Page 123 of Redemption

What washermeeting? Victoria bit her lip. Actually, who cared, as long as she could leave?

“It shouldn’t change anything,” the man growled. “Cool your tits.”

Of all the things that she’d never expected to hear said to Lenora…Wow.Victoria couldn’t tell by his voice if he was irritated, had smoked a few too many cartons of cigarettes this week, or if his concern level over the Russians’ leadership scuffle was that aggravating. Lenora’s face didn’t give away the answer, and the other man was equally unreadable as he lit another smoke, sending a gray cloud toward the ceiling.

“It doesn’t matter who they send. Nothing’s going to change from our end. The statement has to be made.”

Lenora jumped off the mattress. “Like hell. It matters who they send.”

“A message is a message, whether the two you cherry-picked are there or not.”

Venom danced in Lenora’s eyes as they narrowed, and she took hard steps toward her man. “That wasn’t the plan,” she snapped. “I—”

“Nothing’s changing right now. Club business ain’t your business.”

Lenora put her hands on her hips. “You are out of your goddamn mind if you think you’re pulling ‘club business ain’t my business.’ I hadonerequest. Two men.”

“I’m sure it will be two men,” the sergeant-at-arms said.

“Specific men!” She slammed her index finger into his chest.

“Run your mouth to me.” The man grasped her wrist, spinning Lenora into a chokehold as Victoria’s eyes went wide. “And see what happens.”

There were half a dozen evasive maneuvers to get out of that hold, but Lenora didn’t try. She smiled and curled both her arms behind her head, wrapping around the man’s neck. “Baby.”

“Trying the cutesy crap,” he groused.

What was happening? Victoria had no idea.

“You know I meant two specific men.” She elbowed her man, and he snaked her to face him. “If you want to get rough with me, you wait till everyone’s gone before you tear off my clothes.”

His kissed down her neck, and Victoria looked away, unbelieving this was the attorney she knew. A minute later, Lenora flopped down on the bed as though she had been pushed, and Victoria snuck a peek to see a flushed-faced, lust-drunk woman who would probably rather no one else but her old man be in the room. This was the twilight zone.

“Two. Specific. Men.” Lenora blew a kiss.

“I’ll see what can be done.” He crumbled the note into his pocket and sauntered out with the chain-smoker following behind.

When the door shut, Victoria gaped at Lenora as she dropped her head back with a lust – drunk grin hanging on her face she whispered, “And that’s how it’s done.”

“Would you mind telling me what the fuck is going on?” Victoria said, exasperated. “If you won’t, kindly lead me to somebody who will. I don’t care who it is. Just bring me to somebody who can talk to me about what I need to know or let me leave. And Adelia? Tell me you two don’t have a daughter ten years younger than you. I don’t get that. I don’t get anything!”

“That’s the simplest thing here.” Lenora rearranged a pillow that Victoria didn’t want to touch and seemed ready to tell a story. “Club business does what club business does.”

“Whatever that means,” Victoria replied.

“Mayhem never touches women or children as a means to the end of earning a buck.”

But guns, drugs, whatever else was okay. Yet, Victoria appreciated they had a code… of sorts. “Honorable, in their world.” She left off,I suppose.

“It’s in their rules, upheld by all charters, and, yes, whether you really do see how it’s honorable or not, they have their own law.”

“And Adelia was…” Victoria hated that the girl might’ve been trafficked or raped, and perhaps that was why she saw something familiar in her face that she couldn’t place. Could she pick out other women who had been hurt like she had been?

Lenora scrunched the pillow and remained silent for several long minutes. Finally, she turned toward Victoria. “Do you think all people should operate under the same justice system?”

“That’s an odd question coming from an attorney.”

“Or maybe that’s the best question coming from an attorney,” Lenora mused. “I’ve seen it all. I know the system, the ins and the outs, who it best serves and most often fails. We both know how to make deals. We both know who never gets a second chance.”

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