Page 34 of Outlaws' Dirty Secret

Fuck, I don't judge what anyone does to pay the bills. We all make our bucks somehow, and I don't have much of a moral leg to stand on, but there's still something about these places I find damn depressing. Sex should be fun. Sure, we got sluts at the club, but at least they wanna be there and they know they’ll be taken care of so long as they are under our protection.

Dragon gives my shoulder a push. “Come on.”

We set a course for the bar, following the bouncer's directions. On one side, there's a big cage set into the wall where a topless girl is dancing under a red light. I get the bartender's attention,while Skyhigh directs Crank and Poe one way, and Dragon and Sinner the other, blocking off lanes of escape, just in case Bone doesn't wanna talk to us. It's been known to happen despite how fucking charming we are.

“Looking for Bone,” I say as low as I can when she comes to take our order, slipping a fifty across the bar.

It vanishes. She jerks her head in the direction of the tables. “Back left. Purple glasses.”

We set a course for the back table. The others close in behind us, making sure there's no way out. I check my piece in my belt, making sure it's sitting loose. Just in case.

Bone is skinny and pale, living up to his name. In a white sweater, with thin rimmed purple glasses and a comb over, he looks like he should be doing the accounting in a bookstore, not selling tips from a strip club. I catch sight of a tattoo on his neck, and something gold around his wrist, but he’s the kind of guy you could pass every day on the street and never notice.

I slide into the booth on one side of him and Skyhigh on the other. He's buried deep in his phone but looks up when we sit down. “Can I help you gentlemen?”

“I don’t know, mostly it seems you’re trying to fuck us over.” I throw my arm onto the couch behind him, leaning in, fully aware that it makes my cut fall open and the grip of my iron visible. His eyes flick down and widen, and then I've got his full fucking attention.

His Adam's apple bobs with a harsh swallow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I stay away from the Sons. You’re bad for business, so whatever you’re here for, I swear I had nothing to do with it.”

This is our big information dealer? Looks can be deceiving, I guess. Hopefully. That fucking kid sitting in our cell is betting his continued existence on this tip.

“Just want some info. I hear that's what you deal in.” Skyhigh pulls his attention the other way. Bone's eyes keep flicking back and forth, trying to keep an eye on both of us at once.

“I’m a nobody. Can't imagine I've got anything you want,” he tries.

“Pretty sure you do. See, we keep running into trouble lately, and word is, you’re the one making it happen. Does the name Harry ring a bell?”

Bone shakes his head. “Don't know him.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and he cringes. “If you’re worried about him finding out you talked. Don’t be. Unfortunately, Harry isn't with us any longer.” His eyes go wider, if that's even possible. “But I have it on good account that he bought his info from you. Now that doesn’t make me happy, but it’s fine. You're just doing business. But if you don't want this to come back and bite you in the ass even harder than it's already doing, you're gonna let me and my friend know where you got this info from.”

His eyes get a little wild, and he's looking past us like there might be help there. “It’s business. Yeah. Listen, you’ve gotta know what it’s like. I have a reputation. If it gets out that I reveal my sources, I’ll be a pariah. No one's gonna talk if they think I’ll rat them out.”

“Not our problem.” Skyhigh leans back into the couch and lets his cut fall open, revealing that we're both armed.

“Fuck,” Bone says under his breath. Then with a surprising amount of speed, slides under the table and makes a run for it.

He doesn't get far. Poe blocks his path, and when Bone veers the other way, he runs right into Dragon who lifts him in the air by his shirt and carries him back. “Pretty sure you weren't done talking,” he notes, dry as a… bone. Yeah, I'm fucking hilarious.

“Alright,Boner.” I take him straight from Dragon and push him back into the booth. “Here's the deal. Anyone finding out you squealed is a problem for future you. Us?” I gesture at myself and my boys with my free hand. “We're a now problem. Understood? So my advice, if you wanna keep all your teeth in your face and your nose unbroken, is that you consider your choices because we can show you what happened to Harry if you want motivation.”

His eyes widen in pure panic as if he only just realized exactly how much shit he's in. “Okay! Okay! Please don't hurt me. Please!”

Skyhigh grins wide. “That's all up to you now.”

“Honestly, I don't know his name. Goes by Brutus and I didn’t exactly ask for ID. Tall, built big… I don't know. Curly hair, short fuse.” He shrugs.

“Brutus?” Skyhigh frowns like it means something to him, but he doesn’t volunteer anything.

I tighten my grip on Bone’s shirt. “Something more concrete is a lot more likely to keep fists outta your face.”

“Shit. I don't know. I really fucking don't. He’s not consistent but he’s been trading me information for years and it’s always beensolid enough to keep people happy. That's all I know about him and all I want to know.”

Frustrated, I toss him backwards into his seat with a growl, but much as I'd love to break his snotty little face, it's not gonna get me anything. “Here’s how it’s gonna be. IfBrutuscontacts you again, you’re gonna get on the phone to me before you do anything—and I mean fucking anything else—and spill it all.Weare the only buyers for his info, and if I find out you've held out on us or not kept your mouth shut, we'll be back, and we won't be so fucking understanding.” I get up, dusting my hands off like I just touched something dirty.

“I swear. First thing. Absolutely” He's straightening his shirt, but following me real close with his eyes. Like I might just jump right back in there and change my mind.

Skyhigh gets up, too. “I hope for your sake that's true.”

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