Page 15 of Preacher

"Ain’t too keen on walking into their house blind." Grim let out a low breath as he shook his head. “Especially when you’ve got a feeling, cause those feelings of yours are never wrong.”

"That’s why we aren’t going in blind."

Goose leaned forward with a smirk pulling at his lips. "What’s the play, then?"

"We go in prepared.” I tapped my fingers against the table as I ran through the plan in my head. “Me, Creed, and Seven will take the meet. Ghost and Grim, you’ll be outside, watching the perimeter. Rusty and the prospects will keep eyes on the road in and out, so if something goes sideways, we’ll have a way out."

Creed nodded. "Weapons?"

"Low profile," I said. "We’re not walking in there looking for a fight, but we sure as hell aren’t going in there unarmed.”

Memphis let out a low chuckle. “Glad we’re on the same page there.”

“I see no point in taking any unnecessary risks with these guys. They’ve been here for a couple of years now and haven’t caused us any trouble. I’m hoping to keep it that way.”

"You really think they want to work with us?” Goose asked. “Or is this just a way to size us up?"

"In all honesty, it could be both," I admitted. "We all know what Sergei’s done to get that casino. He’s made some enemies along the way. Maybe he’s trying to decide if we’re one of them.”

“Or he’s going to try to get us to clean up his mess,” Creed suggested. “They know what kind of power the Fury name carries.”

“It’s a possibility, but we won’t know until we get there.” I let my gaze sweep over the room. "Make no mistake… this meet isn’t about what they want. It’s about whatwewant. We will decide if it is worth our time, and we’ll discuss the terms. If it’s not something we’re up for, we walk.”

Ghost cracked his knuckles, the only sign he was even remotely interested. "And if they try to play us?"

"Then they learn real fast why no one fucks with Satan’s Fury,” Grim growled.

And just like that, the table went quiet. Everyone knew this wasn’t just some business meet. This was about control and making sure the Volkov brothers knew exactly who they were dealing with. I stood as I told them, “Tomorrow night at seven. Be ready.”

I dismissed the meeting with a nod and walked out, leaving the brothers to talk amongst themselves. I made my way down the hall toward the bar. The club was quiet. Most of the regulars had gone for the night or were tucked away in their rooms. I was ready to do the same, but first, I needed a drink.

As soon as I got to the bar, I grabbed a bottle of bourbon and claimed a spot in the back. I was about to pour myself a drink when Misty slid up next to me. She was one of the hang-arounds, and one of her many jobs was to keep the brothers happy—and that didn’t just mean keeping their bellies full. Misty was one of the younger hang-arounds, and she was eager. Not only to please but to get her hooks into one of the brothers.

And tonight, she had her sights set on me.

Her lips curved into that teasing little smirk she always wore when she had something on her mind. “Hey there, handsome.”

She was a pretty girl and always accommodating. She was wearing a pair of tight, cut-off jeans and a low-cut top that showed off plenty of cleavage, and she had no problem showing it. I gave her a slight nod. “Hey, yourself.”

“You having a good night?”

“Pfft. I’ve had better.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. Maybe I could turn things around for ya,” she purred, dragging a finger down my arm.

I brought the glass to my lips and took a slow sip, letting the burn settle deep before answering. "That so?"

“Um-hmm.” She leaned in, pressing herself against me just enough to make her point. "You’re always taking care of everyone else. Maybe it's time someone took care ofyoufor a change."

On any other night, I might’ve let her.

I might’ve let her lead me back to my room and let her drown out the thoughts raging in my head.

But not tonight.

I took another sip of my drink before answering, "Not tonight, Misty."

"Are you sure?” she pouted. “I’ll show you a real good time.”

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