Page 18 of Cowboy's Way

“That they take side-gigs from time to time, and a man they’ve worked with before gave them a down payment for a job. They wouldn’t say anything else, acting like we were trying to cut them out of some deal,” he says, momentarily resting his forehead against his fingertips and letting out a loud yawn. “Sorry. Uhh, oh, Nickel mentioned it to Bud and Kitty. They were as surprised as anyone. You want my two cents? They’ve written their sons off and don’t pay them any attention.”

“As long as they don’t base the deal on keeping those two employed, I don’t give a shit. But if we buy the company, I don’t want them on our books,” Demo cuts in, slamming his hand down on the table.

“Nickel said as much to them at breakfast,” Frost tells him, trying to placate the sudden shift in his temper. “Mabel seems dependable. As far as I can tell, her only vehicle, a truck, is six years old, and she has a mortgage on a three-bedroom brownstone in town. Nothing flashy.”

“Not even a boat?” Havoc asks, sounding surprised.

“She has a kayak,” Frost responds, showing he’s really done his diligence on all of them, even if it involves a little breaking and entering.

“Frost, any reason you couldn’t stay on there a bit longer?” Demo asks him.

“No, that’s not a problem,” he shrugs, but the blush around his neck gets me and Havoc smirking.

“What did I say about fucking around with Mabel?” I can’t help but to give him some shit.

“Stow it unless you’ve washed your face,” Demo snaps out, keeping a straight face as my brothers take to laughing at my expense this time. “As soon as Nickel’s finished with the books, I want his ass back here. I’m going to call Bud to see if you can shadow them for a couple of weeks.”

“Got it,” he replies. “I’ll head back there tomorrow, if that’s alright.”

I hang out for a while, waiting until Demo’s got a moment.

“You find anything out?” he asks, coming to join me as I lazily toss a stick to Bruno out back.

“She passed out on the way home,” I tell him, feeling like I’m betraying Faith even though I know my loyalty belongs to the Saints. “We’re gonna take the horses out this afternoon though.”

“If Charm doesn’t come back by tomorrow, I’ll swing by Sheila’s,” he says, nodding his head as if he’s just made up his mind about it. “See if she’s heard anything else about what the Feds are looking for. There’s just too much happening at once for this to be a coincidence.”

My stomach churns, wondering how Faith is tied up in all of this.

Chapter 6

Faith

“Angel! Get your sweet ass down here,” Tore’s loud voice easily carried through our penthouse.

The fact he called for me at all, let alone his words, tells me that he has others with him and that I had better be scantily dressed.

Although I’ve never held an actual job, every morning I’m in the gym by eight and then shower before doing my hair and make-up for the day. If I don’t have plans with Tore’s associates’ wives, I’m home either reading or waiting.

Waiting for him to call for me.

Growing up, it never occurred to me that ‘waiting’ could be a full-time job. But it is. At least for me.

Walking down the hallway from our bedrooms, my stomach lurches when I see who is with him today—I shouldn’t have been surprised, not after Tore used ‘sweet ass’, his code to let me know that not only should I be dressed like a slut, but my body could end up being on full display for whoever is with him. Should he choose to allow it.

The Albanian scumbag, leering at me as I enter the living room, is one of a handful of men that my husband has exposed me to over the years.

That doesn’t include the bodyguards or servants who may have been present, of course. Because they aren’t real people.

“Faith?”

The voice sounded as wrong as the name when it called me from my dream this morning. It wasn’t Tore’s deep timber, nor was it any variation of the name I was born with.

Logan’s voice was filled with longing and care, or at least those were the emotions I hoped I heard. Being unfamiliar with both, maybe it was just good, old-fashioned lust. After last night’s experience on his boat, I’d be more than happy to settle for that.

Once I assured myself that I was fully clothed, I warily studied him as he apologized for having to leave, surprised that he cared enough to make plans with me later today.

Whether he would keep them remained to be seen.

---