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Oksana Babaev is waiting patiently on the rooftop as arranged. I’m convinced she has underground tunnels to get her to any location in London within ten minutes, no matter where she is. She stands elegantly with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Her minders are dotted around the place, but they blend into the background well. “Darling, you look tired,” she greets me. Her Russian accent is strong, even though she’s been in the U.K. for many years.
“In case you knew him, Archer Rose is dead, or at least he will be if I don’t find him soon.” She has the best poker face and gives me nothing as she takes a sip of her drink. I wouldn’t know anyone on her books, but that’s part of the world we live in. They don’t buddy us up and privacy is key in this game, but if a hit is happening in London, I’d bet my life she’ll know about it. “A woman named Lauren, blonde, my age . . . maybe.”
She smiles. “Why are you here, Rosey?”
“I need to save him, Oksana.”
“And you thought I could help with that?”
“I thought after years of my dedication to you—”
“How is work going with the Taylor brothers?” she cuts in, letting me know she knows my business and pointing out it’s no longer with her. “Are they keeping you busy?”
“We shouldn’t be turning on each other,” I mutter. “This game is ugly enough without killing one another.”
“The game is the game, Rosey. You know I can’t give you details. Besides, if Albert Taylor needs a job done, he wouldn’t come through me. He has his own connections. His own abandoned warehouses . . .” She trails off, smirking as she turns away. “Enjoy the rest of the evening.” It’s enough information for me to start with, and I smile as I head for the exit. “And Rosey,” she adds, so I turn back, “if you ever need more than what the Taylors can offer, you know where to find me.”
The Taylor's own a lot of warehouses. Most are run as factories where Arthur employs women the club help to support after escaping abusive situations. I mentally run through the ones I know of before coming up with two that run alongside the docks and are definitely not used for factories. I leave my car parked down the road and walk to the docks. I don’t need to be seen in the area where Archer might be. Slipping under a broken chain fence, I head for the first warehouse. It’s securely locked up with no way of getting in unless I break the chains, so I head for the second. As I get closer, I see two motorbikes. The warehouse door is unlocked, and a sliver of dim light shines inside. I move closer and listen. I can hear Maverick’s voice, so I step inside, not bothering to sneak around. Mav is standing beside Grim and they’re staring down at Archer’s lifeless body. I inhale sharply and Grim spins to face me, drawing his gun. When he sees it’s me, he lowers it. “Jesus, Rosey, don’t sneak around like that.”
Mav also turns, his expression guarded. “Rosey . . .”
I ignore them both and rush to where Archer is. There’s blood surrounding him, and I drop to my knees, not bothering to hide my emotion as I hold my hands over the wound in his head, unsure of what to do to stop the bleeding. I’m pulled back and I fall on my arse. “Have you lost your fucking mind?” growls Grim. “You can’t touch him.”
I bury my face in my hands and sob. Huge, body racking sobs. I can’t hold it in anymore, because despite everything, I liked Archer. The men stay silent, and after a few minutes, I begin to wipe my face. I stand, and they’re both looking uncomfortable, waiting for me to say something. Instead, I head for the exit.
Mav chases me down, taking my arm gently to stop me. “Rosey?” I keep my back to him, knowing if I face him, I’ll say something that’ll hurt us both. “Did Albert tell you?”
I scowl, turning to face him. “What does it matter, Mav? The real question is, why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
“It was the right decision,” he continues, ignoring me. “You can’t pick and choose when it’s right just because you liked the guy.”
“I made a deal with him,” I snap. “And unlike you shitheads, I keep my deals.”
“Look, you’re upset, I get it. Take some time and we’ll talk about it.”
“Who’s Lauren? How did she and Albert meet?”
He shrugs. “Old friends apparently.”
I nod, angry that Albert also lied to me about that too. “Of course, they are. So, I guess my services aren’t required anymore?”
“You wanted to step away and spend time with Ollie, right? He needs you more than the Taylor's or the club.”
“I’m taking Ollie away for a while,” I announce, making the decision moments ago. I begin to walk away again, and he follows.
“Where?”
“I don’t know. Far away from here.”
“Rosey, come on, just think about it. You need support with Ollie right now. He’s going off the rails and—”
“Wow, that’s what you really think? You told me to relax, that he was just being a teenager.”
“He is, but there’s a danger he’s going off the rails. You see it yourself.”
“No, Mav, what I see is history repeating itself. This club only cares about the men in it and the women they’re fucking. It doesn’t matter that I dedicate myself to you or the MC. It doesn’t matter I gave birth to your half-brother. All you care about is the patched members and their ol’ ladies.”
“That’s not true.”
