Page 47 of Valley

“By now, you all know about the new videos that hit our ol’ ladies’ phones,” Patch growled. “Now they’ve all left us, refusing to come back until the sweet butts are gone.”

“I want the bastard responsible so fucking bad,” Leather spat, jumping to his feet so fast his chair slammed against the wall. He started pacing like a caged animal. “Aislynn’s stress could cause complications with the pregnancy.”

“This is a load of shit, that’s for sure,” Player said, looking like he hadn’t slept in days. “Randi won’t even talk to me.”

“Exactly the point,” Patch said, leaning back, his voice cold. “This is all designed to isolate us, to drive a wedge between us and our women.”

“You think it’s a setup to get them alone?” Midnight asked, his senses sharp.

“Yeah, I do,” Patch replied. “I’ve got Jonesy and Scotch watching the farmhouse. Only them and the people in this room have my trust right now.”

“What’s the plan, Patch?” Hillbilly asked, worry crossing his face. “I can’t stand being away from Daphne, but she’s not budging.”

“The sweet butts are packing their shit as we speak,” Patch said, looking around the room. “I gave them some cash and told them to hit the road.”

“Won’t that cause problems?” Vain asked, raising an eyebrow. “It didn’t go to a vote. Not that I give a damn if they’re here or not.”

“If anyone’s got a problem, they can vote me out,” Patch said, his voice like steel. “No woman is more important to me thanKatherine. Her and my kid are all I care about, and I want them back under my roof today.”

“I’m with you, let them go,” Leather said, still pacing, his fists clenching and unclenching. “I’m tired of Aislynn dealing with their bullshit. No matter how many times I tell those bitches to back off, they keep pushing, and it’s tearing her apart.”

Grunts of agreement sounded around the room, and Midnight added, “If you think about it, it’s pretty shitty to have to come here and see those women hanging around. We’d be pissed if the tables were turned.”

“Damn right. I can back that up,” Leather said, shooting Midnight a dirty look.

“Any sign of Johnny?” Patch asked, his eyes locking onto me and Midnight.

“Nothing,” we both answered in unison. “Did the cameras catch him leaving?”

“That’s the kicker,” Patch said, his jaw tightening. “Scotch says the cameras were all fuzzed out. Couldn’t see a damn thing. Whoever did this is one of our own.”

“Did the sweet butts spill anything?” Player asked, turning to Teach.

“Not a damn thing,” Teach replied, shaking his head. “Nobody knows anything, nobody saw anything.”

“I’ve got them under surveillance,” Patch said. “I hired Midnight’s brothers to tail them in case one of them’s involved.”

“What do you need from us?” I asked, my mind already racing.

“Dig and watch,” Patch ordered. “That’s all we can do for now. Something dangerous is brewing, and I don’t know how to stop it.”

“Maybe it’s not safe here for our women,” Player suggested. “What if this person got them out so they wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire?”

“Could be. I just don’t fucking know,” Patch said, frustration creeping into his voice. “Keep your eyes and ears open, and don’t let your woman out of your sight. Any new info comes straight to me. Now let’s move.”

As I straddled my bike, anger at the whole situation spilled over. I needed to talk to Madeline, to make her understand the danger she was in. She wasn’t safe right now, and I needed to be by her side.

Convincingher of that was going to be the hard part.

If she hadn’t just quit Twisted Heat, it would be a hell of a lot easier. An idea sparked, and I wondered if it could work. Worth a shot, I thought as I pulled out my phone.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I HAD JUSTmade the decision to sit down and talkto Dad about everything that happened and get his advice. The thought of finally unloading all this weight made me feel a little lighter. But then my phone pinged with a message from Margie. She begged me to come in tonight to tend bar, just for this one night. I could even dress in shorts and the pink club T-shirt. Margie explained she hadn’t had time to replace me yet and was short-staffed.

I couldn’t say no. I mean, Margie had been so good to me, and up and quitting like I did, with no notice, wasn’t fair to her. Plus, it was only tending bar and no bikini. I could handle it.

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