Page 129 of Conquering Oz

“Cleo.” Ace growled. “Outside.”

She obediently nodded. She slipped between a few members of the club but stopped next to Rogue. She reached out, tapping his arm. His brother jerked his head and scowled. Cleo seemed absolutely clueless to Rogue’s vibe.

“Can you tell Quinn I said hi?”

There wasn’t much that shocked Oz or left him speechless. He’d seen it all, as had most men in the room. It made the scene all the more mind-blowing. The room was completely silent.

Rogue angled his head, his gaze hardening. Oz expected a nasty retort. Instead, he gave a curt nod and said, “Yeah, I’ll tell her.”

Cleo’s smile widened, and she rushed out the door.

He shared a look with Nash, who seemed just as surprised as Oz. When his gaze drifted to Trey, he noticed a small smile on his lips.

It was a rare sight. But every once in a while, Rogue showed humanity.

It was short-lived.

“What the fuck are you assholes doing here?”

Ace smirked. “Just checking out your place.In our territory.”

For Christ’s sake.The tension was high in the room with Rogue only adding to it. It was up to Oz to de-escalate. He held up his hand, silencing his brother.

Ace glanced around the room. “Who you got running things?”

Trey stepped forward. “We have Dante handling the operations.”

Ace nodded and lifted his brows. “Ever need security, you let us know.”

It was an olive branch that Rogue forcibly shot down. He lunged forward.

“We don’t fucking need anything from you.”

For his part, Ace had been dealing with Rogue for years and knew exactly what to expect. More importantly, how to handle him. Ace laughed, sharing a look with his enforcer, Wraith. It would only enrage Rogue more, but Oz had a feeling that was Ace’s intent.

?He drew in a breath, glaring at his brother. Rogue was too much of a hothead. Business relationships weren’t his forte, but Trey stepped up next to him, addressing Ace.

“We appreciate the offer. I’ll be in touch if we need your services.”

Ace nodded and walked out with the brothers following close behind. Killcreek Drifters MC had always been an ally to the Underground. Contrary to what Rogue thought, they could be trusted.

Chapter Twenty-Six

5:37pm.

Shit!

Elodie was already running late. Thankfully, she’d kept the apartment upstairs vacant. She’d converted it to an elaborate breakroom and storage area. But tonight it was her personal dressing room.

Friday nights were relatively quiet, and with only a few more hours open for operation, she trusted Charley to close on her own. Elodie had approached her a few days ago about taking over as manager. She’d been the perfect choice and most invested in her boutique. The other girls were great, but they were carving out their futures, which didn’t have her store as their end goal. They’d eventually leave to pursue their own careers. Charley was a different story, and that was proven when Elodie offered her the position. Her face said it all, and so did her immediate yes and promise to do her best.

“I won’t disappoint you, Elle.”

Those words and Charley’s dedication to Elodie’s boutique had her emotional. This was her store, her vision, her dream.

Elodie slipped on her shoes and rushed to the mirror to get one last look. It was a red, form fitting, ankle-length dress with a plunging neckline. Not exactly birthday party attire, but this wasn’t just any average event. She’d dressed with an ulterior motive.How can he kill me when I look this good?

Elodie hadn’t even second-guessed her decision to throw a small gathering in honor of Oz’sbelatedbirthday. She’d planned it weeks ago with everyone fully on board.Well,almost everyone.Nash and Trey had been adamant Oz wouldn’t approve, but Elodie moved forward with her plans.

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