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“Don’t start getting superstitious, D. The guy was not going to stop, and he had it coming a thousand times over. You know his corner of the world is better off for having him out of it.”
Shoving his hands though his hair, the man practically vibrated with anxiety. “It worries me that Devil wasn’t more freaked out about us dropping his old man. He didn’t even ask for the body.” Swiveling his heated stare at Ryder, Darkness’ lips drew into a firm line. “Wanna take a guess about why that was?”
There could only be a couple of reasons for that. One, in particular, worried him. “Shit. I’ll double check the body for tracking devices.”
“See that you do, Ryder. All in the hell we need is for Devil to figure out where we’ve been dumping bodies. He could blackmail the shit outta us.”
“I’d never let that happen,” Ryder said firmly. “That’s the thing with Devil. He may not be all that smart, but he is sneaky as hell.”
Darkness shrugged. “If you don’t have brains, you gotta compensate. I tend to let my paranoia run wild where that man’s concerned, and I have to say that I ain’t been disappointed yet.”
Ryder sucked in a deep breath, done with this conversation. “Let’s get the hell out of here. You head back to the clubhouse, and I’ll take care of this situation with Ratchet.”
“I trust that you will, brother.” Staring at him, Darkness lifted his chin. “Can you believe I have a daughter?”
“Only because I saw her with my own eyes.” Slapping his president on the shoulder, he grinned. “She’s the cutest baby I ever saw. Best get home to her and put this night behind you.”
“It feels strange to have someone special waiting for me.” Darkness swallowed thickly, and Ryder watched his Adam’s apple slide up and down his long throat. Darkness was twitchy and nervous as hell in general, but the look on his face was a new kind of anxiety. Sure enough, when Darkness spoke, his voice was filled with down-to-earth, old-fashioned worry. “It makes me wonder what’s gonna happen to her the night I finally get my card punched.”
“I see what you’re driving at,” Ryder said. “We lead a life rife with danger. I reckon you gotta pick godparents.”
Darkness stared at him blankly. His brows slowly creased as the silence spun out between them, as though he was trying to work out what godparents were. Was it even possible that his intelligent club president didn’t know about things like that?
“You know, someone to look out for her in case anything happens to you,” Ryder clarified. “It’s a big decision. Think about it for a few weeks. Any brother would be proud to raise your little one.”
Pulling back a little, his expression disbelieving, Darkness spoke candidly. “You think so? Kids are a huge responsibility.”
“Hell yeah. I gotta say, it’s my job to keep you alive and coming home every night, so hopefully, she’ll never need them to take over for you. Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“I know that’s true. The people we deal with can be volatile.”
Walking over to the tuck, Darkness watched while Ryder fished through the dead man’s pockets. He pulled out a wallet with no money, a keychain, pocket change, and a rock.
Darkness suggested, “Check his keychain.”
Holding up a key fob, Ryder looked it over. “They normally have the brand name of an automobile inscribed on them.” Pulling out his pocket knife, he punctured the seal, separating it into two parts. Son of a… “Yep, it’s a tracking device.”
Darkness nodded as if he’d expected nothing less. “I’ve seen them advertised before. Destroy it, along with his other personal effects.”
That wasn’t going to be enough for Ryder. “I’m thinking of giving him a special spot far from our normal site.”
“That’s a smart idea,” Darkness agreed. “You’re a cautious man, Ryder.”
Ryder considered how much shit they’d dealt with recently and suddenly grew tired. “I just want to slam the damn door shut on this mess once and for all.”
~ Tiffany ~
Looking down into the bottom of her empty glass, Tiffany thought seriously about ordering another Cosmo. Nope, one was her absolute limit for the evening. She could drink more if she wanted to, and most of the women hanging around the clubhouse this evening were three sheets to the wind. That’s what made it all the more important keep herself together, she reminded herself. Stay sober and be ready for whatever happens when Ryder and the rest of the men get back. That little voice in the back of her head was right on the money, and this time she was taking her own good advice.
Turning around on the bar stool, she leaned back on her elbows and scanned the room. Rose had dressed little Sammy like a bumble bee. They were both wearing a yellow and black onesie and matching wings. The little girl giggled as Rose pretended to fly her through the air, making a buzzing noise. It left Tiffany wondering if the baby even knew what a bee was. Tiffany seriously doubted it.
Several of the old ladies were sitting around, and there were some children playing video games and horsing around. Lily was handing out fresh-baked cookies on a plate. Sure, there were whores, but they were all dressed nicely and behaving themselves. Needless to say, Precious and her out-of-control friend had not made the cut.
Alyssa was sitting at the end of the bar, drawing on a large piece of paper. She appeared totally oblivious to her surroundings. Shifting down a barstool, Tiffany sat beside the pretty blonde and craned her neck to look at the drawing. It was another fanciful creation for the children to color. It had a fairy, butterflies, and delicate, intricate flowers.
“Wow, this one’s really nice. You’ve got talent.”
Lifting the pen from the paper, Alyssa peered up at her. “Useless talent that only makes me popular with kids under ten years old.”
