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After returning with the notebook, Ozzy dismisses me, obviously stressed over the situation. Since Linc’s gone and it’s been a hell of a morning, I decide to lie down in my bed and attempt to decompress from everything that’s happened the last few days. It’s been a whirlwind, and I’m in desperate need of a reset. Lucy is there waiting for me, so my plan to rest and think is out the window.
“What did Ozzy have to say,” she asks, sitting up in bed.
“I gave him the notebook. He said it’s not only Jace that’s after me.” I fill her in on what Ozzy told me, not just about the Italians, but about the club and how they don’t put up with any man abusing women.
“That tracks. I’ve never gotten the feeling that we weren’t safe with these guys. Not like other clubs.”
Before I can question her about what she means or how she would know anything about other clubs, there’s a knock on the door.
Linc pops his head in. “Hey, Charlie girl. Ozzy wants to see us in his office.”
There’s no anger in his tone, not like when he left, but there is a certain resignation I don’t like hearing.
“Okay.”
When I move to pass him through the doorway, he grabs my hand, stopping me.
“I’m sorry.”
It’s a simple apology, but no one has ever said those words to me and meant them. Not like I know Linc does.
Brushing my lips against his for a brief moment, I pull away with a soft smile.
“Let’s go talk to Ozzy.”
When we get to Ozzy’s office, Jude is waiting there for us. Linc gives him a questioning look. Jude shrugs, just as confused about why he’s been summoned for this meeting as well.
“I looked through the notebook Charlie had,” Ozzy begins. “That fucker collected information about routes to Canada and Mexico. He wrote down locations and coordinates for Irish safe houses and also kept track of some runs we handled for them. Some of it’s in code, only using initials, but I recognized a lot of it since I was there. If this got into the hands of those Italian fuckers, it would compromise not only the Irish but us as well.”
Ozzy leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers.
“I spoke with Finn. He wants to see the book so he can figure out what and where he needs to make changes. Even though Jace doesn’t have the notebook anymore, I don’t doubt he remembers plenty.”
“Seems perfectly reasonable. We’ve always had a good relationship with them. As long as they know Charlie isn’t a part of this after handing the notebook over, I don’t have a problem with it,” Linc agrees.
“That’s not all he said. They have reason to believe Jace is in town. He knows this is our town, so it makes sense he’s come here to try to find an opportunity to take Charlie. Since he’s after both of you,”—he points to Linc and me—“I want you guys to lie low somewhere until either us or the Irish deal with him. I’d like to keep it as far away from the clubhouse as possible. We don’t need anybody coming in here and shooting the place up. The Italians have already done that, and I don’t want another war with them if we can avoid it.” He turns to Jude. “That’s where you come in.”
“What? I don’t have some secret hideaway.” Jude says, confused as to where he fits in all of this.
“Jace found you in Texas. Whether it was because he’d somehow tracked down Charlie or was after Linc, we can’t be certain at this point. We also don’t know the full extent of his knowledge about our club. There are too many variables I’m not sure of, so I don’t want to send you to one of our safe houses only to have it compromised.”
“Okay…” Jude says, still not following Ozzy’s train of thought.
“Call your brother. I need a favor.”
“Well, shite.”
When Jude pulls out his phone, I quietly ask Linc who Jude’s brother is.
“Ex-Royal Marine. Does undercover commando shit for pay these days. He has contacts all over the place and collects favors like a kid collects baseball cards.”
When the call connects, Jude puts it on speaker.
“Little brother,” I hear a heavily accented voice come through the line. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Are you calling me to wish me a happy birthday?”
“Your birthday isn’t for another week.”
“True, but I’ve decided I’m declaring it my birthday month, you know, like all the kids do these days.”
