Page 12 of The Afterthought

"This isn't something one of the other guys can do?"

"I don't want any of the other guys knowing who he is. I can't risk word getting out and the Cobras swooping in to take him from us. We need this, Grey."

"Is there something else going on that I'm not aware of? Why would one deal be a make-or-break thing? We have enough of a stronghold to keep the Cobras out of our territory," I say.

Knox sighs and puts his feet down on the ground. He scoots into the desk and places his elbows on it with his hands clasped in front of him. "We lost a big client to the Cobras last week. I didn't want to make a big deal about it because I knew I had this lined up, and I think I can get them back. If this doesn't go well, we could really be in trouble though. Alec has been pushing his men closer and closer to our territory. Without the strong backing this client brings in, we may lose our edge to them."

I run a hand through my hair. "Fuck, you should have told me."

"Look, Greyson, I know you've done well over the last few years. You've more than earned everyone’s respect, but the Crimson Rose is my responsibility. I am not obligated to disclose everything to you. You're important to the organization. You provide a specialty to your torture that nobody has been able to match thus far, but that doesn't mean you're privy to all the information."

Leave it to Knox to put me back in my place and make me feel worthless. I've always had to live in his damn shadow. "Understood," I tell him, not wanting to even bother wasting my breath. He's right. He is the leader of the Crimson Rose. I have no desire to lead this crew anyway.

"Good, now that we've got that all squared away, here are the details of the meetup. You will meet with him tomorrow near the coffee shop in town and follow him to the nearby park. Once he knows for sure that you are alone, he will ask you for the bag, and you will hand it over to him. Make sure he knows that we will be professional and discreet about his business. And for the love of fuck do not say or do anything that would make him want to back out of a deal with us." He sits back in his chair and stares me down.

"I can handle it. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"You may be a bit surprised by who shows up."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Who am I meeting?" I ask, concern lacing my tone.

"Just make sure you're on your best behavior. This is important, Greyson. Do not fuck this up."

"Relax. I've got it under control." I'm not really sure why he's being such a whiny bitch about this.

"One more thing. Your ex-girlfriend. The one who used to come over to the house all the time before you officially joined the gang. She's back in Dune Valley." He pauses to take in my expression and get a read on me. I don't give him anything to go off of. I manage to keep my face blank.

"And?" I question.

He eyes me cautiously. "Is this going to be a problem?"

"Why would it be a problem? I haven't seen her in seven years." The defensiveness in my tone seeps through.

"Yeah, but you also haven't had another serious partner since she left. Why did she leave anyway?" he asks, not knowing that she left because of me. I ended things, not her.

"Does it really fucking matter why she left? My dating life is not your concern. I've never let it get in the way of business before, and I'm not about to start now. I haven't been with anyone because I don't fucking want to be with anyone."

He throws his hands up, laughing at how annoyed I am. "Don't shoot the messenger. I just wanted to make sure she wouldn't be an issue."

"She's not an issue," I state plainly. "She doesn't mean anything to me."

"Good. So, tomorrow. Get this taken care of for me, and I'll get you that fancy new shed we talked about."

I raise a brow at him. I've been asking him to find me a place to torture my victims for years. All of the gang's usual businesses are too flammable to risk me using a blowtorch in them, so doing all my work outside has had to suffice. It really limits my abilities, considering Mother Nature isn't always on my side. I've been itching to have a place for myself, and this is finally my chance.

"I'll get it done." I nod briefly and then stand up to make my way back to the car. Tomorrow will be easy. I'll get it done and finally have my nice new torture shed because of it.

Chapter 7

Avalynn

It’s early, too early, but I'm happy this little shit town actually has a small coffee shop now. This is one of the few uncomplicated things to come from this week. Between Chloe and my quickly draining savings account, I really need to get it together and figure out my finances. I hate the idea of getting a concrete job here. The reality is, if I'm staying for a few months, I might as well have a steady income.

I bet one of the local bars is looking for a bartender. Drunk assholes aren't my favorite people to deal with, but it beats being a server. At least in a bar, I can tell people to fuck off without being at risk of losing my job. I make a mental note to make the effort to go talk to the bar owners. My PI work isn’t going to be bursting with possibilities here. I doubt the people of this town want someone snooping around in their business. I had to ditch the last job I was doing in Massachusetts to come back. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and someone will reach out with something relatively close to town.

I grab the ponytail from my wrist and tie up my hair. I hate how it feels when it rubs along the back of my neck sometimes. My roots have started to grow in, and the brown at the top of my scalp is more visible than I'd like. I just don't have the extra cash to buy the dye to freshen it up right now. Another reason I need to get a more permanent job.

I feel a sudden urge to look over my shoulder and see a familiar ghost cross my path. He doesn't notice me because he's focused on something else, but there he is—the man who broke me all those years ago. My stomach sinks at the sight of him. He looks so much different than before, but there's no mistake—it's Greyson.

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