Page 66 of Riding the Edge

“Wolf and Pipe were already taken and are a bit outdated, don’t you agree Papi?” Alvarez asks, crossing his arms.

“I’m not your Papi,” I growl. “Now, I came here to deliver a message to you and your club—”

“We had nothing to do with Trigger getting shot,” he interrupts.

Before I can answer him, Pipe fires a shot into the ceiling.

“Did he say you could speak?” he questions, bringing down his gun. The two club members pull out their guns and aim them at Pipe. Alvarez keeps his eyes pinned to me and crosses his arms.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” I begin, stepping closer. “You’re going to go visit Nico in the hospital and you’re going to tell him you took a vote and have decided because of his ties to the Satan’s Knights MC you don’t think he’s a fit for your club.”

“And if I don’t?” he challenges.

Pipe’s gun goes off again and this time the bullet pierces one of the guys in the thigh.

“If you don’t, the next time we come here, there will be a lot more bullets flying, and I promise they won’t be flesh wounds,” Pipe replies.

“Are we clear?”

“We don’t want any problems with the Satan’s Knights.”

“Good answer,” I say, turning to Pipe. “Let’s leave these fine men to clean up this mess.”

“But we didn’t even get our tacos yet,” he says, lowering his gun.

“There’s a Taco Bell a block away,” I reply, holding out my hand. “And give me the fucking keys, will you?”

Reluctantly he passes them to me and with the promise to release Nico, I shake Alvarez’s hand and tell him I’ll be in touch. I might even send someone to repair the window.

Pipe and I get back in the car and I back out of the restaurant.

“Well, that was fun,” Pipe says as we turn onto the street

“We’re getting too old for this shit,” I mutter.

“You think he’s a man of his word?”

“I think they know they don’t have a shot of succeeding if they don’t release my son.”

“What are we going to do about the paramedic and Jack?”

“I told you I need to time to think. In the meantime, you keep a close eye on Parrish and whatever you do, do not let him know about tonight.”

“I never saw you.”

And just like that, there were more secrets and lies.

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