Page 53 of Viper

“It would cause quite a stir,” I agree with a smirk. “Now what the hell is going on with this whole key and Dagger business?”

The sobers him and he sighs, easing back, but not away. “Again, before I tell you, you need to understand that you can’t talk about it with anyone. Not even Sadie, because it’s club business. You being mine means you get to know, as do all the other Old Ladies downstairs, but no one else.”

I frown at that, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. “I won’t tell her,” I promise him. I don’t often keep secrets from her, but I also know she’ll understand if she finds out about it later.

He nods, taking me at my word. “The club has been having some problems with the Russian mafia who have decided to set up shop in our city.” I stare at him in shock. The mafia? What the fuck? “One of our former brothers, he turned out to be a mole for them and was telling them information about our club and it’s past to help them further their operation, while also keeping us in the dark that they’re here. Mostly because they know we’re not going to stand for it. We only found out because Sage was taking pictures and she happened to catch one–or so they suspected–of the mafia leader talking to our former brother, though we didn’t know it was him at the time. It set off a chain of events and it’s been going ever since. The problem is they are going after our women to get to us, and now that could include you if they realize you’re connected to us. Which is why we wanted to get you all out of the restaurant earlier. The longer they don’t know about you, the better.”

Holy shit. In a million years, I would never have suspected that, but at the same time, the pieces are starting to come together. “And that’s who you think was meeting with the Judge? The local leader?”

He nods. “Though, it’s not the same guy. All I can tell you is the former leader is dead, and was replaced by someone new, and he is just as bad, if not worse, as the previous one.”

“But they go after the women? They can’t be successful since they’re all still here, though, right?”

“Every single one of them has been a target. Sage was taken, but thankfully with Syn and her dog’s help, we were able to find her before anything terrible happened. Izzy was drugged and almost killed with a lethal injection by our mole on the orders of the former leader, but she survived thanks to the fact that Rose found her right away. Quinn was taken, but we found her. And Syn, her business was targeted, but one of her dogs got hurt in the process. But by far the worst was when Quinn and Shadow were still getting to know each other, our mole tried to take out the SUV that Izzy, Rose, and Sage were all riding in ahead of their men, and the SUV almost took out Bullet too. It was the closest we had ever come to losing them.”

I gasp at that. “But they lived obviously.”

He nods. “But it was touch and go for a bit. Rose and Bullet still are in pain at times, even though they don’t show it. Physical therapy was hard, but they did it and are mostly back to normal now.”

“Wow, I’d never know to look at her.”

He smiles. “She’s damn good at hiding it. So is Bullet, but it really shook them to think that they almost lost each other.”

“And this mole, I have to assume it was Dagger?” He nods, his lip thinning angrily. “And he hid things around the clubhouse?”

“We thought we found everything,” Viper admits. “But the bastard was far more clever than we thought and we keep finding more. But it also connects back to you.” I arch a brow, uncertain how that could be. “Dagger gave the mafia information from back when the club was under old leadership and was involved in a lot of bad shit. Turns out it was his father, the club’s former president, who had secrets and things kept from the rest of the club, and when he died, he sent the evidence away with Dagger’s mother. She gave it to Dagger, and now we’re in this mess, because Dagger sold that information to the Russians, who are using it against us. They’re basically operating in this town like a bunch of ghosts.”

It’s such a convoluted story that it should be hard to believe, but at the same time, I’ve seen the worst of the worst in court, so I shouldn’t be. “And you’re trying to stop them,” I summarize.

He nods. “We want them gone. We’re a legit MC, so don’t think we’re trying to take over. Bullet and Hammer, a former brother who died in the midst of this mess, worked hard to get the club out of that kind of life, resulting in the club having an internal war. But they did it, and ever since, they’ve kept it that way, and none of us want it to go back. But that doesn’t mean we’re always on the right side of the law. Will that cause problems with your work?”

I shake my head. “I’m only a court reporter. I’m not held to the same standards as the judge or lawyers. I’m mostly in the background and if there is ever a case that involves you or your club, I wouldn’t be able to sit in on it.”

He nods. “Which brings us back to the other thing we need to talk about,” he says grimly. “And I know it’s asking a lot, and I want to make sure you understand I’m not entirely on board with this, but it needs to be your decision.”

“Okay,” I say carefully. I have a feeling I’m not going to like this question.

“We need you to consider letting us, or at least me, know when our names or club comes up in a court case or for a warrant. We have a feeling Judge Brown won’t be the only judge involved, and that means we want to stay on top of any kind of corruption that’s coming our way. But we can’t do that if we aren’t warned, which is where we need your help.”

Fuck. That’s exactly the kind of question I was hoping he wasn’t going to ask.

TWENTY

VIPER

I’m going to work hard to make her realize that she’s perfect for me exactly how she is.

Her face instantly goes blank at my question, and she nudges at me to roll off her. I do it, despite that I want to hold her tight and keep her in my arms, under me. But I also don’t want to end this conversation with my dick or balls paying the price, so I ease back and watch her. I also don’t try to fill the silence. She won’t appreciate it, and she’ll probably ignore me anyway.

“You want me to break the law, potentially put myself in the position to get fired and possibly jailed, to let you know when you or the club are in danger,” she summarizes slowly, carefully.

I sigh. “I know it sounds terrible?—”

“Understatement,” she interrupts tightly. “Do you realize what you’re asking me to do, Viper? If I didn’t meet you before all this shit and that you were pursuing me before yesterday, I would think that was all you wanted from me and this whole relationship idea was just to get an in with me.”

“I know I’m asking a lot,” I tell her. “And the club by extension. But I did tell them you might say no and we have to live with that. No one is going to pressure you, or ask you to do something you don’t want to do. We’ll figure out other ways, but they wanted me to ask you and I agreed I would.”

“So you’re saying that if I say no, and something happens, they’re not going to resent me?” she demands, a bit of anger leaking out in her voice.

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