Page 29 of Rio's Release

I slap his shoulder. “Well, VP, let’s have our first meeting of the Las Cruces chapter of the Saint’s Outlaws.”

Zig steps around the partition and whistles sharply. “Church, boys. Now.”

After the men take their seats and I officially call the meeting to order, I meet the eyes of each of them.

“First off, I want to thank you for trusting in me enough to make this jump. You’re all good, loyal brothers. I couldn’t have asked for better.”

They grin back at me.

“Still, we’re gonna have to get around to recruiting in the coming months to fill out the ranks. Before we get to that, I’d like to get this place remodeled. Make it a place to be proud of.”

“Here. Here,” Zig says.

“With the funds the mother chapter turned over to us, we should be able to do it up right.” I glance around the room. “And now for some club business. I plan to get us a drug connection set up, but that’s going to take time. In the meantime, the restoration business will have to keep us afloat. That and whatever protection payments we can get set up.” I look to Zig. “So, VP, tell me about the town, and what you’ve been able to uncover.”

“For one, the sheriff and his deputies run things. The populace seems to be cow-towed by them.”

“Cow-towed?” Bagger scoffs. “More like scared shitless.”

My chair creaks as I lean my elbows on the table. “Explain.”

The men look to Zig to take the lead, and my eyes shift to him.

He splays his hands. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The cops run roughshod over the entire town. It’s really something you need to see for yourself, Prez.”

“Were you able to get any dirt on them?”

“Not actual proof, but I’ve got some information. The sheriff has a mistress down in San Pablo. We tailed him. He visits her twice a week.”

“His wife doesn’t know?”

“Don’t think so. She comes from money, and bankrolls their lifestyle for the most part. Of course, they’re all on the take, but she’s worth millions.”

“So, last thing he wants is for her to find out about his little side action and divorce him.”

“Exactly.”

“Sounds like we can use that. We’ll have to get pictures or video.”

“It shouldn’t be too hard to wire the mistress’s house.”

“And the deputies? Got anything on them?”

“Carson is as strait-laced as them come. Clean cut, goes to church every Sunday. Of course, he’s on the take, and everyone in town changes sides of the street when they see him coming, so he’s no boy scout.”

“Have you snooped around his place?” I ask.

“Not yet. Didn’t want to blow our cover. Right now, everyone thinks we’re mechanics.”

“We need to get inside his place. See what we can find.”

“We’ll set something up.”

“And the district attorney?” I ask.

“He’s been a hard nut to crack. Bandit’s been flirting up a girl who works in the records department at the courthouse. We’re hoping he’ll get some useful information out of her. She’s got a drug problem her bosses don’t know about, so she should be easy to manipulate.”

I steeple my hands, thinking. This could be easier than I thought. “I don’t want to make a move until we’ve got goods on all of them. Then we hit them all the same night and lay down the new law in town. In the meantime, we don’t show our colors. We play it low key. Understand?”

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