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“Understood.” Matt rubs the back of his neck. “I’d like to have you meet with my inner circle.”
“You want me to gather our core group as well?” Lennon asks him.
Gage rocks back on his heels.“Yeah.” Then he turns to Matt. “After you.”
Matt radios his group for a meeting as his people continue assisting with the cleanup efforts. He leads Gage and Lennon to the local bar, Dusk ‘til Dawn, where he quickly introduces his mate Calli, his second Jax, and the bar owner, Dawn.
The woodsy scent of cedarwood oil and citrus emanate from the polished bar top, mixing with the strong smell of alcohol hanging in the air. Handmade tables and booths are sporadically placed throughout the large open room. In the dim light, his exceptional eyesight gives him a clear view of Matt’s mate. With her auburn hair and curvaceous figure, she is the replica of Beth, whom he briefly saw earlier. His jaw drops at seeing a clone and then their template for the first time. A hand lands on his shoulder. Glancing to his left, Matt murmurs beside him, “She’s human.”
“And her?” he raises his chin in the blonde’s direction who tenses under his scrutiny. Her teal blue eyes narrow, and her lips tighten as she holds his gaze. Curious at her reaction, he files that information away for later.
“Homani,” the woman, Dawn, grinds out.
Matt steps forward and places his hands on the table they are now standing around.
“Thanks for coming. I know you are all spread thin right now with cleanup, but I have some news. Vance and his men have taken Lilly and April," Matt announces.
Gage’s eyes narrow. A brief memory from years ago flashes through his mind, and he brushes it away. He’d met the man once before and found no good in him. He doesn’t know who Lilly and April are, but he understands that the shit just hit the fan. His inner bear lets out a low growl.
Matt sighs. “Lilly and April are my head of security and the owner of our diner,” he says in Gage’s direction before he can ask.
Gage shifts his boots on the sticky hardwood floor. “Got it.”
“Lilly went to help April, then they got ambushed and tranq’d,” Matt explains. “We need to act fast to get them back. Who knows what that asshole is doing to them.”
“I have an underground network,” Gage interjects. Once again, he’s the focus of a few wary stares. “If I can have access to your communications equipment, I’ll put the word out and see if we can track down Vance’s whereabouts. Lennon can tap into his contacts and see if they have any information, too."
Matt addresses Dawn. “Show him after we’re done here.”
She looks at each of them before she responds, “Fine.” Dawn takes the shot in her hand, then slams the empty glass face down on the table.
“I’ll get on it right away,” Lennon says, before pursing his lips and narrowing his green eyes. Gage smirks. His friend will be like a dog with a bone until he gets answers.
Calli clears her throat. She digs her teeth into her bottom lip before she asks, “Is there anything else we can do?”
Matt wraps his arm around her. “Yeah, we’ve got many more mouths to feed with the influx of Gage’s group. Can you keep the diner open and running until we get April back?”
With tears rimming her green eyes, Calli whispers, “Until April’s back home safe.”
Jax pulls his long blonde hair into a bun. “Beth is with Emily and the kids. They’re setting up temporary housing at the school for them.” He turns to Dawn. “Speaking of housing, you think Kate can retrofit the barns and make a temporary barracks for those who lost homes and Gage’s group?”
“I can’t see that being a problem. I’ll grab some people and get working on it.”
“Lennon, go with her, and grab a few of our people to help on your way to the communication area,” Gage instructs. He is both pleased and impressed at how well they are working together so far.
“Jax, you said Brook went back to her place to monitor the radios, and Finn headed out to the dam to make sure the grid stays stable, right?” Matt asks as he rubs Calli’s back.
The way Matt keeps constant contact with his mate reminds Gage of how his own people, mated pairs especially, require touch.So many similarities.
Jax gives a sharp nod.
“Good,” Matt says, giving his mate a squeeze. “Babe, I’ll walk you to the diner, then I’ll show Gage where Brook lives so he can radio his contacts.”
Calli stiffens, her eyes flitting to where Gage stands and away again.Okay, time to talk about the elephant in the room.
He clears his throat. “You mentioned that you knew the person I was cloned from. Maverick, right?”
Matt nods but doesn’t offer anything further. The atmosphere in the room changes as if the temperature has dropped. Lennon steps up beside him, whether to defend or support him, he doesn’t know. Could be both.
