Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 132892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 532(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Picnic laughed.
“No, I get that,” he said. “But when we go in, we can hold it up as a possibility. Tell the existing brothers—the ones who have kept the faith—that the Nighthawks as they exist right now are done. Then hold this out to them as a compromise. We want them here, we’re going to work with them, and then if things come together, there will be a reward.”
“Gage, what’s your thought on this?” Shade asked. “You’re the one who’s been on the ground. What’s your sense of the situation?”
“I don’t know Cord well,” I said. “But my gut tells me he’s a solid guy, if for no other reason than he never fell for Marsh’s shit. They were on the brink of civil war already. Cord and his faction weren’t around on Friday, and for all I know they were planning to make a move against Marsh this weekend. I think it’s worth giving it a shot. Especially since it could have long-term consequences for our boy Painter, who’s headed back down to prison in Cali. Pipes—the Nighthawk brother on the inside—he’s one of our only allies there. We burn all the Nighthawks, we’re burning Painter, too.”
“Okay, so walk me through it,” Shade said. “Assuming we do this, I’d have to talk to all the presidents and go through the process—we all know this. But I’m willing to hold it out as a possibility if you’ve got a solid plan.”
“First, the timing is good,” Picnic said. “Marsh and his boys are all still locked up. We don’t have full information on their situation, but it sounds like they found enough product on them to get them for intent to distribute. That means we don’t have to worry about them getting out again for a while. If we go in strong now, we clean out the clubhouse and get rid of anyone who answers to Marsh. They’re gone. Period. Then we reorganize with Cord and his brothers to start over.”
“I’d stay in town,” Gage said. “Oversee everything. Make me nomad.”
“Big step,” Shade said. “You sure you’re up for it?”
“He’s got a girl here,” Pic said. “Pussy-whipped.”
Shade snorted. “For real, Gage? You want us to make a whole new Reapers chapter just so you can get—”
Pic burst out laughing. “Okay, that was unfair. It wasn’t his idea, actually. But he did meet a woman and wouldn’t mind some time here in town. That suits the club’s needs, so it works on our end. Do we have your support?”
“Yeah,” Shade said slowly. “We can try it, although it’ll boil down to a vote by all the presidents. But I can see this working. Keep me posted on the details. So long as Gage is there keeping an eye on things, I think it’s okay. You serious about this woman?”
“Maybe,” I said. “Better question might be whether she’s serious about me. Right now she’s a little pissed off. Apparently women don’t like it when you lie to them about who you are, and then fuck another bitch under their nose for weeks at a time. I don’t know how hookers do it—thought I’d lose my fuckin’ mind, and that’s the truth.”
Shade laughed.
“No, I’d imagine not,” he said. “This is why I don’t have an old lady. Too much work.”
“Fuck off,” Pic said. “You got no idea what you’re missing.”
That was my cue to call him pussy-whipped or something, but for the first time in a very long time, I didn’t feel like giving one of my brothers shit for keeping a woman around. Instead I had a feeling he was right. There was something there—something good—and I’d been missing out.
With any luck, I wouldn’t be missing out for much longer.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TINKER
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Carrie said over the phone.
“I’m not,” I whispered, feeling sick to my stomach. “I can’t believe he played me like this. Nothing about him was real. Nothing! Why do I keep falling for guys who are liars and assholes?”
“Okay, yes—he’s a liar and an asshole,” she said. “But don’t beat yourself up too much. Brandon is evil, and you spent a decade of your life with him. Cooper—”
“His name is Gage.”
“Whatever. Gage is just a sexy asshole who got you a little hot and bothered. This isn’t a federal crime, although I’d like to throw out my vote for eviction one more time. If he lied on his paperwork, that has to be a good enough reason to get rid of him.”
“I can’t think about that right now,” I said. “God. He’s fixing the roof, Carrie. How am I going to get the roof fixed if I kick him out? And I’m supposed to take Dad to Seattle this week for his doctor’s appointment. My lawyer wants to talk, too. He thinks that maybe Brandon is pulling some kind of bullshit on the financials. Until now I haven’t pressed him for real, so we thought it was just stalling. But something may be really wrong there.”