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I’m really gonna make this fucker pay when I get to him.
“I spoke to her a few days ago. Told her you guys were safe.” I recover myself quickly and it seems to do the trick. It’s horrible having to lie, but knowing how scared it will make her leaves me no choice. I don’t want Addison to feel scared right now. I want her to feel secure and excited about having our baby.
“I’ll come pick you up at 2:15.” I kiss her on the cheek before I head for the door
“Can’t wait.” She smiles as I leave her, looking like she hasn’t got a worry in the world. Exactly how it should be.
* * *
“You spoke to Tripp?” Jessie is waiting for me by the garage doors when I pull up.
“Yeah, I’m headin’ out to join him tomorrow mornin’.” I lift up the roller door, wondering where Rogue is. She always gets here before I do.
“You're leavin’ tomorrow? Skid, who ya gonna take with ya?” he questions.
If there was anyone I’d want beside me it would be him, but I know with Prez away that ain’t gonna be an option.
“Guess I’m kinda limited, Troj is with Prez, you gotta hold down the fort. Ain’t no way we’re gonna be pullin’ Brax away from that baby girl of his for a while. Takin’ the Temper Twins into a cult commune is gonna be a fuckin’ disaster.” I reel all the non-options out first.
“I sent Grimm off to L.A. last night to make sure Cliff covered his tracks properly,” Jessie adds, and I can see from the snarl on his lips that he detests the decision he’s had to make.
“Okay, so I got Thorne, Storm, Nyx, and Hayden.”
“You got Storm,” Jessie corrects me, looking guilty as he lights himself a cigarette.
“What?”
“Burlusconi had a tip-off from his connection in the ATF and he needs his supply shifted pronto, the Nevada boys are making the drop-off tonight and I gotta ship it right on out of here.”
“Okay, me and Storm it is.” I shrug. I’ve got Tripp, and I’ve seen Storm in action enough times to know he’s worth two men at least.
“You could always wait a few more days. Go in with a full squad,” he suggests.
“I don’t need a full squad, Jess, and I’ve waited long enough. Tripp identified him from Nyx’s sketch. He’s there now.”
“Just be careful. I don’t like all this cult shit. Those fuckers be crazy.”
“Not as crazy as a Soul with a woman to protect.” I slap him on the back, knowing that he’ll understand exactly what I mean.
“Stay cool and let me do the talkin’. If he gets disrespectful, don’t bite,” I warn Troj before we step into the ally that leads to the tiny bar where I know we’ll find Raze.
“Ain’t gonna let no fucker disrespect ya.” Troj shakes his head at me as if I should know better.
“I told ya, keep your cool. We’re gonna need him and I know for a fact he ain’t gonna like what I have to say.”
I let myself into the boozer bar, barely able to see across the room for smoke, and just like I predicted, I find Raze sitting at the end of the bar. He’s got his cigarette balanced between his lips as he turns the pages of the local newspaper.
“Much happenin’?” I interrupt him, and when he slowly lifts his eyes and sees me, he don’t look impressed.
“Put a shot in that.” He slides his coffee mug across to the guy he’s got serving behind his bar, keeping his deadpan eyes focused on me and waiting for me to tell him why I’m here.
“Where’s your cut?” I question, taking the barstool beside him while Troj remains on his feet like he’s waiting for something to break out.
“Hung up, where it belongs.” Raze nods at his bartender gratefully when he delivers him back his mug. Then when the barman looks at me for an order, I gesture my eyes to the bottle of Jameson behind the bar.
“You didn’t RSVP my invitation.” I start things off.
“I don’t have to attend your little meetin; for you to know where I stand on the Long Beach matter… I’m assumin’ that's why you’ve called us all in.” Raze takes a long drag of his cigarette then looks back to his newspaper.
