop of the ‘p’ before shoving another forkful of pasta into his mouth.
I drop down on a stool and watch him knowing how much it will piss him off.
“Stop fucking staring,” he snaps, not less than two minutes later, and I laugh.
We don’t usually talk feelings and shit, but there have been a few occasions when it’s been necessary. Most of them surrounding Rox.
We dragged her into our world the first time we met her, and ever since then, we’ve been protecting her. Silly really considering what she needed protecting from the most was us.
I wasn’t lying earlier when I told her that we know every man that’s ever laid a finger on her, platonically or intimately. Some of them are no longer breathing. Right about now, I imagine she’s upstairs pacing the floor and trying to figure out what the hell is happening with us all or on the phone to Jess.
Yeah, we know who Jess is and her fiancé, Rick Sullivan, too. We owe a big thanks to Triple R Security for getting rid of Sean Donovan. It’s just a shame that Rogers was all too eager to step in where Donovan left off.
Rox’s recent human trafficking ring bust has meant a halt on the majority of trafficking, for now at least.
Pushing his plate away, Maddox stands. “That’s it, she’s had enough time.” He turns to leave but stops, and I spin my head to see why.
Rox is standing in the doorway with the ends of her hair damp from the shower and wearing fresh clothes.
“Let’s talk,” she demands, turning and striding toward the lounge. “I’ll have a beer, please,” she adds, disappearing round the corner into the lounge, which we hardly ever use.
Maddox follows, calling out to me as he goes, “Make that two, Zak.” His laughter rings out as I slide off the stool and grab three beers from the fridge.
I’ve no idea how much Maddox is willing to tell her, so I’ll do my usual and sit, watch and wait.
