Page 5 of Hollywood

“All accounted for.”

“Good.” Diesel nodded as he told us the specifics of what the Santangelos wanted. “They want us to act as aweigh station for their product, mostly drugs, when they hit stateside. We wouldn’t be expected to sell them or repackage them, just accept them and wait for his men to pick them up.” He looked around the room with a grave expression on his face. “I think it’s a bullshit offer but if I’m wrong or you disagree, we have to find a way to make it work.”

Rocky and Gio nodded their agreement. “It won’t be long before they’re asking us to do the grunt work ‘just this time’ and it’ll never fucking stop.” Gio shook his head, already angry even though it was just his suspicions.

Rocky agreed. “Within a month they’ll be asking us to break up the drugs, repackage them and deliver them to distributors. I think it’s an open door to totally fucking us.”

Hawk nodded, relaxed against his chair. “I’m not saying that I trust them for shit, but the money they’re offering means we have to consider it.” He had a woman, and rumor has it a baby on the way, of course his only concern is the money.

“All of us in this room know the truth,” Rebel began. “The Santangelos aren’t offering us shit. As soon as we reject their kind offer, mysterious shit will start happening to our properties and business holdings, to our shipments and even our women. Well,yourwomen,” he offered with a shrug as if was no skin off his back.

I frowned at Rebel. “So you think we should agree?”

“Fuck no,” he shouted. “I’m just saying that before we say no, we should make sure we’re prepared for the blowback.”

It was a good point, an excellent point if I was being honest. We had to figure out how to make saying no palatable to everybody involved. My mind raced, the way itdid almost constantly when I was locked up. It was the only thing productive you could really do inside, and I honed my problem-solving skills, used them to keep myself safe and stay alive long enough to taste freedom again. “I have an idea.” I wasn’t usually so hesitant, but I was still finding my footing after being away for so long. The guys had a rhythm, they knew each other better at this point and I needed to catch up. But if war with the fucking cartel was on the table, everybody had to speak up.

“I’m listening.” Diesel kept his gaze fixed on me, open and honest so I could see that he really meant his words.

“We ought to reach out to our contacts in the drug and weapons game, see who doesn’t mind doing business with the cartel, and set up a meeting between them.” Maybe it was a stupid fucking idea, but I needed to add my input if it could save us from battling the cartel.

The room was quiet, and I gritted my teeth together until they ached.

“If we come up with an alternative maybe it’ll minimize the perception of disrespect.” Respect was the only thing you had on the inside, and I learned about it firsthand. “Just something to consider.”

The room was still silent, but Slate spoke up first. “It’s fucking brilliant. We have at least a handful of contacts who don’t mind getting down and dirty if the price is right, consequences be damned. I’m compiling a list right now.” His eyes were wide with excitement as his fingers flew over the keyboard he never went without. “When do we need to have an answer for Santangelo?”

Diesel shrugged. “When we have one, I guess.”

“We should move fast,” Carter suggested. “They’ll likely show up a day earlier than expected and they will want an answer. The Generals did that shit all the time when negotiating with the Taliban.”

“Glad to see some shit hadn’t changed since I was in uniform,” I told him with a laugh. “Fingers crossed but we should still be prepared in case we have to fight.” War was the last thing on my mind, but I’d do what was necessary to protect my brothers and the MC.

Chapter Four

Winter

“You’re even hotter than Luisa said.” Brad flashed a lopsided grin the moment we were seated at La Meridian, an upscale French-Mediterranean restaurant located on the strip. “I mean she said you were gorgeous, but holy shit she didn’t not give me the full picture.” His gaze was dark and hungry, more intense than a first date should be.

“Thanks,” I replied blandly, wondering why in the hell I had actually agreed to this date.Because you promised Luisa, was the only good answer and it didn’t really seem like that good of an answer as I sat under his gaze and tried not to squirm.

“No, thank you,” he said. “I was skeptical about this date, but she said you were hot and ambitious, a combination I love.”

As if I should be thrilled that he was so damn happy about my genetics. He hadn’t asked any questions about me yet and I doubted he would. It’s fine, I told myself as I battled the constant need to roll my eyes. “So why do you need a blind date?”

“I don’t but like I said, hot and ambitious.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and I fought the urge to throw up in my mouth.

He was handsome in a boring, bland kind of way. In exactly the kind of way that I had no interest whatsoeverin pursuing. He was self-centered and egotistical. No matter how much I needed to get a life—to focus on romance and my future—this guy was only enthralled with his own finance prowess. He was exactly the kind of man I avoided, who only wanted a woman as an accessory. No pulse or interests were required as long as I continued to look pretty, which time made impossible.

“Besides,” he began again as if I’d asked him something else. “I work long hours and meeting someone other than the vipers at my office is next to impossible. I prefer a woman who is ambitious but not as ambitious as me.”

Threatened by a successful woman, got it.He was so fucking boring I wanted to fall asleep, except every time my eyes shut, there was Hollywood, smiling and raking his hands through his long blond hair. “You haven’t asked what my career plans or goals are, so how do you know that I’m not as ambitious as you?”

He laughed, actually fucking laughed. “I mean, come on. Why would you need to be that ambitious when a man like me would be happy to take care of you.”

“Yeah,” I snorted. “Take care of me until my first gray hair appears or the first line of cellulite or stretchmarks. Right, I’ll bank on that.”

“Hey, what’s with the snark? All I want to do is get to know you.”

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