Page 41 of Rio's Release

“I do, but still, ours is a dirty, violent world.”

“It’s what we make it, VP. We’re starting fresh here. We’re going to run this town, and people aren’t going to be afraid of the fucking cops ever again.”

“No, they’ll just be afraid of us.”

I glare at him and change the subject. “I hate that Shelby’s afraid to come back to her own hometown. I thought the trouble with her father was what drove her away. He’s dead now. She gets the house and business. She could live in the house. It doesn’t make sense,” I muse, trying to figure it out.

“Maybe it has bad memories.” Zig looks at me. “Or do you think there’s more to it?”

“Something doesn’t feel right. She told me her father was killed in a robbery gone bad. You know anything about that?”

“I know it wasn’t us.”

“I want to know everything you can find out about it.”

“You know what Idoknow? That tire place would make a great location for us to open a Saint’s Outlaws Garage. Maybe we should see how much she asking.”

I nod, wishing I’d thought of it. “You’re right, VP. Let’s drive past it again.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Unexpected Visitors

Rio—

By the end of the week, a For Sale sign goes up at the garage Shelby inherited, and I waste no time putting in an offer, buying it under a shell company the club has set up.

I make no conditions for inspection, and don’t need an appraisal as it’s an all-cash deal, so we close quickly, and it’s not long before I’ve got the keys and am standing with Zig and the rest of the boys in our new garage.

“We need to get a sign made up,” Zig says.

“If it’s going to say Saint’s Outlaws, we’re going to have to come out in the open about being the new MC in town,” Mauler advises.

“Speaking of that, we’ve got everything we need, right?” I ask Zig, my arms folded as I stand in the open garage doors.

“Yep. Got it all ready to go,” he replies, and the rumble of motorcycles carries to us. Faint at first, then growing stronger.

I walk out to the parking lot and look toward the cross-street half a block down, which is a four-lane highway that runs through town. My mouth drops open when they ride past, and I get a look at them. Six guys, all wearing black leather cuts. I’d recognize the emblem on their backs, even if I couldn’t read the rockers.

Devil Kings MC.

“Son of a bitch,” I mutter under my breath.

“Fucking DKs,” Zig hisses. “What the hell are they doing here?”

“You tell me, VP. I’ve been out of the loop for a decade,” I whirl on him.

Zig lifts his palms. “Last I heard, they weren’t in New Mexico.”

“Well, it looks to me like they’re thinking about making a move. We can’t let that happen, boys.” I drill Bagger and Blue with a look, pointing my finger at them. “You two. Follow them. Move.”

They dash to one of the pickup trucks we came in, and I shake out a smoke, dip my head to light it, and exhale toward the sky, my mind a whirl. This could fuck up everything.

“We’re gonna have to show ourselves,” Zig says.

I nod, dragging in another hit. “And before we can do that, we’re going to have to take control.” I dip my head and meet my VP’s eyes. “Time to make a few visits to the homes of our local officials.”

“When?”

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