Page 85 of Vengeance

Am I really doing this? Again?

Letting out a deep breath, Lex says, “I do. It’s a loose plan that you guys will have to work out specifics, but I think it could work. Unless you have a better idea, but I honestly don’t think whatever you have planned right now will get you very far. Something fishy is happening with the RIO, and you’re feeling the brunt of it. You have to take action, or... or you might as well just disband because you’ll be left with nothing when this is all said and done.”

Derek looks at her, and Lex likes his calm demeanor. It’s contagious, and she settles down a bit. “What makes you think this plan will work?”

“Everything you have in the works is semi-complicated, right? You have to try and coordinate with your friends over in Russia, and you have no insight or control over the outcome. My plan is going old school. Simple but effective. So simple it’s probably unexpected and nothing they have a plan of defense against.”

“You’re back,” Psycho says.

Lex shakes her head, her hair smacking her in the face. “No, I’m not. But if we don’t take action soon, we’re going to have deaths on our hands. One of them might be mine, and I’m not going to sit around and wait. It’s not my style, and I’m really hoping if you don’t agree with my plan, it’ll spark something else because we have to act. Tomorrow.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Griffin’s Beach

Jennings

They wait for Lex and Colt to walk out of the Chapel before they decide to discuss the idea she brought to them. As soon as the door shuts, he looks at Psycho who smirks.

“What?”

“That’s our girl,” Psycho says. “She can say she’s not back, but she came up with an idea-”

“A vague idea that may or may not be able to come to fruition,” Derek says. “I like her, and I know how important she is to everyone, but I don’t want us to get our hopes up that this brings her back to the level she once was. There was a wall up still.”

Jennings finds his intuitive read on Lex impressive, and Derek’s right. “It’s more self-preservation than anything.”

“But at least she came to us,” Psycho argues.

“And she could have gone to Brock with her thought about Christian, but she went to Grayson. She may not have bothered to come here today if Scarface hadn’t been outside,” TK says. “She chose Grayson over Brock. Over the club.”

Leaning back, the Black Valley President shakes his head. “I choose to believe we’re getting her back.”

“Let’s talk about the idea,” VP says, and the disappointment is unmistakable. “I know she’s my daughter, and it may make me biased, but I think there’s merit to it.”

“I do, too. Assuming we can make it work and have the connections to do so,” TK says.

Fox rests his elbows on the table and drums his fingers on the top. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” TK asks. “What are you unsure of?”

“She wasn’t lying when she said it was old school. But is it too old school?”

“It might be just what’s needed,” Psycho says.

Everyone looks at Jennings, but he surprises even himself when he says, “I’d like to hear Derek’s take on it.”

The man takes a deep breath and leans back in his seat, mirroring Psycho. They’re two sides of the same coin. “If we have the resources capable and willing to do this, I think it could work. It would get the job done, and if we get the Irish to reach out to the RIO for a truce, we stand a better chance at keeping the Russians on our good side. Which means they may be more willing to make a deal with us. If we don’t have anyone capable, well, that’s kind of a moot point, then.”

Jennings stands and walks to the door. Opening it, he looks around the room. “Army Five, can we talk to you? And Gunner.”

West, York, Beckett, Patriot, Mack, and Gunner shrug and walk into the room. Shep stands up. “What the fuck is this?”

“Just... give us a few minutes, and we’ll talk all together,” Jennings assures.

“What’s up?” Patriot asks and looks around the room.

“We have a question,” Psycho says.

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