Page 11 of Rogue

“I’m not saying we didn’t do a good job,” she says.

“So, let’s finish the job,” I say. “He’s holding more women somewhere. That much is clear. There were only about thirty in that warehouse, and the intel told us he had many more than that. We have to strike now while he’s still picking himself up.”

Six years ago, everyone would say, “Hell, yeah!” to that and ride with me. Now they’re exchanging glances like there’s stuff they want to say, but are too chickenshit to do it.

Seeing those three Devil’s Nightmare MC guys fight to save the woman one of them loved was eye-opening for me too. They were there to fight to the death. I used to be that guy too. Not lately though. Not for a while.

“I’m all for saving those women, but the warehouse attack could’ve gone a lot differently,” Blade says, his deep bass voice reverberating in the silent room. “We got lucky when those security guys fled. Else we’d be mourning our dead right now.”

Judge clears his throat and I look at him expecting to hear more severe reprimands from him, but he doesn’t speak.

“And the LAPD isn’t very happy with us right now,” Alice says. “Isn’t that right?”

I shrug and nod, but don’t say anything. Truth is, I’m not currently in favor with my cousin Manny, the LAPD detective I called in to take care of the women we rescued and dispose of the men we killed. He’s mad that I didn’t give him any forewarning of the attack, and that I left the gate open. Most of the womenwere gone by the time they arrived and they’ve been trying to track them down ever since. I told all the execs this already. No need to go over it again.

“There’s nothing stopping us from going all the way with this thing now,” I say. “We track down Clive and make sure he drops all notions of ever owning brothels all over the city. In other words, we finish what we started.”

None of them look convinced.

“Come on,” I insist. “Six years ago, we’d have this thing wrapped up by now. What changed?”

Creed, Alice, and Blade exchange looks. Judge just keeps his eyes fixed on mine. He’s the most level-headed of us all and while he was peripherally involved in our original hunt for Ghost, he didn’t fully come to our side until a couple of years ago when an appeal on a ruling he made as a judge caused all his previous rulings to be overturned pending further investigation. This led to over fifty monsters he put away walking free and he couldn’t stay in the system that would allow that to happen anymore. He’s the most morally rigid person I’ve ever met. I count on him to be our compass because his never fails, even when all the rest of us lose our bearings.

“How can I put this…” Creed starts. “We’ve evolved, Rogue. We were reckless and wild in the beginning, because that’s what we needed to be then. But now, the scope of what we can get done is bigger. And we should be more careful and responsible.”

We’ve been careful and responsible for a while now. Only attacking when we were sure of success. Boring, in other words. Vanilla.

Not what Angel would’ve wanted for us. Avenging her is the whole reason this MC exists. And we’ve done it now. A thing that seemed impossible just two weeks ago. We can do other impossible things too.

“All the members handled themselves very well in the fight,” I say. “It wasn’t just that those security guys fled… we were effective. And ferocious.”

No one even tries to argue with me on that because we all know it’s the truth.

Alice closes the folder on Clive and his operation. “We need to know a whole lot more before we can move on him again. They know we’re after them now and there will be casualties next time. That’s the bottom line, Rogue.”

“OK, point taken,” I say. “The last thing I want is for anyone to get hurt. But that doesn’t mean I can’t go on my own see what the guy is up to.”

“I don’t want you to go running into danger either,” Alice says in an uncharacteristically whiny voice.

“You’re all welcome to join me,” I say. “It’ll be just like old times.”

I brace my hands against the table to stand, the bullet wound in my side protesting.

It’s not terribly painful anymore, but it’s not healed either. Which I kinda like. Because every time it aches, I’m reminded of the gorgeous doctor who stitched it up. Twice.

But then again, more or less everything kinda reminds me of her these last few days. From the sun beating down on my neck out in the lot, like it did the last time I saw her. Or the taste of coke, which she was drinking the first time I saw her. Also moonlight, which shone on the night I got shot and she fixed me up.

I don’t know the real reason why I can’t get her out of my mind. Maybe it’s her brilliant blue eyes, so pure and full of honesty, or her long, silky hair, or just the no-nonsense way she spoke to me when she told me I have to be more careful, sounding as though she actually cared. Most likely it’s just her rack and the legs for days.

It’s been a while since I’ve been with a woman. Longer still since I couldn’t stop thinking about one. That actually hasn’t happened since Angel. And it’s probably only happening because Angel isn’t occupying so much of my mind anymore now that she can finally rest in peace.

I’m halfway to the door before I realize Alice hasn’t replied and that they’re all just sitting there motionless, gawking at me.

“Is anyone coming?” I ask.

“Our time for being mavericks is done,” Blade says, sounding like one of those philosophy books he enjoys reading so much.

Then he just lapses back into the brooding silence that’s been his staple for years now. I’ve known Blade since sophomore year of high school when he first came to the Sacred Heart Academy where the rest of us went to school. He’s never been a light-hearted sort of dude, but his brooding and bad temper keep getting worse and worse every year lately. With all the good we’re doing, I figured he’d start to see the bright side more any day now.

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