Page 40 of Savage Protector

Chapter Seventeen

Axel

Axel stared at the tiny picture on Isabella Mazzeo’s drivers license still in complete shock. There wasn’t a whole lot that surprised him these days, but Houston randomly hooking up with the daughter of the man they were investigating…

He hated coincidences, if that’s what this was and that seemed unlikely. They could not afford to let this fuck things up for the club and their latest mission.

He handed the card back to JD, his club president. “I’m not sure there’s much we can do about this one. Not without compromising everything. She’s virtually untouchable.”

JD’s eyes turned hard. “No one is untouchable. I learned that in the Army. All it takes is the right intel, the right team and the right determination and you can get to whomever or whatever you want. No one is that insulated. Not forever.”

He shrugged. “You want to risk the club over this? Our entire investigation? There are lives at stake. Not to mention our reputation.”

“Depends on him. How far is he willing to go to rescue this girl? If we say no and he goes after her, his involvement could unravel all the work we’ve already put into this anyway. If this girl ran away from her family like he says, there's a chance she might have some information she’d be willing to share that might help us.”

“It’s too convenient. I smell a rat.”

JD ignored him and continued, “Plus, we could use his skills. And the fact he doesn’t have an inked target on his back like the rest of us, means he could be very useful.”

“You thinking undercover work?” He didn’t particularly care for the direction this conversation was taking.

“We need to do something. So far our investigation into those missing girls hasn’t got us shit. A man on the inside would be worth something. A lot of something. I don’t think I need to remind you that we need to get paid.”

No, he didn’t. The fee for this job was huge and a major cash influx the club could use. They had plans and those plans needed funding. “Going undercover could get him killed.”

“That’s the risk we all take everyday. You think he didn’t risk his life in the Corps? You’ve seen his jacket. He may have been taking most of his targets out from a mile away most days, that didn’t mean he was safe.”

It boggled his mind how much information JD could get his hands on. Telling him something was classified was useless. If there was information to be had, he had a contact to get it for him.

“He severed ties with us a decade ago. Just walked away like it meant nothing. Proved that again yesterday. What makes you so sure he’s going to come back now? Even for her?”

JD smiled. “The club is in that boy’s blood just like it is yours. The Corps may have given him an adequate substitution while turning him into an adrenalin junkie, but that ended the day the IED hit him. The Corps don't give a shit that he’s mostly functional. On paper he doesn’t meet regs, that means he’s out. I’ve seen this bullshit a hundred times. Someone like him is going to need an outlet. A new mission in life. We can give him that.”

Axel wasn’t so sure. Houston cutting them out of his life without a glance back had been a betrayal he'd never forgotten. He didn’t fully understand why the Pres wanted him back so much. The club was hot shit. Business was going great, they were about to expand into more legal revenue streams and they were flush with more recruits than they could handle. Babysitting someone he wasn’t sure he could trust anymore did not sound remotely like a good time.

JD clapped him on the shoulder. “Stop thinking so hard, son. The decision’s been made. It’s time to put the past where it belongs and move on together. Make the offer and go from there. If he wants our help then you make sure he’s in. All in. Otherwise he’s on his own.”

Hardening his jaw, Axel nodded to his Pres before turning away. Fuck it. If the rest of the club was on board then so be it. He’d make sure there were eyes on him at all times until he was convinced. If Hawkeye tried to screw them over, he’d know and he’d enjoy telling them I told you so.

He jerked the pack of cigarettes out of his cut and yanked one free. Apparently he and Hawkeye had a lot to talk about. Although it seemed unlikely his old friend would take the deal just to save some snatch he barely knew.

Axel pulled the game room door open. They’d left Houston on ice in this room while key members of the club discussed the situation. Just because they voted to help him find the girl didn’t mean it was going to be easy. Mazzeo was a clever snake and so far the bastard always stayed one step ahead of them.

“Hey.”

Houston pressed the off button on the television. “Hey,” he returned.

“Looks like this is your lucky day or unlucky depending on what you think of the deal.”

Houston neither flinched nor cracked a smile. Fucker kept his face blank, making it impossible to read. He smelled like whiskey though. A lot of it.

“You sober?”

“Sober enough. What’s the deal?”

“Club has a spot for someone with your skills and training. You know how this works. The club is already indebted to your family for life and thanks to those old ties we’re willing to back you up as much as we can, but we won’t risk going to war for you unless you agree to patch in permanently. And make no mistake, getting involved in Mazzeo business for no good reason other than pussy means war.”

Houston nodded his head. “Done. I figured as much before I even turned wheels onto the compound. I’ve already made peace with the past.”

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