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I nod, entirely in agreement with Ace. “He’s been stealing from us, and we know that now, thanks to Gia. But what he pulled with Letty tells us he’s also playing both sides against the middle.”
I shake my head, unable to believe a man who is supposed to serve the Lord is worse than any non-believer I’ve ever met.
“He’s probably stealing from the Kings too.”
Coop smiles. “All I’m hearing is that he needs us right now more than we need him. He’s been missing long enough now that Hector’s gotta be suspicious.”
Shades nods. “With no word on whether he’s dead or alive, that fuck has to be thinking Braden took off with their cash, too.”
Wild Man flashes a wicked grin when he looks up from the maintenance work he’s doing on the point-of-sale system to check into a few irregularities.
“I can make it look like he stole even more, give us more leverage,” he offers before frowning at the screen in front of him.
“Or we can just put a bullet in his head.” Shades sighs and slides his lime green sunglasses on top of his head. “With three men down for at least another week, we can’t afford to spend time babysitting that asshole, feeding him, and making sure his shit bucket is clean. Let’s off him and be done with it.”
Ace nods again, but his gaze lands on me because he knows that would be my last option.
“I’m inclined to agree with Shades. Braden deserves it, but we don’t need the heat that will come from killing such afine, upstanding citizen.”
The derision and sarcasm in his tone are lost on none of us.
“We can always hand him over to the law,” I add quietly. “There’s more than enough to get him locked up for a good long while.”
“Jail?” Shades snorts the question. “So he can get a cushy prison job, three square meals a day, and a place to lay his head safely each night? I don’t fucking think so, man. He’s got to die. Because of him, Letty almost died.”
“But she didn’t,” I insist. “And had she died, we wouldn’t know what we do now about Braden’s involvement in all of this. This isn’t just about him and his life. It’s about the MC and our ability to operate without interference. What do you think Doherty will do if we kill him?”
Coop snorts. “Not a goddamn thing. That cop is so far up our asses, he’d probably look the other way.”
“I’m with Preacher on this,” Wild Man says. “Get every fucking thing we can from his ass and send him to prison.”
“Underneath the prison,” Nova grunts and shakes his head.
“Incoming,” Wild Man calls out, and all conversation stops. “Doherty is here, and he’s in his patrol car. Looks like official business.”
My jaws clench tightly at the arrival of Doherty. The man is one of ours, he’s firmly on Reckless Souls payroll, but his arrival rarely means good news. “Fucking great,” I mumble under my breath.
Shades smiles. “What’s wrong with Doherty?”
I shrug. “He’s the bringer of bad shit. Period. It’s nothing against the man personally. It’s just that whenever he comes by, bad news usually follows.”
Ace laughs and pushes off his work stool, wiping the black grime from his hands before tossing the rag over his shoulder. “That’s the nature of his job, but it’s better to know what we’re up against than be surprised by it later, right?”
I nod because Ace is right. But that doesn’t mean Doherty isn’t the bringer of bad news. “I guess.”
Ace nods again and turns to the group at large. “Give me five minutes with Doherty, and then make yourselves visible.” Ace walks through the back exit and the rest of us work quietly until Wild Man signals that time is up.
Shades flashes a wide smile and claps me on the back. “Come on, Preacher. Let’s go say hi to the Sheriff.”
I roll my eyes and fall in step next to Shades as we all filter out of the garage and into the rear parking lot reserved for employees.
Doherty and Ace stand about five feet apart, both of them wearing unhappy expressions. “I don’t like this, Ace. People are starting to notice Braden’s absence.”
Ace clenches his jaw and nods. “That’s what the fifty grand is for, to get them to stop noticing. Hell, you’re the law. Just tell them the same bullshit you do when it’s a missing gangbanger. That you’re looking into it. Forever.”
Doherty doesn’t like the reminder of his force’s bias against the city’s dark yet lucrative underbelly.
“A woman’s been calling the station desperate to file a missing person’s report. Kathy MacFarlane. Name ring any bells?”
