Page 49 of Death's Deal

“Who’s this lovely lady with you?” Cap’s question is laced with mirth. He’s taking the mick out of me.

I let her walk by, entering the room with trepidation. “Antonia. This is Busta, Cap, and Piper.” She smiles, gives a light wave, and stands to the side as we enter.

Turning to the government goons, Busta sneers, “Gentlemen, get the fuck out. You’ll know about everything soon enough.” He’s not giving them a choice about staying. He’s telling them to get out.

“Lucius. Just act like we’re not here,” the one closest to the door states, uncrossing his arms to text on his phone. The guy beside him holds a semi-empty can of ale.

“It’s hard to miss you, seeing as you smell like cheap cologne and greasy takeout,” Joker quips.

Miss chortles a laugh, rolls his eyes at Joker’s comment, and takes a seat beside Busta.

Ignoring the comment, Busta stands, turns to the goon, pulls the door, and says, “I’m not asking you, Marco. You can leave under your own power, or we can find a way you may not desire. I’m sure your boss will understand you didn’t wish to get blood mixed in with your burrito sauce on that standard-issue tie.”

Not seeming pleased, but realizing he’s outnumbered, Marco signals to his partner it’s time to exit. Tossing his empty can to the trash at the door, they twist the handle to leave. As the door opens Trigger and Curse slip through, chest to chest with the suits. When the two stuffed shirts have exited and the door closes once more, Curse turns to Joker. “Making friends again, I see.”

“Not like we need more friends.” Shaking hands with Curse’s good arm, Cap takes a seat and motions for Curse to take a seat beside him. Joker sits to the left, while Miss sits across. Piper takes a seat beside him and Trig moves to the closest chair beside me.

“Where’s Radish?” I ask.

He waves a hand to the common. “She loves Flight. He always has dried liver treats. She won’t follow me once she sees him in the room. Fickle fucking dog.”

“She’s not fickle. She’s smart. If I knew who would cook me the perfect Wagyu rib eye with sweet potato hash, broccoli, and have the beer poured without a head, I’d plunk my ass in front of them too,” I joke back.

Smiling, Busta addresses the room, holding a handful of crushed electronics, “I’ve already removed all of their newly planted bugs, so we’re free to talk here without issue. Take a seat and we’ll get into it.” Once we’re all seated, he starts, “As you’ve noticed, we’re under scrutiny. Johnson put a detail on each of our clubs this morning.”

Confused as I hadn’t heard about it, I looked to Curse. Opening his mouth to say something about this, he curls a brow, widens his eyes, and just as quickly purses his lips. His expression states what words cannot, “if we’d had our meet, you would’ve found out about this.”

I ask, “Did Johnson tell you why we’re in the crosshairs?” I have a feeling I know the reason behind this, but I ask anyway. Giving my hand a squeeze, Toni pulls my attention to her. She’s thinking the same thing as I am, if it weren’t for our son and our history, the mayor wouldn’t have any reason to look in our way at all.

“Our degenerate interaction with the general populace has become the mayor’s number one priority, now going into his election. If he could, we’d be evicted from the state,” Cap quips.

“You’re joking?” Trig snarkily states back.

“No. Johnson explained his whole plan to me. Laid out the whole series of governmental—” Pausing, Busta is deadpan, not skipping a beat. “He didn’t, I lied.” Swigging a gulp of his drink, he continues, “Johnson had not explained anything, other than to say we’re to be watched more than normal. If I were a betting man, I’d say it has to do with the Queen in some way, about her book, and your club’s newest deal with the mayor.”

I know Johnson is a smart man, and he’ll know everything about my life soon enough anyway, so without skipping a beat, I declare, “Toni is the mayor’s daughter, my ol’ lady, and the mother of my child.” I spill it all in one mouthful. I know I’d told Toni I’d keep it quiet from Mayhem, but these men are those who I trust implicitly. Not to mention, I’d already told Boyd and my sister, and it won’t be long before the rest of the club knows.

My announcement quiets the room completely.

With his jaw slack, Busta picks up his beer, swigs it, then sets it back down. “That’s a hard joke to follow.”

Smacking his meaty hand on the table hard, Joker smiles out the side of his mouth. “DAMN! You’ve been busy this week, Death.” He laughs in his usual over expressive tone. “When are you two expecting?” he asks Toni.

Giving a grin, I bypass Joker’s sense of humor. “The mayor’s always had a bee in his boxers about me.” I explain to them the history between myself and Toni, and the reason I was incarcerated. I explain my son is the mayor’s grandson—and as I let them absorb the reality of it all, they watch in shocked awe. I don’t tell them about the book’s latest revelation, as I’ve decided to keep that to myself for now, at least until we can talk through this current affair.

Each of the faces around the table is shell-shocked by what I’ve told them. Even Joker, who usually has a quip for everything, is silent. Busta finally perks up with his growly voice carrying across the room. “So we’re being punished because you put your dick in her twenty years or more ago?” Looking at Toni, he adds, “No offense.”

“I think you miss the point of no offense. Offense taken,” Toni quips off, standing her ground against a room full of dangerous bikers. If she realized what we’d been up against in the past two years, she’d pee her pants running out of here with her hair on fire.

Pulling out a chair for Toni, she takes a seat. I stand behind her. “It’s not quite how I’d state it, but yeah. This happened quite a long time ago.”

Piquing the attention of Cap, he asks, “Okay. Backtrack something for me. Why would Johnson think you somehow have the Queen’s book?” I don’t mention Piper gave it to me; I don’t think I need to ’cause any issues are between the two of them.

“Yeah, I do.” Looking to Piper, who has so far sat like a gargoyle in the room, I share, “I think I cracked another symbol.”

Bending close to Piper, Cap and her have a low conversation we are not privy to.

“Fuck. You’re missing the point. It doesn’t matter when you got it, it’s that there are many parties truly interested in it. I thought it had been destroyed.”

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