Page 44 of Beautiful Unity

“Damn. That’s hot,” Grayson said, shifting himself.

“Dude! Keep it in your pants. You’ve already tortured me for hours,” Brooks said, slapping Grayson’s arm. “Let’s return to bed or we’ll be falling asleep in enemy territory, and I’d rather not make it that easy for them.” He pushed Grayson off the bed with his foot. Pretty Boy fell onto the floor sputtering as we laughed. “I’m kicking you to the other room now. Go. You’ve had your reward. My turn.”

“Rude. But fine.” He stood and stomped off toward the open door. “I need to do my night routine anyway.”

Kissing Darcie, I left the room and shut the door. Tonight, we’d attend Stanley’s “surprise” meeting incognito and figure out what the hell was going on with the Mavericks. The return of someone had me on edge, and I wasn’t sure we shouldn’t be more prepared to deal with shit tonight instead of only gathering information. But until we knew more, I’d keep my suspicion to myself.

We were in disguises again with borrowed patches to blend in. It felt wrong to wear them, but it was the only way we could gain entrance. I scratched my beard, my hand pausing when I touched the unfamiliar hair. It was harder to change my beard than hair, and I refused to shave it or dye it. Darcie had talked me into gluing a beard over it. A beard wig. What the fuck was my life?

Smiling, I checked where everyone stood. The meeting took place in a large warehouse on the outskirts of town. If I had to guess, this was where they kept their product. It was close to the interstate and hidden. There were two other warehouses in the compound, and they had a lot more traffic coming and going than seemed reasonable.

We’d camped across the street for a few hours, and bikes and trucks had been entering and exiting for hours. More suspiciously, the trucks left lower than they’d been going in. Brooks took a few pictures for Agent Bones, hoping to appease him until we knew more. The license plates were changed as well, confirming they didn’t want to be tracked.

An hour ago, the trucks had stopped, and bikes took over. They’d poured in, and I lost count after one hundred. If shit went sideways tonight, we’d have a harder time getting out of here alive.

I had to curb my urge to haul Darcie back to the hotel room.

Not only would she not appreciate it, but it wasn’t who she was. If I tried to change her, it would ruin our love, and I’d rather worry about her than ever do that.

“I don’t like the look of this,” Grayson murmured. We’d split into pairs, with Maddox on lookout and getaway since he was the most likely to be noticed. Darcie had donned her male disguise again, hoping to fly under the radar. Tiny, Mack, and the other guys from MCD we’d met last night were among the crowd. Grayson and I had taken the upper portion to give us a better view of the layout. We’d have a more challenging time escaping, but we could ensure everyone else did. It was a calculated risk I’d been willing to take.

I ignored Grayson, hoping he’d take the hint and focus. The crowd had grown denser and rowdier as the night went on. The men of this MC were the type of men we wanted nothing to do with. Looking at them, I could see the cruelty in their eyes. They wielded fear like a weapon and used it to get what they wanted, even against each other.

That wasn’t a brotherhood.

I had to hope that the Mavericks could return to their former glory once the Diamonds were gone.

“Is it weird that I still find her hot as hell dressed as a guy? My dick doesn’t seem to care.”

I rolled my eyes at him, again choosing not to answer. This was what Grayson did—talk nonstop. The less I encouraged it, the better off we’d be.

The crowd of leather-clad men grew rowdier up front, and I listened to the guys beside us. “What do you think it means he’s back? I heard he’d been undercover. Something to do with that slut.”

Instantly, I went on alert and scanned the crowd to find Darcie. She was still with Brooks, and Tiny was close by. My heart rate picked up, and I wondered what it meant and who this guest was. Cheers rang out as two men stepped through the door. I didn’t know who the younger guy was, but there was no doubt the older man was who we were sent to bring down—Stanley Driscoll, aka Agonizer.

Power oozed out of him, commanding the obedience of everyone near him. There was a slimy feel about him despite his country club look. Bike chic? Yeah, it didn’t work. His smile was a little too perfect, his face a little too cutting. But the way his eyes swept the room sent chills down my spine. They were too all-knowing, filled with malice and greed. They took the measure of a man in an instant, knowing his weakness and how to manipulate it to his benefit.

The coldness they held was terrifying. This wasn’t a man but a monster.

In my assessment of Stanley, I’d taken my eyes off the other man. So when Agonizer held up his hands to quiet the crowd, I blinked in shock.

“Sorry for the delay, but I know you’ll forgive me when you hear why.” He smiled, and the crowd whooped and hollered. “It’s good to be back in Jackson. Not only do I have my son returning back to his rightful place at my side, but we’re taking our club to the next level.”

More cheers and shouting. He smiled, eating it up.

“Now, the reason we were late. I have a gift for y’all. Son?”

He turned to the younger man, and I instantly knew who he was. Chase. The man Darcie believed she’d killed. My relief for her was short-lived when I realized who Chase held in his grip. His face was bloodied and bruised, but there was no doubt the man beaten to a pulp was none other than Hank.

Fuck.

Diary #14

Dear Dad,

I love you.

I regret not telling you that last time I saw you.

---