Page 10 of Bound by Passion (Ravage MC)

He wasn’t timid. We had a mutual understanding. He turned a blind eye to our shit, and we let him live. See mutually beneficial.

Months ago, his wife got into Ravage business, and had to admit, the man handled it exceptionally well. It was why we knew he could be trusted. That being said, this meeting sent up all my red flags. Not for him, but for whatever information he was about to impart on us.

“Cruz.” Mayor Corbon held out his hand, and our President took it, giving it a strong shake. I kept my eyes moving all around the building just to make sure nothing was lurking where it shouldn’t be. It was a harsh habit of this life, but it was second nature.

“What’cha got for me?” Cruz asked, and Mayor Corbon didn’t delay, holding out the folder for Cruz to take.

Cruz opened it as the Mayor explained. “Harold Runerband. Our new governor as of three months ago. He contacted me directly yesterday about the ‘gang violence’,” he held up his fingers in quotes, “in Sumner. How it’s the highest even compared to Atlanta.”

“Bullshit,” Cooper clipped. “We don’t have gang violence in Sumner.”

“I call bullshit too. College Park is rated number one in Georgia. We keep the crime out of Sumner,” I added in. “Sumner is Ravage, plain and simple.”

“Know that,” the mayor responded. “Means he’s got an ax to grind here in Sumner, and I’m thinking it has to do with you, considering…”

Cruz held up a piece of paper, reading it quickly. “You’re fuckin’ shittin’ me. A new Chief. Not a fuckin’ cop but a full out Chief.”

A Chief? That was high up on the police food chain.

And an outsider.

“Why?” GT asked, stepping forward to take the paper from Cruz’s outstretched hand, glanced at it, and handed it off to Cooper.

“He didn’t say anything about crime while running for office. Just recently his political spiel is he wants to clean up crime and is putting special measures in order to get rid of all gangs.”

“We’re a fuckin’ club,” GT growled low.

The mayor waved his arm in the air. “Gang. Club. He doesn’t give a shit. The only thing we have in Sumner is Ravage. It has to be you or someone affiliated. He wants you gone. Do you know him? Have a beef with him? I don’t want this fucker or his chief in my city, yet it’s happening.”

“Don’t know ’em, but he’ll have a rude awakening if he fucks with us,” Cruz answered.

“Chief Thompson’s got the backing in the governor himself. Tread lightly. He has the power to bring the National Guard to Sumner, and we sure as shit don’t want that,” the mayor put in and held his hands up. “Know you guys can handle your business. Just don’t wanna see everything go to shit and blow up in all of our faces. Figured you have more connections to find out what the real agenda is here. Passing on the information.”

“What else ya got?” Cruz asked, taking the paper back from Cooper and putting it in the file and then holding it up. “There’s just this? The names?”

“That’s all he emailed me. Told me he’d get in contact a day or two before he comes to town, but gotta tell ya. I don’t believe a word that comes out of his slick as fuck mouth. So this guy could already be here. I’ve warned the station he’d be comin’ to town, but that’s all I know right now.”

“We still have the force on our side, right?” Nox asked.

The mayor shrugged. “At this point, I don’t know what the fuck is going on. When I know something, I’ll let you know. Didn’t see this comin’. I played the political game and had no foresight to this, so you have better resources than me right now.”

Cruz held out his hand to the mayor, and he took it. “Thanks for lettin’ us know. I’ll send over a burner phone for you to use to contact us. Got it?”

They released hands. “Got it. Wish I had better fucking news, but ’fraid not. Don’t know how we’re gonna navigate this one.”

“We’ll deal with it,” Cruz told him, and Mayor Corbon nodded.

“I’m headin’ out.” He lifted his chin as he walked past all of us and out the door. Once it shut, Cruz started issuing orders. This was what he did best, assess the problem and assign tasks to end the mission. His days in the Marines served him well, and in turn Ravage couldn’t be in better hands. I would walk through hell and back for this man or any other brother.

“Call Micah and Deke. Get them on this shit while we make our way back to the clubhouse. Then I want a briefing. Every fucking thing these two do, I want to know. We need a fuckin’ plan, and time’s ticking. Back to the clubhouse now.”

Cruz handed the folder to me. Which surprised me considering the senior tech guy here was my father. But my father just lifted his chin at me, a small smirk playing on his lip. Guess he was passing on the torch.

Considering Micah and Deke were at the clubhouse, it appeared as though I was joining that team.

I was damn good at finding shit out. Folding the folder, I put it inside my cut and followed my brothers back to the clubhouse.

Something told me we all needed to be fast on this one because if we didn’t get ahead of it, it would end up destroying the Ravage MC. No way in fuck I’d let that happen.

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