Page 115 of Outlaws of Tulsa

“I got into the group through Filter after meeting him at a bar,” I mumble. “I wanted Koyn, but he’s a tough nut to crack.”

Copper’s features harden. “If you had fucked my brother, I would’ve probably put a bullet in your head too.”

A chill ripples through me, but I ignore it. “I’m not into getting raped, so your brother was spared having to sleep with the whore.”

Copper rolls his eyes at my flippancy. “So you got in. Then what?”

“Then I snooped. Everyone was tightlipped around me, but I learned a lot. I saw what you guys did. The torture and murder. The fact you were robbing people blind to pay for Koyn’s fancy-ass compound.”

“You got your proof we’re monsters,” Copper grunts out, irritation in his tone. “Fucked your way almost to the top. You found out Erin was missing but were no longer in a position to look for her since you’d fixated on us.”

Guilt claws at my heart. Erin is still out there because I thought there was more to the big picture. If the bad guys had stuff about the Koynakovs, then maybe they were the heart of the entire operation. As I got involved with the Royal Bastards, I soon realized I’d opened a can of worms, but it strayed from my original investigation. I became so fixated on the Royal Bastards, specifically the Koynakovs, since I was living with them, I lost sight of my goal.

“I’m not perfect,” I snap, scowling at him. “I think we’ve established that.”

He studies me for a beat and then sighs. “So back to Collins and Vidal. Why were they looking into us?”

“I’ve wondered that a lot, but I can’t seem to find an answer.”

He begins tapping away on the computer. I can’t see, so I stand and round his desk to get closer, abandoning my blanket on the chair. Copper doesn’t seem annoyed at my nosiness and continues to search through the FBI database for information regarding Collins and Vidal.

“The company name was Watcher’s Group. Check there,” I tell him. “There’s got to be something on Collins in the system.”

But, after a lengthy search, we come up short.

“I’ll have Koyn break into Collins’s server if we can locate one to see what we can find out.” He shoots Koyn an email and then leans back to look at me. “We’ll find out what happened to her.”

For a brief moment, we’re both Feds working on a case. I feel a swell of gratitude for this man. It’s quickly dashed when reality rears its ugly head. He’s just as bad as Vidal and Collins.

“Anything else you can remember about the file?” Copper asks. “Any emails or letters that stand out?”

“Nothing of any significance.”

“Then tell me all the insignificant things instead.”

I place my hands on my hips and shrug. “I saw notes like ‘follow the money’ and ‘he’s in hiding’ and ‘no emails or text correspondence because Koynakov is a tech genius.’”

Copper frowns. “Who’s in hiding?”

“I assumed they meant Koyn.”

“Koyn’s not in hiding. Everyone knows he’s a Royal Bastard and that his brother is a Fed. His property is under his legal name. My brother doesn’t fucking hide.”

“You then? A dirty rat?”

His jaw clenches at my dig. “I’m not hiding either.”

“I was the only female until Hadley came along,” I grumble. “How the hell am I supposed to know who ‘he’ is?”

“We need to find out who they were truly after. They clearly stumbled upon us looking for someone else.” He cocks his head to the side, his brows furled in confusion. “Who could they possibly be looking for? Why? Who would be hiding from these motherfuckers and keep that from us?”

His nostrils flare as he slams his fist down hard on the desk. He seems more pissed about this betrayal among one of his brothers than what I’ve done to them.

“I don’t know, but you’re going to find out, Copper.”

“Damn straight I am.” He stands up, sending his chair hurtling backward. “Let’s get you settled in your new accommodations.”

I crane my neck so I can look up at him. “You make it sound like I’m at the Ritz Carlton.”

---