Page 106 of Manic

"All right," Dad says, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "We need eyes on Rio tonight. Tor, you and Magnus head over to his place. Make sure he knows we're serious about this arrangement and see what he’s found out."

I nod, already mentally preparing for the task ahead.

It's going to be a long night, but if it means keeping the club safe and getting an edge on our enemies, it'll be worth it.

As the meeting breaks up, I catch Magnus' eye across the room.

We've worked together countless times before, but something tells me this night is going to be different.

The ride to Rio's place is tense, the cool night air doing little to calm my racing thoughts.

Magnus and I don't speak much, both of us too focused on what lies ahead.

As we pull up to the address Ivar provided, I kill the engine of my bike, the sudden silence almost deafening.

"You ready for this?" Magnus asks, his voice low.

I nod, my jaw set. "Let's do it."

We make our way inside, using the skills we've honed over years in the club to enter undetected.

The house is dark and quiet, no sign of Rio yet.

We settle in to wait, the minutes ticking by with agonizing slowness.

Finally, we hear the sound of a key in the lock.

I tense, ready for action.

As Rio steps inside and flicks on the light, Magnus and I move as one, stepping out of the shadows.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Rio yelps, stumbling back against the wall. "What the fuck is wrong with you guys?"

I can't help but smirk, even as I raise my hands in a placating gesture. "Easy, brother," I say, my voice calm despite the tension crackling in the air. "We've got some shit to handle."

Rio's chest heaves as he struggles to catch his breath.

His eyes dart between Magnus and me, a mixture of fear and anger evident in his expression.

"You couldn't have just called?" he snaps, running a hand through his hair. "Shit, man. I thought I was about to get whacked."

I step forward, my stance relaxed but alert. "We needed to be sure you were alone. Can't risk the wrong ears overhearing our conversation."

Rio nods, his breathing slowly returning to normal. "Fair enough. So, what's this about?"

I lock eyes with him, searching for any hint of deception. "What happened with the Patriot tonight?"

For a split second, I see a flicker of something—surprise? worry?—in Rio's eyes.

But it's gone so quickly I can't be sure.

He takes a deep breath and launches into his story. "Man, you're not gonna believe this. The Patriot's got big plans. He's meeting with another supplier in two days. They're talking about cutting the product even more."

As Rio speaks, I can't help but marvel at the detail in his story.

Either he's one hell of a liar, or he's giving us exactly what we need.

"This new cut," I interject, "what does it mean for profits?"

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