“Of the two evils, we are the lesser?” I looked at Julio. He watched Carmella with love. The rage she showed in her voice echoed in his expression.
“Everyone has evil in them, Mason. I’m not an idiot. But your club, you deal some light drugs, you run guns for a few gangs. Nothing that hurts your community like the Disciples. Community means a great deal to my Carmella.” He squeezed her hand and smiled. “Dealing with your club, that will continue to produce the profits we enjoy, and if at some future time we want to expand it will be done with not guns and blood, but with the help of the other cartels.”
Politics weren’t my thing. The lies, the games, it was all too much for me, and I knew Julio was dreaming. There would always be spilt blood when it came to expansion of territories. There wasn’t wheeling and dealing to make that happen. At least not so far. Maybe he could do it, maybe he couldn't. To be honest, I didn’t give a fuck. I had a job to do and then I had to get home.
“That sounds all fine and dandy.” Tick sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “But that still doesn't explain why Mason and I are sitting here.”
“Marcus has agreed to continue with the deal he made with my brother. Short runs through your two towns and up through the neighboring three. Providing safe travel for my men. The Disciples will be gone. Closed down, wiped out—whatever the term is you Americans use.”
“Okay.” I leaned forward. “And what does all that cost Marcus? This big run?”
“Oh, there is no run.” He smiled. “I don’t need American boys coming down here to get my product over the border. No, your job is much easier.”
“What is it?” I chose to ignore the insults and just move forward with finding out what the hell was going on.
“You two are going to kill Bernardo.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
LUCY
I wasn’t going to last another night with Jayson. Not one more. I got lucky last night and he came home after I’d fallen asleep, drunk and stoned. He passed out in the living room of his apartment, missing the couch on his way down and landing on the floor. The booming thud of his fat body hitting the ground woke me up. I found him face down in the carpet and left him there.
My luck was going to run out, though. Soon. Lucas stopped me in the motor pool to ask me more questions about Mason. Did I know where he’d run off to, when was he coming back. To everything I denied knowing anything.
“You told me to stay away from him, remember?” I slid my key into my car door.
“I know I did. And I know you didn’t.” He looked around at the other members working on their bikes. “Jessica’s taking some time off,” he announced, not looking at me.
“Is she okay?” My spine stiffened. I knew they were hanging around each other a lot but I hadn’t known they were that serious.
“Yeah. Fine.”
“Maybe I’ll go see her today.” I shielded my eyes from the sun as I looked up at him. His eyes caught mine and he took a deep breath.
“She’s not at her place. She’s at mine.” He nearly growled and I knew that sound. That possessive tone. Mason had only been gone two days and I already missed that about him. When he hung around the clubhouse, I knew I’d be safe. Even when Bernardo walked me back to my room, I knew one scream from me and Mason would have barreled into the room, ready to kill.
“Mind if I stop over there, then?” He wanted to keep her away from the clubhouse for a reason, and I hoped that reason had nothing to do with me, or Mason.
“Do you know where Mason went off to?” he asked again with more heat and narrowed eyes. He’d never used that tone with me before, and it put my guard up.
“No, Lucas. I don’t know where he is, only that he was going out of town for the club. He said he’d be gone a week maybe two.” His jaw tightened and for a moment I thought he was about to lay into me, but he shook his head and nodded instead.
“Do you know if it was his club or our club he was doing business for?” His tone lowered, the concerned Lucas was back.
“I don’t know. I didn't ask questions.” I felt my phone vibrating but I ignored it. Jayson was still passed out and Mason was the only other person who had the number.
He eyed me silently for what felt like several minutes as my phone vibrated again. “You can go see Jessica. But if Jayson looks for you, you get your ass back here and you don’t bring her with.” Again he hardened his tone.
“What’s going on, Lucas? Why are you hiding her away?” I also wanted to ask why he was so willing to throw me to the wolves, but better not to piss him off.