Page 154 of Outlaws of Tulsa

“Now that we’ve talked numbers, we need to discuss what the fuck happened last night.” He leans back in his leather boardroom chair, looking like the devil who took over a business meeting. The X carved into his face is a menacing warning that wards off anyone who might think they can fuck with him. “Those men were not the authorities.”

“No shit,” Blake mutters.

Koyn cuts his eyes his way but doesn’t say anything to him. My brother glances at me, my only warning before he speaks, and then clears his throat. “Stormy was investigating Copper and me because she happened upon information about our club.”

The room pulsates with wild energy.

“For whatever reason,” Koyn says slowly, “they’re interested in us. Called up at Copper’s work sticking their noses where they don’t belong and trying to get the Feds on us.”

“Who the fuck arethey?” Payne demands, cracking his knuckles one by one.

“Cypress Collins and Urbano Vidal,” I answer with a grunt. “We think they’re trafficking women.”

No one flinches at the name. No spark. No recognition. Nothing.

“And they’re interested in us because why?” Payne drawls out, his eyes narrowing. “What the fuck do we have to do with trafficking women?”

“It goes beyond that. They’re looking for someone they think is hiding here,” Filter barks back. “One of you.”

Dragon flicks out his blade. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Start talking.” He points his blade at Bizzy. “Who the fuck knows these assholes? You?”

“What? Fuck no.” Bizzy’s eyes grow huge and he glances at Gibson.

“Don’t look at me,” Gibson snaps. “I don’t know either.”

Koyn gives me a slight shake to the head. I grit my teeth in frustration but keep my mouth shut.

“It doesn’t matter,” Koyn grunts out. “If someone’s hiding here, they have good reason. But here’s what we do know. Vidal and Collins are ghosts. They appear when they want to recruit and disappear once they’ve grabbed what they’re looking for. I’ve spent months looking into them and keep coming up short.”

“Next time one of their men show up, instead of putting a bullet through their brains,” Dragon snarls, glaring at Filter, “let me at them. I’ll find out who they’re after and then I’ll find them.” His evil grin promises bloody violence. Such a far cry from sixteen-year-old rich boy Chase Thomas.“Most likely to be famous.”

Koyn and I exchange a look. He may be hiding, but he doesn’t appear to be hiding from Vidal and Collins. No one’s that good of an actor. He doesn’t know them. Doesn’t mean shit, though.They could be working under aliases or his crazy ass blocked that shit out of his head.

“I want everyone on this,” Koyn says with a heavy sigh. “We’ll find out where those bastards are and draw them out. Start researching all their known hideouts.”

“Starting with Memphis,” I state, watching Dragon’s expression carefully.

He blinks once and then again before lifting his bright green eyes to me. His expression flashes from annoyed to confused to furious. Katana tenses beside him, in tune with his friend’s change in demeanor.

Koyn continues to explain everything I’ve uncovered thus far plus anything he’s found out on them, which isn’t much. Dragon and I remain locked in a staring contest. Whatever happened in those two missing years, I can tell he’s reliving it in this moment. Silently, I let him know I know exactly who he is. I know his name. I know he went missing. And that I think the person hiding is him.

“What do they look like?” Halo asks. “Do we even have photos of these ghosts?”

I lift a brow, waiting for Dragon to answer, but he seems just as curious to hear what these bozos look like.

“Vidal wears lots of jewelry. Hispanic. Flashy as fuck,” I reveal, my eyes locked on Dragon. Still nothing. No recognition whatsoever. “And Cypress Collins is a suit.”

The room is silent for a beat.

“Oh, and Collins has a scar through his brow,” I add, remembering that last bit.

Dragon closes his eyes for a moment, his nostrils flaring. I see it. Faint but there. Recognition. He knows Collins. Before I can say anything else, he explodes.

“We’re wasting time in here talking about this shit,” Dragon snaps, slamming the tip of his knife into Koyn’s expensive-assboardroom table and driving it deep into the wood. “Katana and I are going to make some calls so we can find these bastards.”

He shakes his head, trembling with rage, and then storms from the room with Katana hot on his heels. Everything matches up to Dragon being the one they’re looking for, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’s hiding. He seems like the kind of guy who’s out for blood.

“Fill them in on the rest,” I say to Koyn as I stand. “I’m going to make a call to Dan. See if he might have information on them.”

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