Page 166 of Sweet Temptation

Blazer smiled, and it was truly sinister when the guy smiled. Kinda like the stockbroker next door who turned out to be a serial killer. I was getting the picture that the Kings’ idea of afternoon tea involved something akin to breakfast with the Sopranos.

“One of their former prospects,” Blazer informed me, “managed to cough up the fact that Sanchuk is a patched member of the Bloody Bastards MC.”

Okay… This was not good news, in any universe.

“‘Former’ prospect?” I asked.

“Former as in he’s recently been relieved of his patch,” Piper said.

Which meant the Sinners had kicked him out of their club.

Maybe the Kings had insisted on it, as a step toward making amends for letting Sanchuk get near them?

“You trust this intel?” I asked him.

“Yup.”

“Apparently, Sanchuk made this prospect all kinds of promises he probably can’t back up,” Blazer said. “Involving a supply chain from down south.”

I studied Piper. “How could you not know this?”

“We know it now,” he said, in that warning tone of his. The one that told me to back the fuck off before I pissed him off.

“I’d assume the Bloody Bastards aren’t allowed on Kings turf?” I pressed anyway.

Piper’s jaw flexed.

“Sanchuk’s been here under the radar,” Blazer supplied. “Now that he’s on the radar… he’s not welcome.”

“Let me guess.” I looked from Piper to Blazer and back. “You all can’t find him to give him that message.”

“Rest assured,” Piper said, “he already knows.”

“He’ll stick his head up somewhere,” Blazer added, picking at his nails like he was already bored as fuck of this conversation.

“Bastards have been tryin’ to push up into our territory for years now,” Piper informed me, “sniffin’ around. Sanchuk is one of their little rats. They recruit these losers, patch them in, promise them whatever, and have them doin’ their dirty work, spying on us.”

“But here’s the best part,” Blazer added. “When shit goes sideways for them, they’ve got no protection from the Bastards up here.”

“Sounds dirty as shit,” I said.

“Yup,” Piper agreed. “That’s the Bastards way.”

“Hey. That could be their slogan,” Blazer mused. “Bloody Bastards: dirty as shit.”

Piper smirked. “Maybe we’ll tattoo that on Sanchuk’s ass when we find him. Great idea, Ronan.”

“I hate to ask,” I said, interrupting their dark comedy routine. “But what do you imagine any of this has to do with Summer?”

“I dunno,” Piper said. “Maybe Sanchuk picked up on Dirty’s connection to the Kings? Maybe he saw my boy Haz with Ashley Player, and he was hopin’ to supply the Players? Grab himself some status in the local scene? Maybe he thought Summer was the easiest target.”

I considered that, not loving it at all.

“She did say he offered meth to some of her friends,” I admitted.

“Maybe he wants to see who’s buyin’,” Piper said, still studying me. “And who they normally buy from.”

I was afraid he might be right, though it still didn’t feel like all the pieces fit.

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