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After lighting the smoke, I glance at everyone sitting around the table.
With Zoe directly to my left, Rocco and Cara take up the seats next to her, and Dante and Baz at the far end. To my right, Slasher blows out a lungful of smoke, with Cain sitting to his right, pouring himself a whiskey.
Dante’s frown catches my attention, and I hitch a brow in his direction.
“Problem?” I ask and he leans forward to rest his forearms on the tabletop.
“I’m not trying to be rude. This is your kingdom, after all, but I’m just wondering why Cara and Zoe are in here with us.”
I stare Dante down at the other end of the table as I drag in another lungful of nicotine, holding it in for a long beat before releasing it.
“I seem to remember a time we were on your turf, Dante, and you insisted on your girl, Storm, being present.”
He nods. “True. But she’s family, and yes, I know Cara and Rocco are husband and wife. I was there when that happened, but Zoe is still a civilian.”
In my periphery, I see Zoe stiffen, and it pisses me off.
Stubbing out my barely smoked cigarette, I point sharply at him. “Zoe ismine.She belongs to me and this club, not because of some fucked up trade with her dad, but because she ismygirl. I may call her Princess, but make no mistake, she’s the motherfucking Queen of this MC. She belongs at this table because she is part of this family. Hell, she’s the Mama now, and one day, when she’s ready, she will be Zoe Black. Since this ismyturf, I say what goes, and when it comes to the Reapers, and how we are going to fucking annihilate them, Zoe will be a part of the planning process and know every fucking detail of what’s happening. After that, when we win this fucking war, if she would rather not sit in on these meetings, then that’s her prerogative. Does anyone here have a fucking problem with that?”
No one speaks up, and I watch a slow grin spread Dante’s lips wide before he glances at Rocco.
“You were right. He makes a good fucking President.”
“I fucking know.” Rocco nods, looking relaxed in his wheelchair. “I knew it when the fucker was an annoying teenager.”
Chuckles float around the table, and I smirk, glancing at Zoe as her shoulders relax.
“Before we continue,” Dante speaks up again, and my jaw ticks with frustration that he might have another fucking problem with the way I do things. “Zoe, on behalf of the Diamond Crew, I’m truly sorry that we weren’t able to keep you safe, and if there’s anything we can do to help you settle back in, then please let us know.”
Zoe nods next to me, her hands fisting in her lap as she trembles a little, but when she speaks, her voice is firm.
“I won’t be able to settle in until every single Reaper is dead, including Gunner. And this time, I want to see his fucking corpse.”
Heat flares in my chest. Pride for her strength. Anger that matches her own.
“I fucking second that.” Slasher barks, stubbing out the butt of his smoke. “Gunner is the reason my brother is dead. Every fucking Reaper needs to die, but Gunner, that fucking traitor, needs to meet a slow and excruciating death.”
Everyone nods, no one even considering a different outcome.
“We agree.” Baz speaks up this time, relaxed back in his chair as though meetings like this are a daily fucking routine for him. Hell, they probably are. “The best way to end this war and bring peace to the Santa Cruz community is to band together. Everyone in this room has a reason to see the Reapers dead for one reason or another. Everyone wants vengeance, and the only way to achieve that is working together. We need to strategize and be smart and swift. It needs to be top priority.”
“Baz is right.” Dante adds. “My men are your men, Gray. I have more foot soldiers than you know. We can have men inside these walls to offer extra protection. We already have eyes on this place on the outside from all vantage points. No one is getting close without us knowing. And we have crew trained in tactical assaults and special ops. We’ll fucking bring some of our UK crew over if we have to. But whatever you need, let us help.”
I’m man enough to admit when we need help, so I nod, leaning back in my seat. “We appreciate that, Dante. Thank you.”
“Right.” Cain claps his hands together, rubbing them as he glances between everyone around the table. “Where do we start?”
Slasher speaks up then, filling everyone in on Maude’s house in Watsonville and the Reapers living next door. The surveillance equipment Tido set up for them to monitor the house, and the Devil’s Night events. Where it was, and who we saw there.
Dante makes a few calls, sending men to the area and to help take over surveillance of the house, plus putting some ofhis men to monitor the Sleep-Eazy Motel as well as Adam’s parents’ house.
“I’m going to put extra foot soldiers on the ground in Watsonville, and every fucking town between there and here,” Dante advises. “I’ll get my hackers to try to locate them online as well. I’m sure we will have some good intel in a few days.”
Zoe leans forward next to me, and I glance at her frown as she eyes Dante.
“I’m sorry if this is a stupid question, but if the Reapers have been such a huge issue for so many years, why are you only now offering this level of help?”
Dante sits taller in his seat at the question, his eyes darting to Rocco, while Baz remains relaxed like it’s business as usual.
