Page 15 of The Devil's Conflict

“Anytime you want to try, you let me know,sugar,” I taunt her, pulling away. “Maybe you might learn a few things too. And don’t worry about my hips. Every part of me is in top shape. I’d be more worried you’d cry when you break a nail. Or was it not you who cried as she climbed that wall, ready to quit because it got too tough?”

She steps back, her face shuttering into a cold mask. “Fuck you, Sniper. You don’t know shit about what happened that day or why I was crying. And just like then, you don’t care, and I honestly have no point in enlightening you to just how wrong you are. And I’m done with this conversation. So you can take your tightwad ass and get the hell out of here so I can start my job.” Then she turns and stalks back toward the door.

“I didn’t say you could go, Sutton,” I snap at her, not ready to be done with this discussion. She’s not about to drop that kind of bomb and walk away.

“Then it’s a good thing I don’t answer to you, isn’t it?” she tosses back over her shoulder as she reaches the door before wrenching it open and stalking inside.

I stare after her, fuming but also curious. Damn her. I don’t need to be curious about her. What I need to do is forget abouther, leave her to Shadow and Viper. I curse her under my breath as I climb onto my bike, pulling out in a burst of speed.

I don’t stop until I get to the clubhouse, my anger over the whole thing bubbling hotter in my gut. I stalk inside, the few brothers milling around quickly moving out of my way as I head for Cryos’s computer room. I bark, “I want everything you can get on Athena Sutton. Right down to all the shit from her military records.”

Cryos stares at me in shock, his hands hovering over his keyboard, frozen. “Ah, sure, okay,” he gets out. “Any particular reason?”

My glare is dark and he winces slightly. “Just get it done,” I bark, before I turn and stalk out. I’m being an asshole, but I don’t care. I don’t need everyone to know my business, and Athena Sutton certainly is under my skin. All within twenty-four hours.

I turn back around, see Milk walking into the common room and bark, “Get your ass on your bike and let’s go.” Then I head back for the front door. I don’t even look toward Rose when she comes out of the kitchen, her brow arching in question when she sees me. I don’t have time for what I’m sure are going to be endless questions. And if I snap at her, Bullet will have my ass, and I don’t need that problem either.

Milk follows me out, straddling his bike without a word, though his eyes are cautious and his face slightly pale. I should probably feel some kind of guilt for that, but I can’t manage it right now. He’s the youngest of the patched brothers, and he and Twigs prospected and got patched in at the same time. He still looks like a kid, with his dirty blonde hair that he wears slicked back with far too much gel, bright green eyes, and boyish smile.

“Where are we going?” Milk asks carefully before starting up his bike.

“The bar,” I clip out, revving up my own and then heading down the driveway. Milk follows, and we head for the bar.

I have shit to do, and the sooner I get to it, the sooner I can put Thea out of my head. And that’s where she needs to stay.

SEVEN

THEA

Who knew a group of bikers would be so scared of a group of women?

By the timethe day is halfway done, I’ve managed to get a feel of the security company. Eric is the jokester that keeps the place from feeling too boring and sterile; Shadow runs the show, and is the unofficial top dog around here that everyone defers to; Viper is the second in command, and he often defers to Shadow for larger decisions, but he’s also far more open and easygoing than Shadow. Bowie and Frost apparently work here too, though they aren’t in much, and from what I can see from the dust on their desks, they don’t do much around the office either; Hulk, who just showed up an hour ago is quiet, huge, but still friendly and welcomed me without so much as a blink in surprise.

Finally is Crypt, and he’s harder to read, but I think I’ve got him. He’s silent for the most part, working quietly on thecomputer, but from the constant breaks he takes from looking at the screen, and the pills he finally forced himself to take after a couple of hours, the man is either suffering from a hangover or a concussion. And from the concerned looks that a few have been giving him, I’d say it’s the former. When we met, he shook my hand, nodded at me, and then got to work without a word. There’s something about him that’s familiar, but I can’t place him. Shadow informs me he’s also former Special Forces, and he only got out a few months ago, so there’s a chance we’ve crossed paths.

