I had called an old friend for help, and she sold me to the MC? If Jayson hadn't liked what he saw the night I walked in, what would have happened? I would be living out back with the other girls, fucking in stalls and sucking dick behind a screen? "Why kill Kerri?"
Lucas looked behind him again then shook his head. "I'm not going there with you. I have a life I'd like to keep, too. But understand this. Some women don't get that club business stays club business. Sometimes they shoot their mouth off when they see their old man getting his dick sucked by some other girl and start making threats to open their traps to the wrong people."
My face chilled at his words. Kerri knew something about the club and was going to expose them. "Those girls out back … " I said more to myself than to him. "Most of them … they didn't show up looking for work, did they?" I put a hand up in the air between us. "No. Don't answer that. I don't need you to."
"Stay away from Mason. He's just like any other biker out there. He'll take you in, fuck you till he's bored, then he'll stash you away and move on. In the meantime, you'll have Jayson chasing you down. Because he doesn't know what you do or don't know, and he won't take your rejection lightly."
I didn't answer him, just nodded numbly. It didn't seem to matter which way I turned, another roadblock popped up. "So what, I just stay with him forever? I don't love him, Lucas. I can barely stand him. When he touches me, I literally have to keep myself from puking."
Lucas's forehead tightened, his eyes wrinkled around the edges. He understood but was helpless to do anything about it. "I know, but for now, it's all you can do."
"Is there an out?"
"Not yet," Lucas admitted. "Give him what he wants, maybe he'll get bored with you. You are a little more straight-laced than he likes."
I laughed a short laugh. "What normally bores guys about me is exotic to him?"
"For now. It will probably pass."
"Then what? He throws me in the back?"
"I don't think he would. I think he'd just toss you out. Unless you piss him off," he pointed out. "Just lay low, Lucy. And stay the fuck away from the Reapers."
"Okay, Lucas. I got it." I pulled out my suitcase from under the bed and unzipped it. "Thanks, Lucas." I said when he turned to leave.
"Thank me when you're in that rust bucket headed for out of town." He gave me a wink at the door then walked away, whistling his way down the hall.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
MASON
Another fucking meeting. I swore this club was beginning to turn into a goddamn corporation. Marcus called everyone into the room and began lecturing everyone on the few jobs we'd been running outside the cartel deal. The financial business went quickly as he tossed out envelopes to everyone for their cut in the latest drop. I pushed the fat envelope in my inside pocket and leaned back in my chair, letting Marcus blow off steam.
He was beginning to do that a lot lately. Just ramble on and on for no reason but to make himself look important. He went over the next job and pointed to me. "Mason is the lead on this drop. It's a long one. It's gonna take a few days."
"Days? Where we going? Mexico?" I laughed.
"Yeah, dipshit. You have to do the pick up just south of the border this time."
I sat up straight in my hair. "You want us to cross the border with a truck full of fucking guns and blow?"
"Bernardo needs this favor. You go down there, stay for a few days, make nice with his crew, then they'll load you up and send you north."
"And get through border patrol with all that shit in the back?" Tick kicked me under the table, but I know he was thinking the same damn thing. "How many of the Disciples are coming on this run?" I switched gears.
"None. This one is all ours." Marcus didn't look at me when he made that statement. He licked his lips a few times and looked around at the other members. "They'll get a run later on without us tagging along." He shrugged his shoulders and scratched his bearded chin. I looked over at Tick, who had the same expression as he had when he walked in the room.
"What about Jasper? What are doing about him?" I pressed on.
"He's a deserter. If anyone sees him, you drag his ass back here for reckoning." Marcus stabbed his finger into the table. "Understood?"
"Deserter?" I scoffed. "Marcus, there's no way-"
"I don't' want to hear another fucking word about it." He slapped the table. "You leave this afternoon. Take Tick with you. Two others if you think you need it, but I would think the more you have the more trouble you'll come into at the border."
Before I could argue any further he slammed his gavel like some high handed judge and stalked out of the room. I glared at his back then turned to Tick.
"The border patrol is going to search that truck." I jerked my thumb at the door where the rest of the members filed out of the room.
"Of course they are." Tick nodded. "And there won't be any Disciples there. Just us."
"What does that mean? Why would Marcus put his own members in danger like that?"
"I think he's got something going with the cartel that he's not telling us, or the Disciples."
"What do you want to do? You don't need this run, I can take it."
"Fuck that." Tick glared at me. "I'll be there with you. We'll take one other guy and that's it. This Bernardo better have a plan to get us through the patrol without getting busted." He pushed back from the table and adjusted his cut. "'Cause if I don't make it back, Massy will take her pregnant ass down there and start asking questions." He paused a moment. "I need to go see her, let her know I'll be gone a while. She's not going to like it. I'm going to have to soothe her first." He gave me a shit eating grin and a wink and headed out. "You might want to do the same," he called as he walked through the clubhouse.
Lucy wouldn't know to meet me. I tried shooting her a text, but she never responded. We only had another hour before we were to get in the truck and head out.
"Mason." Marcus walked up to my bike as I hopped on. "Listen, I need you to keep a clear mind when you're down there. Make sure Bernardo is happy with this run. It's a big one, I know, and you'll be getting a big fucking piece of the pie. But don't make a single move without his okay or mine. Got it?"
I snapped on my helmet and nodded. I tried to imagine the man I'd known for the last decade standing before me, but the image was lost in the mess of a man standing there now. The Marcus that patched me in, took Tick and me under his wing, he was no longer there. That Marcus was all about club, family, and community. This one, he only gave a fuck about money and getting the bigger score. Even if it meant putting his club in jeopardy.
"Does Bernardo know there won't be any Disciples with us?" I asked over the roar of my engine.
"Yeah, I told you, they get the next one." His eyes shifted when he spoke and another shiver ran down my spine. Everything told me to get out of that run. Not to step foot on Mexican soil. But he was my president, and until I took my out, I didn't have much choice. "Where you going anyway? If you're going to make it close to the border by nightfall, you need to get your ass in gear."
"Going to see my ma before we go. Need to drop off her rent. I'll be back in an hour." He didn't look any more convinced about my lie than I did his, but we left it at that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
LUCY
Mason's message scared me. Usually he gave me a time to meet him the next day, never has he told me where to meet him right away. Thankfully, Jayson had taken a few prospects out for a joy ride, or whatever they did when they all rode out of the compound together. Lucas had gone with them, so I didn't have the guilt of his eyes on me as I slipped into my car and rolled out of the garage.
When i pulled into the back lot of the diner, Mason's bike sat empty beside the back door. He'd never parked in the open before, he'd always pull into the garage. My insides twisted again with the feeling bad things were going to happen in a few minutes. Had he been found out? Should I just reverse out and run away?