Page 48 of Filthy Hot

“Listen, Bren,” I begin. “You and the other girls go home. I’ll call you when the bar is open again.”

“So, it’s closed?” she asks on a whisper. “And Kyle?”

I don’t know what to tell her. But instead of lying to her, I decide to give her as much of the truth as I can without worrying her. The last thing I need is a bunch of strippers on my ass about this, not when I’m trying to figure it out myself.

“She’s fine,” I lie.

Physically, she seemed okay by the video footage Talon showed me, but I don’t know when that was taken. I don’t know if she’s really safe. I don’t know anything, and that pisses me off.

I tell Bren not to worry again, then turn to Atomic. Clink is standing next to him, his head dipped as he murmurs something. I don’t bother attempting to eavesdrop. Not when I can just ask or get him to tell me without even asking.

“That was Bren. It seems as though none of the other girls have been taken,” I announce. “Also, we’re sitting ducks standing here with our thumbs up our asses.”

“Agreed,” Atomic states.

Clink takes a step toward me, and then he begins to speak, telling me what he was talking to Atomic about a few moments ago. I didn’t have to ask. I didn’t think I would, either. But I was willing to in case I needed to. I am not going into a damn thing blind, not when it comes to Kyle being in this situation.

“The girls in Shreveport wouldn’t talk… much.”

It’s the emphasizedmuchthat has me pause and take notice. He smiles, knowing that my interest is now piqued. King iswatching us as well. I can feel his gaze focused on our direction. I can’t look away from Clink, though. I want to know what these girls know.

“They knew that Kyle was being held in a house just over the Louisiana border but that she was moved. I don’t know how they knew. I didn’t ask. And on top of that, it’s clear this is all to get a foot in the Texas door.”

The Southern Mafia wants in on this, on what our state has to offer, in a way that is not going to fuckin happen. I don’t know if they’ve wrung their entire community dry, but they aren’t going to come here and cause destruction, not if I have anything to say about it.

And I fucking do have something to say about it.

So does Atomic. So does the entire Dark Horse MC.

We are not going to accept any of it. Not in the slightest.

“Are we ready to take care of shit?” I ask, flicking my gaze up to Atomic’s.

He jerks his chin but doesn’t verbally agree to anything. Instead, he smirks. “Sending a group text out. We have church immediately.”

Fuck. Yes.

Without another word, we all walk toward our bikes. I climb on, start my engine, but turn my head to look back at the house. I wonder if that fucker is watching me. I don’t see him through any of the windows, but I have no doubt his eyes are on me.

If he thinks I’m sleeping at all tonight, that I’m just going to lie down and take whatever he and his group are trying to force us into dishing, he’s got another thing coming. We will end this with Sal, Dennis, and, most importantly, Kyle home safely.

And I will end this with Kyle officially being my old lady.

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

GNAW

As soon asI pull up to the clubhouse, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. Before I even disengage from my bike, I tug the device out and glance at the screen. It’s a text notification.

It’s not what I expected. It’s King’s father, Nash. I had asked him to investigate Kyle for me because, obviously, I didn’t have the time to do it all myself and knew he would enjoy the research. He doesn’t give me any information in the text, though, just a simpleCall me.

That in itself is alarming. I’m not quite sure how to react to it. I’m going to call him before I go inside the clubhouse, but that doesn’t stop me from pausing as I think about what could come from this. And I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s nothing new.

Atomic is already inside of the clubhouse and no doubt setting up for church. But I can’t go into that meeting without talking to Nash first. I call him, then wait for him to pick up, which he thankfully does on the second ring.

“Gnaw,” he calls out.

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