Obsession (A Bad Boy's Secret Baby)(51)

In a way, I hadn't been lying to Ronin.

I really would do anything to get back there.





Chapter Four


Ronin

Flora's outraged screams ricocheted throughout the empty second floor hall. It was a good thing no one else was here, otherwise Roach might have grown a backbone and put up a fuss about us staying. Not that it mattered, we'd have stayed anyways.

He owed me.

I made my way down the main set of stairs and saw him scribbling something in what looked like a guest book. “I hope that's not us,” I called down to him, startling the thin man. “Probably best that I don't show up in any records on this side of the state.”

“Of course...” Roach sighed, placing the pen down and slapping the cover of the book shut. “And what the hell have you gotten into this time?”

“Nothing I can't get myself out of.” I rotated my right arm in big circles and stretched. It was a little sore from the rough ride and catching and hauling Flora. “Where's your bar?”

“The B's stands for bed and breakfast, not bar!”

Laden with disapproving disbelief, my eyeballs automatically ached. “You're joking.”

He fixed an expression that said he was serious.

I chuckled. “Okay, but I know you at least have a little whiskey kicking around. Do me a solid and fetch it for me, will you? It's been a hell of a day.” My pocket vibrated. I checked the number. “And I don't think it's going to get any better.”

I was expecting to eventually get a tongue lashing from Tee, but to have the president of the whole club call... Whiskey or no, this wasn't a call that I had the luxury of being unavailable for.

“Hey pres,” I answered, mustering up as much cheer as I could. Roach started to protest, but I frowned at him and motioned for him to leave.

Poet's voice was calm with confident authority. “You want to explain to me what happened tonight?”

“Not much to say, really.” Verbally shuffling was habitual. Being roundabout and vague was how I navigated all the heavy stuff in my life. “I'm sure Repo must've filled you in on most of it.” I turned my back on Roach as he entered the kitchen.

“Repo wasn't the only person to call me,” Poet replied ominously. “Tell me what happened after he left.”

“I stuck around to play some cards, but they didn't much like that I won. There was a little scuffle, nothing crazy. Once I took what was rightfully mine, I left. No bodies, though, I promise.”

Poet had a way of sharpening silence to a fine edge. “Just a little scuffle?”

“Yeah, mostly.” As soon as it left my mouth, I knew that it wouldn't be enough. I shook my head and followed up with the other half of the story. “There was also this girl.”

“With you, there always is. Can you grasp just how badly you fucked up tonight?”

“We had our disagreements, yeah, but I'm telling you... Lucky, he's a real asshole. You know how it goes, guys trying to make a name for themselves.” I tried to play the whole thing down as much as possible.

“Why is it that my enforcer was having disagreements in the first place? You were there as back up, that was it.”

I squeezed the phone harder. “I know, but I think the Knights are pushing more than just drugs and whores. At the very least they're running transportation gigs for a human trafficking ring. Maybe it goes deeper than that, and I know which side the Veins fall on when it comes to assholes like these.”

“You have any evidence to support those claims?” The sharpness in his tone made my cell receiver uncomfortably hot.

“It was mostly Lucky's tone and attitude. I think he has a partner, too. It's fucked, Poet. The Knights are goddamned animals, you should see the state of some of these girls. They—”

“His attitude?” Poet roared. “Your wounded pride jeopardized the lives of a hundred of our guys!”

I kept quiet. Few people could shut me up, and the president was one of them.

Remy Poet Daniels was the most dangerous man I'd ever met. For a while, the Steel Veins lost their way. Poet was the man who stepped up and ripped out all the weeds, something now referred to as the 'changing of the guard.' Poet brought this club back to the roots it was founded on. Because of that, I have nothing but respect for the man.

“You're a selfish prick, Ronin. You've never seen nor cared about the bigger picture, and that's why I fucking sent you! Do you have any idea how many guys we cut loose after the old guard was removed? Our membership has been cut down to almost half. We don't have the manpower to support your fucking sad conscience. The Steel Veins can't afford a war with the Knights, at least not right now. For the good of the club we had to call an emergency vote.”