“I remember,” Houston muttered. “We should be there too.”
“No. You and I are hanging back with Tel. That brother can work some fucking magic on a computer and he has a better than good shot at tracing the van that grabbed your girl. But he needs your help to get it started.”
“Great. Let’s go.”
Axel held up his hand. “Hang on. I didn’t finish giving you the deal. This club is taking your back in this in a big way. Probably going to get bloody before it’s over. We’ll need something specific from you in return.”
“I already told you whatever you want it’s done.”
He pulled a folder out of his cut and handed it to Houston. “Then you’ve got some homework to do.”
“What’s this?”
“A case we’ve been working on that’s hit a wall.” He lit the cigarette he’d been holding in his hand.
“A case? I don’t understand what you mean?” Houston started flipping through the papers.
“Like I said. Clubs changed. No more drugs running through here, and the only guns we deal are our own. We kept the gambling cause it’s a damn lot of fun and makes a fuck ton of money. We also branched out into some legitimate businesses. Got us a legit distillery next to the compound for our Reaper Shine, and one of the old ladies convinced us to invest in a chain of topless coffee huts across the state.” Axel shook his head. “Turns out their real popular near the navy bases.” That had been one hell of a meeting when that shit came up. Everyone started fighting. “The club was struggling though. The old members missed the money from the more profitable illegal shit and tempers were flaring daily. Then one of the townies came out here asking us to help him. Said he’d pay a shitload of cash if we found out who broke into his house and murdered his wife.”
Houston closed the file and met his gaze. “You’re mercenaries now.”
“You can call it that if you want. We fill a gap when it comes to justice, which happens to go really well with the original charter plans.”
Houston nodded. “You reap what you sow.”
“You’re God damned right.”
“So what does that have to do with me?”
“Like I said, our case has hit a wall. In order to fix this we need to go deeper. That’s where you come in. We need you to go undercover in the Mazzeo organization.”
“Which is why you and I stayed behind.”
He nodded. “We couldn’t take a chance anyone would recognize you. We need this operation to be as clean as possible.”
“What’s the end game here?”
“Tel will go over the case details with you. In a nutshell. Someone’s been kidnapping women from the colleges. They disappear without a trace and we’re left holding our dicks and looking like assholes when we can’t find them.”
“This sounds like a case for the police or maybe the FBI.”
Alex snorted. “If we’re left standing around looking like assholes, what do you think law enforcement tied up with red tape look like? Fuck them. Inefficient motherfuckers can’t do shit without approval and a mountain of paperwork to wipe their asses with. Why do you think our services have become so popular?”
“Bottom line it, Axel.”
He narrowed his eyes, feeling dangerously close to punching his best friend in the face. “Bottom line is, we’re going to get your girl free of this shit and then you’re going in. Immediately in. We’ve got some pretty worrisome deadlines on finding these girls too. What happens after that is going to be completely on you. We can’t provide much back up without blowing your cover or starting a war.”
“Fine. I get it. My survival is in my own hands. Got it. Now let’s find Izzy.”
When Houston tried to shove past Axel, he grabbed his arm and yanked him around. “I don’t think your getting this through your thick skull. What we’re asking you to do is likely to take months. Maybe longer. You have to be committed to that and in order to do that, you’ve got to forget about everything and everyone else.”
Axel saw the moment the light came on for his new returned brother.
“And what happens to Izzy?”
“If we get her out she’ll be taken care of. She’ll become club property. You, however, will walk away from her. No explanation, no goodbye. You just disappear. She won’t be your old lady.”
“Fuck tha—”
“It’s the only deal. We can’t risk anyone knowing you’re with us.”
“But—”
“This isn’t a fucking negotiation. That is the deal. Take it or leave it.”