Page 61 of Sinful Mates

The bond set aflame with fury. “Zethan, inform the men and be ready to leave.”

Zethan was the only one to question our president’s order. “Where are we going? Do we want to risk the cops tailing us?”

Slade bent down to collect the tracker. “To my brother’s winery. I’ve kicked off a small batch of Pharaoh.”

Zethan’s head snapped up. “You what?” He shook his head furiously. “No wonder the cops are onto us.”

Castor’s arms came up over his chest. “We ought to have discussed this decision. Not just as avatars but as a club.”

Great. Slade acted of his own accord. The club really had splintered. I stayed silent with my position within the club uncertain.

“It’s a small batch to get us back into the market,” Slade said irritably as if he didn’t have to justify himself to anyone.

Zethan gripped his hips. “And how do you propose we get it to market with all eyes on us?”

Slade ground his teeth and I felt him bite back his reply that Zethan got us into this shit in the first place. “Diversions. Nothing an illegal street drag race won’t solve. Relax. I’ve got it covered.”

“You should have consulted the club.”

Fire settled in Slade’s eyes. “Like you consulted me before murdering three cops? Or when you and Genius paid our debts off with Danny’s money?”

Cold shock burned my stomach. Money tainted with the blood of abused and dead women. What were those two thinking? I squeezed my fists to shift focus to something else to keep from slipping back into my past.

“Why do you keep harping on about that?” If anyone else but Zethan took that tone with Slade they’d pay. “We’ve solved the dirty money problem. Run it past the club.” He emphasized the last sentence. “Money funneled through the Christmas toy donations settles some of that soiled money. Further donations to charity will wash our hands of it.”

I begged to differ. We had to hold onto every dollar with the cop’s interference in our income streams.

But I was eager to offload the dirty money in case the cops traced any lead to tie the money to us. Unlikely with Castor’s gifts, but paranoia sunk its claws into me, and my demon’s sinister laugh spelled disaster.

Slade’s eyes banked with a mischievous flame. “Unless you’re a saint, don’t lecture me.” Fuck. We were breaking apart, the avatar and cops creating a greater wedge between us. “Management makes decisions about the club’s direction. The club will be consulted on whether they want to participate in escorting the batch.

Zethan scuffed his heel on the pavement. “Since we’re on the topic of keeping fucking secrets. I called in a few favors.”

Slade pinched his forehead as if he was the one hard done by. “What kind of fucking favors?”

Zethan cut a glance at the VP. “I had the women examined by doctors and rape kit samples collected.”

“Thank fuck.” Slade clapped him on the shoulder then lifted pinched fingers. “You were this close to losing teeth.”

Zethan shrugged, not caring if Slade hit him. “Hit me. It’s your balls.”

Aaliyah would certainly have Slade’s if he touched any of her men. Zethan shouldn’t dare Slade when he enjoyed that sort of challenge.

Slade ignored the jab, his temper cooling a few degrees. “Did you get the results back?”

Zethan grinned at Slade for the first time in weeks. “Matches for eight officers. Three dead.”

Slade’s mood went from negative one hundred to positive one thousand in the blink of an eye. He locked his arms around Zethan’s barrel chest and thumped him on the back. “Fucking genius.”

I left the three of them to talk strategy, performing my duties, finding several more trackers.

Finished with my scan, I took this news to my president. “We got off easy. Three trackers on Zethan, Dusty, and Brix’s bikes.”

Slade pumped my hand. “Good job. Get up there and scout for tails.”

The day in the life of the people’s champion never ended.

CHAPTER21

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