Overall, the mood in the building is a positive one, and no one has said anything about my little confrontation with Sniper this morning. Not even Shadow or Viper, who both gave me curious looks when I came back in, but thankfully they let it be.

Most of the morning was getting my desk set up and getting onboarded with training videos and paperwork. It’s tedious, but expected. Once I’m finished, I glance around and see Theo is doing the same, though he’s a bit slower at it than I am. Which isn’t surprising since Theo’s never been one for computer work. He’s always been one for action.

Shadow and Viper also gave me a quick tour of the building, and I’m surprised they’ve been able to get so much in here. The lower level is a fully decked out gym and sparring area, with the main level being offices, conference room, washrooms, and kitchen complete with a large dining table, fridge and stove. Though from the look of the plastic still on the stovetop, I’d say that no one has ever used it. The top floor has a large work space with a huge computer setup for someone named Cryos, though apparently he doesn’t use it often, and a cool arcade and relaxation kind of space.

Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. There are a couple of leather recliners, one decently-sized leather sectional that faces a large screen TV, and a mixture of different arcade gamesthat range from new to classic. There’s also a corner set up with a toy box and small table for kids to hang out. Which makes sense since I met Shadow’s girlfriend and daughter this morning.

I immediately liked Quinn, who was sweet and shy but also very warm and welcoming. And Macy, well, that little girl has her daddy on his toes. Especially after she found out that I am working for her father, her green eyes went wide and she asked, “Do you know how to break out of handcuffs? Daddy says that I’m not allowed to learn, but Uncle Viper says I’ll probably need the skills when I’m older.”

It took everything not to laugh, especially when Shadow’s eyes closed and he looked like he was trying to draw on every ounce of patience he had. Quinn just grinned, clearly accepting her daughter is going to be a terror when she’s older. “I might be able to help you out with that,” I told her. “But only when you’re older,” I added with a wink when Shadow glared at me. Thankfully, Macy accepted that and left with her mother while calling out a goodbye to everyone and high-fiving Eric as she went.

That little girl is going to be a heartbreaker, and I can already tell she has the men around here wrapped around her little finger.

The sound of a woman’s laughter pulls me out of my thoughts. I look over at the front desk and see a woman standing there talking to Eric, a huge grin on her face. She’s wearing a cut, so I have to assume she must be connected to the MC. I put her at five-seven, and her hair is a soft brown with hints of caramel and blonde that peek throughout. When I glance around, I see that most of the men have smiles on their faces, so she must be someone they admire and respect. Even Shadow and Viper come out of their offices to speak with her.

I turn away and get back to work on getting my desk set up the way I like it, but stop when I hear someone moving behindme. I turn and see the woman has made her way over, and give her a polite smile. “So you’re the one that sent Sniper off in a fit earlier,” she says with a grin, making me pause. Up close, she’s even more stunning than I thought. Her eyes are a caramel brown, and she doesn’t look a day over forty with how perfect her skin looks, though something tells me she’s older than that. “Tell me,” she continues as she leans in conspiratorially, “what’s the secret? Any time I try to rile him up, he mostly ignores me.”

I can’t help the wide smile that overtakes me. Oh, Sniper was in a fit? Isn’t that just perfect? “Probably has something to do with me calling him an old man and telling him he’s no longer my superior and has no say over my life. There were a few other things, but that was the gist of it,” I tell her.

“Wait, you called Sniper old?” Hulk asks suddenly, coming to stand beside her, a shocked look on his face. Then he chuckles. “Damn, wish I saw the look on his face when you did that.”

The woman gives me a thoughtful look and then snickers and says, “No wonder Shadow and Viper tried to ban me from the building today. I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends, honey. I’m Rose, Bullet’s Old Lady.” She holds out her hand for me to shake.

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