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“Hawker was building a file on the club, shit that could get you into a lot of trouble.”
“Maddy got that shit covered. She checks the federal database daily,” I assure him.
“Your tech girl can’t bury a paper trail, Squeal, and Hawker had a good caseload on you before Jessie’s old lady was even a thought in his head. He had some help from an old friend of yours too. Do you wanna stab a guess at who’s got their hands on that file right now?” Roswell looks at me sadly.
“Shit.” I slam my hands on his desk and take some breaths to try and calm my temper.
“So long as Foster got those files, he’s got Alex,” Roswell points out.
“Blackmail, you're telling me he blackmailed her to leave town.” I’m angry, fuckin’ raging, but at the same time, I feel something ignite… Hope. Alex might not have wanted to leave, maybe she left to protect me and the club.
“If you’re asking if Alex left because her father told her to, the answer is yes.”
“And you never came and told us that Foster had all that shit on the club? You realize how fucking dangerous that is?” I swear if he wasn't so fragile, I’d pin the guy up to the wall.
“Alex wasn’t the only person who didn't want that file being passed over to the feds. My name features heavily in a lot of those reports too.” He downs the last swallow in his glass and smiles up at me sadly.
“Foster spoke to you too?” I stab a guess.
“It was more of a warning, and I’m too close to retiring on a full pension not to heed it.”
“So why you telling me this now? You know I ain’t gonna just sit on this, I got to tell Prez.”
Roswell pulls open his top drawer and slaps a piece of paper on the desk.
“It’s terminal,” he tells me as I pick it up and read the test results, stage three pancreatic cancer.
“Figured I’m not gonna need that pension after all,” he shrugs. Closing my eyes, I take another deep breath. I can’t help feeling sorry for the old man. He’s dedicated his whole life to this town. Yeah, he’s been underhand in some of his legal duties, but he knew working with us was his best shot at keeping the town clean.
“I’m really sorry to hear that.” I fold up the paper and hand it back to him.
“You know since Audrey died twenty years ago, I never considered another woman.” His eyes fall on the photo on his desk. It's facing away from me, so I can’t see it, but I’m guessing it’s of her. “I’m a believer in true love, Squealer. A man’s lucky if he finds that person who will change his life forever.”
“I—” I’m about to say something sarcastic to lighten the mood, but he interrupts me.
“Go get ya girl. And if you and your club can figure a way of doing it without getting your asses tossed in jail, make sure you put something on her finger fast enough for me to watch you marry yourself to the law,” the old man sniggers.
“You’re a good man, Roswell,” I smile back at him.
“You too, not good enough for me to get what she sees in you, but…” He opens his desk drawer and pulls out a business card.
“That’s the details for Chief Hudson. He works out of Campton Hills, it’s the closest station to Foster’s home, so I figure he’ll try and get her set up there.”
“Her hometown?” I check. Things are starting to make a lot of sense now.
“Guess since his little girl went all badass biker on him, he wants to keep a close eye on her.”
My plans change when I leave the station, I got information that I have to share with my brothers, and it looks like Maddy ain't getting that day off after all. I head back to the club, hoping my brothers aren't too busy to hold an emergency meeting.
Prez is the member's bar with Thorne and Tac. “Any sign of Jess?” I ask, noting how worried he looks, all heads shake back at me. “We need to get everyone together, haven't got time to take it to the chapel.” I slam my hand against the door to get them all moving before heading into the bar room to round up the others.
My brother is sitting alone on one of the bar stools, and I head to him first.
“Meeting in the barroom now,” I tell him just as his phone vibrates on the bar. A message from Prez flashes up on the screen to tell him we got a meeting.
“What’s going on?” Brax walks through the door.
“Something important has come to light. Maz, you better get some coffees going. Everyone's gonna have to wake their asses up.”
