Page 97 of My Darling Mayhem

Thistle joined me at the window, staring down.

"He didn't bring back up."

I kept staring at the two men exiting the sleek, black car. "That we can see."

Thistle waited for Juan and Kyle to step into the stairway before flicking his flashlight to the building across from us. Indicating that we were about to start the meeting.

Thumps from the stairs echoed around the empty room until Juan finally pushed through the doorway. He wore what he had earlier, and the man behind him was my age with inky black hair, cut short and styled messily. He was pale and what skin I could see aside from his face, was covered in tattoos. His jaw was narrow, with hollow cheeks and under his eyes was dark liner. He wore indistinct clothing, complete with a long overcoat, which probably was hiding heavy artillery.

"Gentlemen," the man I assumed was Kyle smiled, which reminded me of the jovial demeanor of the kid Gio, who had burned Wren's property patch.

Juan sauntered closer, lifting his hand toward the other man. "Kyle James, this is Archer Green.” He paused looking at Thistle expectantly.

"Theodore Barns. Call me Thistle." My vice president answered with a gruff voice. I hadn't heard his real name in years.

Juan continued, "Now that we're all acquainted, let's get this going."

Kyle messed with his cuffs. "Nice to meet you both. Glad the boys didn't kill you, Archer."

Irritation flickered in my chest at his cavalier attitude.

"Where are the boys right now?" I raised my eyebrow toward Juan.

Buck hadn't said there was any movement or chatter near our club.

Juan glanced at Kyle, who looked down at his phone. "Occupied."

Thistle shifted, silently communicating that he still assumed this was a trap and that the longer we were there, the more likely we would die.

I stepped forward and asked, "Kyle, Juan says that you were present for a meeting of cards where my territory was placed on the board. Something you won?"

The man who had been referred to as The Joker continued to lean against the counter, staring at me like he was happy to be there. "Yes. I remember that card game. I felt wildly successful securing so much territory for my buddy."

Juan laughed and then shook his head. This made me curious about their story and where things started for them.

"I wasn't there, as you can see from just meeting me. My second wasn't there." I gestured toward Thistle. "So, do you recall who agreed to hand over my territory?"

Kyle seemed to think about it, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. His arms were linked over his chest, and his ankles were crossed.

"Your patches." He pointed at Thistle, then me. "His says the nickname he goes by; yours is just your last name."

"Just depends on what each member prefers to go by. The last name was something I saw my dad do." I stopped mid-sentence because it had just connected who had sat in that game and bet my club as if he had the right to.

Kyle seemed to realize I'd figured it out. "This man, who bet, he was a big guy. His patch had your last name on it."

My adrenaline surged. "So, some guy randomly says he has the right to sell off some of my territory, and you just take him at his word?"

Kyle's brows furrowed. "No. Not at all. He had papers proving what routes you had and where you'd gotten them, and I knew the President of Mayhem Riot had the last name, Green. I took that at face value and went with it."

Shit.

"Well, that man wasn't even a part of my club at the time, so this is fucked."

Juan glanced at Kyle, and the two seemed to speak without saying anything.

"He had your patches, your colors…how—" Kyle's brows dipped in confusion.

I shook my head. "It was never retrieved after he'd been banned from the club."

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