Page 86 of Filthy Hot

I sink down on the edge of the sofa and gently shake Kyle's shoulder in an effort to wake her up. Her eyelids flutter open, and her eyes find mine as her lips curve up into a smile. I feel like a fucking asshole for waking her up. She should be asleep in bed, but I’m selfish, and I can’t be away from her yet.

“Can you go out to the bar? I need to have a meeting, but you can’t be in it. I can see you from the conference room.”

With a yawn, she nods her head a couple of times, then pushes herself up to a seated position. “I can do that,” she says, her voice raspy and growly with sleep. It’s sexy as fuck.

Unable to control myself, I lean forward and touch my mouth to hers in a brief kiss. “Thanks, baby,” I murmur against her lips.

A few moments later, I have her set up at the bar, where I have a perfect view of her from the conference table, just as Albert makes his way into the room. He’s not as old as I thought he would be. I imagined him almost feeble, but he’s probably the same age as Nash, in his mid- to late fifties.

After quick introductions, Albert and his right-hand man are both ushered into the conference room, where we typically hold church. King, Atomic, Nash, Brew, and Clink all join Albert and his man, Tony.

“Where is my grandson?” Albert asks before Atomic can say a word.

I almost ask which one, but I know he’s been told about Talon already, so I decide not to be a smartass and rub salt into the wound—but I really want to. I still might before the day is over. If Xavier was telling the truth, this fucker is part of the goddamn problem.

“He’s safe,” Atomic murmurs. “But it seems as though you need to sit down and have a conversation with us.”

“A conversation?” he asks, attempting to be clueless.

Nash snorts, obviously not believing his act, just like the rest of us. Atomic turns to look at Nash and dips his chin, giving him the floor. This is more his terrain. At least it was before he retired from his position here and moved down south.

“A conversation,” Nash repeats. “Why do you want to try and take over Texas? What is your purpose other than human trafficking? You want to do that shit, stay in Louisiana. We are not going to let you come in here and consume all that is Texas.”

“Why the fuck do you care?” Albert asks.

Nash’s lips twitch into a smirk. “Because Texas is not yours to have in any capacity.”

“It’s called expansion,” Albert snaps.

I watch as Nash’s eyes widen at the tone Albert has used with him. I’ve never heard anyone use a tone quite that harsh with our former president. He’s one of the most respected men in the one-percenter community.

“You can call it whatever you want, but that’s not what the fuck it is. It’s an invasion. Your men are kidnapping our women. You’re kidnapping business owners in an attempt to scare them. It’s cowardly bullshit, and you know it.”

Albert’s jaw sets hard. He does not want to be called a coward, and I don’t blame him, but also, fuck them and fuck him. Flicking my gaze to the window, I check on Kyle. One of the clubwhores, Vixen, is sitting beside her, and I frown at the sight of them talking to one another.

I don’t like that shit at all.

Clearing my throat, I try to shift my attention back to Albert, but I can’t help but wonder what the fuck Vixen is telling Kyle. Granted, Xavier gave her a mouthful, and most of it she already knew, but we haven’t talked about the clubwhores, and she hasn’t asked, either. I was kind of hoping I would never have to confess any of it to her.

“What do you want out of this?” Nash asks. “Because you won’t get Texas. Not a fucking square inch of it.”

Albert’s face relaxes, and I wonder if it’s because he’s accepted the defeat. I don’t ask him. Instead, I watch and wait for whatever it is he’s going to try and spew. I know that whatever he says, it’s going to be partial bullshit because he’s done nothing but lie since Nash called him.

“I want Talon’s body, and I want Albie alive.”

Loner’s name is Albert, named after his grandfather, and I don’t know why, but that bothers me. This whole thing does. It’s all been too easy. The war was too simple, killing the Southern Mafia men far too fucking easy, capturing and holding the women… all of it.

There is something bigger going on. I just can’t put my finger on it. I can’t ask either. It’s not my place, but I wouldn’t even know what to ask to get any kind of straight answer. I don’t think he’s going to be offering those up.

“What are your terms?” Albert asks.

The balls on this asshole are ginormous.

“The terms are, you do whatever the fuck you want in Louisiana, but you do not fuck with Texas. You also don’t fuck with anything remotely related to the Dark Horse MC.”

I know that Albert has heard what he wants to hear because his lips curve up into a grin. “Now, that’s going to be a problem,” he murmurs. “Because you’re driving shit from onedistribution center to another all the way to the southern border of Louisiana. You’re in my state.”

There it is.

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