Page 39 of Kade

Nate looked away. He knew it was the truth.

I motioned with my head toward the warehouse behind us. “These guys don’t give a fuck about us. They’re from a different world. They’re also businessmen, and I paid a good amount for this to happen tonight. If you can’t see why we might need this, you can go. For real.”

“It’s not that,” Nate said, his mouth twisting. “It feels too much like back in the day. You cut out Channing. And the violence. Some of us have ended up in the hospital. I just don’t like it.”

That was valid. Nate had tended to be collateral damage for people going after Logan or myself. “I’m sorry about that, but we have a war coming our way, whether you’re here or not. And you need to trust me. I’ll talk to Channing about this later, but right now, there’s another reason we’re here. Are you in or not?”

Nate expelled some air. “I’m not agreeing with this, but I’m not leaving you guys either. I don’t have the same need to spill blood you savages do.”

Logan grinned. He puffed his chest up, cocky. “Fuck yeah we do. And I’m first.”

He turned and headed inside.

I held back, waiting for Nate to meet my gaze. He did, giving me a small nod. I nodded back, some of the pressure leaving me, but a different tension took its place.

A whole host of bikers waited inside—leaning against the walls, lounging. Some were at the ring, talking in groups of two or three, but when Nate and I joined them, their conversations quieted. I scanned the inside, wondering if their president was here. Channing hadn’t wanted to talk about the Red Demons’s Frisco charter. The other reason I was here was because they were my best link to real information about Kai Bennett. Channing was a bounty hunter, so he had some connections to that world, but it wasn’t enough. He hadn’t been able to give meenough information. I needed a more sustainable link, so I had to go around him.

My family was on the line.

My private investigator hadn’t gotten back to me, and with the funeral finished, handling my dad’s business and this mafia threat was next on the docket. I was stepping into a whole new world, and I was already in last fucking place.

Nate looked around and cursed under his breath.

I felt that. These guys were the real deal. Big. Muscular. Tattooed. Real criminals and real killers. Logan was already warming up in the corner. A biker was taping Logan’s hands and talking to him. My brother nodded, listening to him. He was getting himself focused for the match.

Stripes headed my way, stopping a few feet away to look at Nate. “This one all uppity?”

Nate stiffened. He turned cold eyes on the biker. “Mason doesn’t know who you are. I do.”

Stripes paused, his head cocking. His eyes narrowed.

“Cross Shaw’s brother is my brother-in-law.”

Stripes cursed, and his eyes turned mean. “That was a long time ago. I went to prison, and I’ve been a Red Demon ever since. You got issues with me, you can take a hike.” He motioned beyond the warehouse.

There was no other option with him. His tone said to shut up or leave.

Nate was still glaring, but he gestured to me. “I’m with them. If I leave, I’ll be calling Monroe for backup.”

The biker’s gaze shifted to a whole new level of chilliness. “We have a fucking tentative peace with the New Kings crew. That’s your buddy’s crew, by the way. They may be all legit with their bounty-hunting business, but they’re still a crew—just like Shaw, just like Bren. If you want to blow that up, make it so we’re not friendly anymore,youdo that. Let me remind you ofwhere you are. This isourwarehouse. Our territory. And the reason your friend here reached out to us is because we don’t give two fucks who you are, what family you come from, or if you’re famous or not. We eat, breathe, fuck, and live the biker world. Shove your attitude somewhere else, because I’ll let you know right now, my guys won’t stand for it. One of them will step up and shove it down your throat for you.” He paused a moment. “We good?”

Nate seethed beside me, a rattlesnake coiling up, ready to strike, but I knew he wouldn’t. “We’re here for some good old-fashioned fighting,” I assured Stripes. “That’s it.”

He was still eyeing Nate, but he spoke to me. “We’re a betting bunch. You want to throw in on that too?”

I took out some more money and handed it over. “On my brother and myself.” I gestured to Nate. “He won’t be fighting.”

The biker took the money. “Shocker.” He looked over and got a nod from the guy in my brother’s ear. “Looks like we’re ready to go.”

As soon as he was gone, Nate hissed, “Mason.”

I moved away. “I don’t want to hear it. You’re not seeing the big picture. Until you do, keep your mouth shut.”

Logan climbed into the ring, and I went to talk to him. They’d gotten him ready. His hands and feet were taped. He’d lost his shirt and now wore only a snug pair of shorts. He bounced up and down, swinging his arms to warm up. He gave me a crooked grin, a slightly maniacal look in his eyes. “Nate’s still having a hissy fit?”

I declined to answer. I rested a hand on one of the ropes and leaned in. “You ready for this? You’re okay with this?”

His eyes flared, his arms moved back and forth in front of him. “You kidding? This is my kind of candy store.” He winced a little. “I’m not sure how I’m going to explain this to Taylor, but…”

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