Page 7 of Riding Through Life

“Ok, next order of business, Derange, go ahead.” Capone signals for Derange to take the floor. He shuffles the papers that were sprawled out on the table and hands each of us a copy. On it is a young girl around eighteen years old with her whole life ahead of her. She’s smiling into the camera like she has a secret that everyone wants to know about but no one does. Her blue eyes are sparkling with mischief and her blonde hair is styled to perfection without a hair out of place.

“Our contact got in touch with me. Three weeks ago, this girl named Denise Athens disappeared. She was last seen at a high school party and never came home. Her parents contacted the local PD and they are hitting a brick wall with this one. Denise’s clothes were found dirty and caked with blood about five miles from the party on a desolate dirt road. Her car was found in a ravine, covered with rocks and debris and had blood splatters on the windshield and steering wheel but was wiped clean of any prints or fibers. No tire tracks showing she skidded off the road or tried to stop. They’re at a loss on what to do and that’s why they contacted us.” Derange looks at me before speaking next. “Sherriff Donovan thinks this has to do with the Black Market Railroad and is asking for our help.”

Shit. Kensi’s dad, my future father-in-law, is our contact for Capone? Has he been feeding us these jobs when his hands are tied knowing we can and will get it done? Does Kensi know about this? Does Donovan know what we do to these types of people? Is he setting us up?

“Aftermath, I can see the wheels spinning, brother. What’s going on inside that big head of yours?” Capone asks, cool, calm and collected while I’m feeling anything but.

“How do we know this is legit? Does he know what we do to pigs like these?” I question.

“Of course, he does and he has known since you started dating his daughter and brought him into the Clubhouse.” Capone leans forward and steeples his hands together like a prayer. “I didn’t tell you who our contact was until I knew for sure your relationship with Kensi was the real deal. Her dad is walking a thin line between right and wrong and Kensi doesn’t know anything about it. She’s been in the dark this whole time and it’s going to stay that way. Are we clear?”

“Crystal clear.” I nod my head, turning all this information over in my brain. Another secret I’m keeping from Kensi. Fuck. My future father-in-law has been hiring us to do search and rescue missions this whole time, knowing what we do with the men we find and to top it off, he is an ex-FBI agent and now a Sheriff. What the actual fuck?

“Good, we need to tread lightly with this. There are big players involved and I don’t know how deep their connections go. One is a Sheriff from a neighboring county and that’s how this was brought to Donovan’s attention. These are the men going out on this trip and trying to find this young lady. I need the best of the best for this job so that is Aftermath, Trigger, Tiny and Pretty Boy. Use your resources to make people talk, I don’t care what you have to do to get the job done. You’ll roll out tomorrow morning.” Capone slams his gavel on the table ending this discussion.

“Does anyone else have anything they want to bring up today?” Capone asks.

Bones raises his hand, “I do, Prez.”

Capone nods, “Go for it.”

“I’d like to open a Gentleman's club. One ran by us and we only hire the best dancers who aren’t strung out on drugs. Who will work for us, not because they have to but because they want to.” Bones hesitates before adding, “And if it’s agreed upon, I would like Silver Grace to manage them. She has a lot of experience in this line of work and women trust her.”

My gaze flies to Bones, accessing him. Is he crushing on my mom? Do I have to kick his ass? He’s twenty years younger than she is! My nostrils flare the more I think about Bones chasing after my mother.

“It’s not what you think, Aftermath.” Bones disputes quickly.

“Tell me what I’m fucking thinking, Bones,” I growl low and deep. If he says one wrong word, he will be a limp pile of bones because I will beat him within an inch of his life.

“She is a beautiful woman.” Bones states. I’m close to losing it so I growl. “She knows what to look for in a dancer and how to successfully run a business like this. I’m not recommending her for the job because I have a teenage fantasy for a MILF. She needs something to do and I thought this would be perfect for her.” Bones argues his case. “She’s not happy sitting around not doing anything. I swear, Brother, this is not a sexual fantasy of mine.”

“Is my mom not good enough for your spank bank?” I interject.

“What the fuck, Aftermath?” Trigger chuckles. I drag my deadly gaze from Bones to Trigger. “You’re pissed if he does have a MILF issue and you’re pissed if he doesn’t. Make up your fucking mind. You sound like a hormonal woman.”

“I am not a hormonal woman!” I slam my fist onto the table, making the steady oak shake. “I don’t want one of my brothers fucking my mother! She is off limits!”

“No one is fucking your mom in this Clubhouse, Aftermath. Pull your shit together.” Red hisses in my ear.

I narrow my gaze at Red and he holds steady. He doesn’t cower like most men do. “Get a grip, brother. You’re seeing something that isn’t there.”

I shift my gaze back to Bones. “Is this true? You aren’t fucking my mom?”

Bones shakes his head, “Fuck no, Aftermath. She’s like a mom to me. Even though she’s hot as fuck, I’d never mess around with her.”

Huh, maybe I had all this wrong. I lean back in my seat and cross my arms over my chest.

“Are we done with the pissing contest?” Capone asks raising an eyebrow. I nod my head and don’t say a word. I really need to pull my shit together like Red keeps telling me. “Bones, I want the cost of everything for this project. From the building to the dancers, down to how much paint will cost. Get with Trigger and crunch some numbers. If it looks good, bring it to vote at the next meeting.” Capone slams his gavel on the table. “Meeting adjourned.”

Everyone stands up to leave except Red, Capone and Blayze. I raise an eyebrow but Red shakes his head. He can’t tell me what is going on yet. I have to trust that if he needs us, he will let us know. I leave the Chapel following Bones and Trigger talking about the club Bones wants to open. It does sound like a great idea, but I still don’t like my mom running it.

I’m grumpy as fuck as I take a seat at the bar waiting for Kensi to get back from her dad’s. A familiar giggle pierces my ears and my stomach drops to my feet. I turn my head and the busty blonde from Nadia’s dance studio is playing pool with Knight, staring at me.

I grab a bottle from behind the bar and hightail it to my room. There is no fucking way I’m staying out there without Kensi. Fuck that. If I have to leave in the morning, the last thing I want to do is fight with my Ol’ Lady over some bitch.

Chapter

Seven

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