Barely Undercover: Legal Heat Book 2(16)

“Don’t worry.” Rex smirked. “You’ll get to meet her on Saturday. She’s coming to the barbeque. Ice is afraid of letting her near us, but I have a feeling once that little fireball gets an idea into her head, she doesn’t let go easily.”

A wave of possessive jealousy surged through James, followed by an even fiercer urge to keep her safe. Although there was no future for them, he could damn well ensure she had a future without Rex. Whether she liked it or not.

Rex folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. “I’ve always liked the wild ones,” he mused.

James’s brows drew together. Although Rex’s infidelity was no secret in the club, he had always kept things discreet, usually taking the women straight to his office and then sending them home. He never talked about them. Never touched them in public. But even if he had, the brothers wouldn’t talk. What happened in the clubhouse stayed in the clubhouse. So what had changed? Had he and Angel split? What about their daughter?

“Won’t be anytime soon,” James spat out.

Rex’s eyes darted to his, picking up the undertone of a threat. For a long moment, they stared at each other. James forced himself to drop his eyes first. He’d worked hard to gain Rex’s trust. He didn’t want to lose it so close to the end of the assignment. And over a girl.

His pulse quickened. Not just a girl. Lana.

Rex grunted his satisfaction at James’s tacit acknowledgment of his top-dog status, and nodded as if something had been settled in his mind. “Got a job for you tonight. We got a tip the police are going to raid the mobile home of Punch’s mom and her husband out on the Fraser Highway. We just relocated all the club’s firearms and explosives out there. Need you to collect them. Take Ryder with you.”

“Ryder?” Short, portly and balding prematurely, Punch pushed himself to his feet. “It’s my mom. I should go with Ice.”

“Your mom or her husband probably ratted us out,” Rex growled. “I want to keep you out of it. Ryder won’t dip his dick in the drug trade, but he’s got no problem with weapons. He and Ice will get the job done.” He nodded at James. “You’ll need a hockey bag and a place to store the weapons. I don’t want them on Hades’s turf.”

Damn. The weapons cache in the clubhouse would have been enough to trigger the raid, but Rex knew the law and was always careful to keep the clubhouse clean.

James’s stomach churned. No doubt the DEU had just heard about the arsenal over his wire. If they decided to confiscate the weapons—which they had done once before on the basis they couldn’t condone leaving illegal weapons in the hands of known criminals—he would be put in a difficult position. That time, James had been able to explain away the loss of a few guns, but the entire arsenal? When Rex called for their return, what would he say?

“You sure you want to send Ice?” Bones said. “Last time you put him in charge of weapons he let them get fucking pinched.”

James drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch, feigning irritation, although on the inside every muscle was locked tight. Bones had been watching him too closely over the last few months. Every job, every pickup, every errand Rex asked him to do, Bones had an excuse to be nearby. Meeting his handlers was becoming a challenge. If the DEU didn’t raid soon, Bones could become a serious threat to his cover.

“It happens,” Rex said dismissively. “If I didn’t trust Ice, he wouldn’t be in my inner circle. Are you questioning my judgment?”

Bones raised his hands and backed off. “Of course not. I’m sure he’ll tuck them safely away.”

Rex and Bones shared a glance and then Rex moved on to the next order of business. He ordered Diesel and Punch to go out trunking to raise some extra cash. Short and stocky, barrel-chested and foul-mouthed, Diesel and Punch could have been twins save for the fact Diesel had a woman’s face tattooed on the back of his bald head and Punch sported dreads that would make even a Jamaican jealous.

James breathed an inward sigh of relief at not being sent out with them. Trunking involved snatching off the street underworld characters with known wealth, locking them in the trunk of the vehicle and driving around until someone paid their ransom…or they died. He had done it a few times and once had almost called for backup when the drug dealer’s family initially refused to pay.

“Got another deal going down in a couple of weeks.” Rex leaned back and dropped his feet off the desk. “We got serious kilos coming in by helicopter. I’ll give you the details later.”