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“Conroy wanted me to tell you, whatever you decide, he will back the play. Just let him know the cover story and he will make sure it’s believable.”
“Pence, how many went with us that day?”
“Well, minus Miller and Hanover, young Taylor there,” my V.P. said, pointing at the young officer. “Then there was Conroy, Adam Law, the paramedic, two firefighters, Zack Noakes and Leon Briggs, and Mr. Sawyer, the owner of White’s Laundromat. The rest were us.”
Sighing, I said, “Taylor, tell Conroy to do what he can. I don’t expect him to hide evidence, but if he can hold off informing the Chief, any little bit of time he can give us will help. In the meantime, you don’t go anywhere without someone. I mean it, Ben. Your dad will have my ass if something happens to you. The same goes for everyone else. Spread the word. We’re being hunted. No one goes anywhere without someone. The more people around, the better. If they live alone, tell them to stay at a friend’s house, or fuck it, they can come and stay at the clubhouse. I don’t care. No one else dies.”
“Got it,” Taylor said, getting back into his car before driving off.
Turning to my brothers, I growled. “I want that motherfucker found. I don’t care what you all have to do but find that son of a bitch fast. Pence, call Trigger and Judd and tell them they are moving into my house. I’m not leaving Kali and the kids unattended, then call the Golden Skulls and tell them I need Ravage. As for the rest of you, watch your backs and make sure you’re armed. Anything feels off, call it in. Monk, I know you’ve been staying out at your sister’s, helping her with the kids, but I need you at the clubhouse, brother. If you have to, Sarah and the kids can stay in the penthouse until this shit is over. In fact, all of you talk to your families. I don’t want to take a chance that this fucker uses them to get to us.”
The brothers nodded in agreement.
I was sitting in my office going over the weekly business reports the club had when Kali walked in just after three in the afternoon. I smiled at her. “Hey, babe. How did the lunch go with the mayor?”
“Good,” she frowned, walking around my desk, sitting in my lap. For someone who supposedly had a good lunch meeting, she didn’t seem happy about it. “He liked my proposal and said I would have the city’s backing if I found the right place, but he wants CPS to sign off on it.”
“And you don’t want them involved?”
“No, I don’t,” she huffed. “They had their chance. Instead of doing the right thing, they’ve ignored those kids and left them to fend for themselves. I’m sorry, but Child Protective Services needs to have their licenses revoked.”
I chuckled at that. Kali was right. Every CPS agent I knew cared more about their quota than what was right for the kids. I’d seen it happen everywhere, not just here in Lawton, Oklahoma. While the premise was good, the follow-through sucked.
“There is another way, babe, without involving CPS.”
“How?”
“Create a private charity. Hire qualified individuals who actually know what they are doing. People who care and want to help and you run the home yourself. Hell, call it Diamond House and the club will back you every step of the way.”
“I like that,” she whispered. “I never thought about starting my own charity. I just wanted to help these kids.”
“And you still can. With you running the house, you will decide what’s best for those kids. Not CPS, not anyone. The club will help anyway we can, you know that. Plus, you’ll bypass a lot of the permits and regulations you’d have to follow without CPS breathing down your neck.”
“That’s true. Do you really think I could do something like that?”
“Babe, you took an old schoolhouse and converted it into a home for me and the kids. Trust me. You can do anything when you put your mind to it.”
She kissed me quickly on the lips before jumping to her feet. “Okay. I’ll do it!”
“Hey!Where are you going?”
“I have a building to buy.”
“Huh?” I muttered, as she walked out of my office, her phone in her ear. Jesus Christ. What the hell did I just unleash in the city?
“Where is Kali running off to in a hurry?” Pence asked, walking in, closing the door behind him. I narrowed my eyes at the man because the only time he did that was when he knew I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. So, when he sat his ass down and said nothing, I asked, “What happened now?”
Pence and I had gone a long way back. The first person I met when Big Jim brought me to the clubhouse, Pence,was a prospect like me. We did everything together. I was even his best man when he married Vivi, so when the man just sat there saying nothing, I knew something was up.
“Reached out to the Golden Skulls like you asked.”
“Good. When’s Ravage getting here?”
“He’s not. Reaper’s dead. Someone shot him in the head along with a club whore he was with.”
Now that shocked me. “Was with?”
“Yeah. Apparently, he stepped out on his ol’ lady.”
