Page 55 of Snake

The spin from half-drunk man-child to calculating titan of industry was so sudden, Autumn practically had whiplash.

“Okay,” she relented. She found a place to turn around and took her employer directly to the natural habitat of the Night Horde MC, where Autumn had never been, and where they were not expected.

That was sure to go over well.

Chapter Thirteen

Kalina strolled over with a fresh bottle of Bud. By the shape of her smile, Cox could tell what she wanted; he moved his hands and made a clear path to his lap. She perched on a thigh as she handed him his drink.

“Thanks, Kal.”

She welcomed him with a wry air kiss.

The Hall was crowded this evening. They’d just had another session in the Keep, getting an update on the various messes making up their current shitstorm, and most of the old ladies, daughters, and club girls had taken on the job of making everything else around the patches as calm and pleasant as possible. A big meal was in the works, and the aroma of spicy meat covered up the usual faint reek of ripe farts, stale beer, weed smoke, and BO that made the clubhouse ambiance.

It finally looked like the shitstorm was abating. Ben Kellogg, who worked as an on-call county coroner as well as a mortician, had produced a death certificate for Gary Prentiss that made cardiac arrest his official cause of death. The club had paid for his funeral, and they’d come to terms with his widow. Leigh was not in a state of mind to be gracious about the situation, but she appeared to be resigned to it—and the club was already at work making improvements at her place. They didn’t want to give her any time to question the deal she’d made before she saw its fruits.

Tommy was still in the hospital, he’d gotten an infection that was delaying his discharge, but he was coming through that setback and expected to make a full recovery—after several weeks of recuperation at home. Getting that stubborn ass to stay in his bed once he was home had been one of the items on tonight’s agenda. They were setting up a Tommy-sitting schedule.

Cox was of the opinion that their SAA was a grown-ass man and it was on him if he pushed himself too hard, but that had been one of those ‘hot takes.’

They still had no idea who had ransacked Abigail’s property; Dom and Bart had hit several walls in their search. Abigail had been little help; she insisted she didn’t have beef with anyone, and no one had been so unkind to her she’d expect them to do more than say ugly words.

For the huge trouble that nasty joy ride had caused, all the Horde were deeply committed to solving the mystery. They’d almost lost Tommy, they’d killed a man in his own home and now had his widow on their perpetual dole, and they were still in the dark over who’d actually fucked with Abigail.

Kalina drew her fingers through Cox’s hair. He tipped his head away from that too-cozy touch.

“Hey,” she said. “Y’okay? You’re frownin’ like you mean to kill that spot in the middle of the air.”

Sitting on one end of the sofa nearest Cox’s armchair, Darwin laughed. “Cox’s got resting murder face, Kal, you know that.”

Izzy, the club girl snugged up at Darwin’s side, under his arm, laughed too. “It’s pretty hot.”

Darwin put a comedic performance of outrage on his face. “What am I, then?”

“You’re hot, too,” Izzy assured him, tucking her fingers into the V-neck of his black t-shirt. “You look like murder everywhere, but then you’re all sweet on the inside.”

Darwin grinned and kissed her.

Cox blinked and erased whatever expression he’d been wearing. “Just thinkin’.”

“What about?” Badger asked, coming to take a seat in the armchair facing Cox’s.

Not interested in sharing his unproductive thoughts, Cox shook the president’s question off.

Just then, a slant of summer sunset cut through the Hall. Cox noticed because it caught Kalina directly in the face, and she flinched and blocked her eyes. All the patches and most of the family were already here; Cox looked over his shoulder to see who’d come in.

Badger stood at once and headed toward the front.

Cox stayed put, as did Darwin, but they were both focused in the same direction, trying to see who’d come in and determine if they were needed. There were too many people in the way at first, but those who were also turned toward the front stopped and shifted enough Cox quickly had a clear sightline.

A man, a complete stranger to him, had walked into the Night Horde’s home. He wore an obviously expensive suit and had an obviously expensive haircut for his thick sweep of dark hair. His complexion had that smooth bronze sheen that only wealthy people who spent a lot of time outdoors—on golf courses, ski slopes, and yachts—got. Farmers and workmen turned leathery, but billionaires got shiny. And his teeth were blindingly white. Cox knew this because the fool was grinning like he’d won a prize.

“Who the f—" Cox started, then stopped because Shiny Rich Suit had come into the room enough that Cox saw the little redhead accompanying him. Autumn Rooney.

She was wearing one of her Going to Work Barbie outfits, a suit with a snug jacket and slacks, this one in a greenish-blue color, and, of course, a ridiculously tall pair of black heels. Her hair was loose but caught back with a pair of sunglasses. Whatever else that woman was, she was fucking beautiful.

That annoying cramp tightened his chest, but he ignored it.

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