Page 12 of Conquering Oz

Ace spread out his arms. “Don’t know what to tell you.”

Not good enough, Ace.

Oz clenched his jaw. “Thinkof something.”

Ace cupped his mouth, drawing his hand over his beard, keeping his scowl locked in place.

“This has got nothing to do with the club. You need to take that up with someone higher than me, Oz. This is way above my fucking pay grade.” Ace folded his arms. “Talk to Inez.”

“I’m talking” —Oz grasped his glass— “to you. That load was in your territory. Practically in your fucking backyard. And you don’t know how it got there?”

A few of the members shared looks between each other, but Cross and Ace remained stoic and unfazed. It was exactly what he’d expected from the President and VP of the Killcreek Drifters MC.

“We handle the transport, not distribution. Aside from small sales on our end, we don’t deal with large quantities. Never have, Oz, you know that. If some motherfucker is coming in and selling, that’s not our problem.”

Technically, yes. But…

Oz narrowed his gaze. “It is if you knew about it.”

“Uh, brother…” Oz shifted his glare to the biker stationed behind the VP. Gent smiled. “With all due respect, Oz. You’re gonna have to take it up with the missus. It’s kinda like being married. No one looks forward to seeing her, but you took the vow.”

A few of the members laughed. But not Ace. He merely smirked and raised his brows.

“Like I said. You gotta talk to Inez.”

Oh, I will.Oz was done with this meeting. He’d get nothing more from the MC. He’d be forced to deal with a high power. And nobody enjoyed dealing withher. He was about to dismiss the club when an unexpected interruption gained everyone’s attention.

“Oh hey, darlin’. You following me?”

Oz glanced over at Gent, but he was looking to the opposite end of the room, smiling. Oz followed his stare, shifting his gaze across the balcony. He was rarely surprised by anything or anyone.

Until now.

Chapter Three

I definitely took a wrong turn.

“Fuck,” Elodie mumbled, staring at the room full of men. There had to have been at least twenty lining the perimeter of the balcony. It was an odd mixture with the majority being in suits and almost a dozen in leather vests. They all had one thing in common.Every pair of eyes is on me. Elodie offered a nervous smile and cleared her throat. The silence was deafening. She scanned the room only to find one welcoming smile from the ginger-haired biker from earlier. It did nothing to calm her nerves. If anything, it spiked her anxiety.

A sharp bang, like a glass on a table had her jumping back and veering her gaze to the table in the corner. Elodie immediately froze, locked in his gaze. The owner.

This was the icing on the cake.Happy fucking Birthday to me.

His scowl deepened forming two deep lines between his brows. Even in the dim lighting, his eyes were menacing. A shiver ran down her spine, and a cool air blanketed her arms. She’d been hoping to run into him again.But not like this.

Sudden movement from the corner of her eye, had Elodie darting her gaze to the left. The man approaching was the same guy the owner had been speaking with downstairs. Early to mid-thirties with blondish hair, not quite as intimidating as his boss. Until now.

Elodie tried to feign calm and ease. She forced a smile, feeling the heat rise from her chest, blasting her face. He stopped directly in front of her with a sharp glare.

“I believe I’ve made a wrong turn somewhere.”

His gaze hardened. “I believe you have.”

Oh shit.

“I was looking for the bathroom. I’m sorry.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder toward the elevators. “I’ll just see myself out.” She quickly turned and was caught off guard by another man standing a foot away. Tall, bald, and bearded with a severe glare that would haunt her nightmares. Through his tailored suit she could see his muscular physique. His arms were bigger than her thighs.

She pointed to the elevator. “If you just open the elevator for me, or point me to the stairs, I’ll leave immediately.”

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