Page 68 of Devil to Pay: Cutter

“Come on back to my office,” he says standing from the stool but doesn’t wait for me to reach him before he walks behind the bar to one of the rooms where his office is located, and I scurry to catch up. Unlike my middle management loser boss, Mr. Sasquatch, back home, Vlad doesn’t sit behind his desk in a power move. He doesn’t need to. The man exudes power out his very masculine pores. I smell his power in the air.

He leans against the edge of the desk, feet firmly planted on the floor with his arms crossed over his broad chest. “What brings you up from Texas?” he asks, not unfriendly per se, but matter-of-factly.

“He’s making moves again.” I don’t specify. We both know who I’m talking about.

“We’ve been dealing with shit here at the club that had to take precedence.”

“Is that shit over?”

“For now–yes.”

“Great, then we have time.” I show him my atlas. But as I flip to the page I want he stops me.

“You don’t call the shots with this. We do things on our time.”

“But you’renotdoing adamn thing.” Oh yeah, I really should rein in my temper before I end up buried in the Horde backyard.

Vlad stands abruptly. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“Apparently a man who goes back on his word. I’m not part of your club. You don’t intimidate me.” Lie. Total lie. One hundred percent intimidates me. I’m just good at hiding it.

“You think this is going to get me to help you?”

“Youaren’thelping. That’s the problem.”

“We’re done, here.”

“Fine. Then I guess I’m on my own. Thanks for nothing.” He can choke on whatever he’s about to say. I don’t stick around to find out. Back out in the common room, I see Aja. She was the first woman I met when I initially tracked down the Horde. And she’s visibly pregnant.

“Danni?” Aja says. She has her long, thick dark hair pulled up in a high ponytail. I envy that hair. I pretty much envy everything about Aja. She’s Filipino by ancestry. I don’t know if it’s because of those good genes or just the luck of family traits, but she has the longest eyelashes and this gorgeous golden skin that positively glows in that maternity way. All those prenatal vitamins have awesome benefits. “What are you doing here?” she asks.

“Not getting any help from Vlad, that’s for sure.”

“We’ve had some stuff happen with the club.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I really am but I can’t wait any longer. He struck again in Missouri. He’s either in Kentucky or Tennessee if he keeps to the pattern. It was good to see you. Congratulations on the expansion of your family.”

“Thank you–don’t go.”

“What?”

“You’re going out alone. I see it written all over your face.”

“I’m always alone, Aja.”

“No. Not with this. Please stay, come back to my place and we’ll talk to Cutter. See what we can do.”

“He’s under the rules of Vlad and Vlad is sitting on his ass doing nothing. No offense, but I don’t have time to wait.”

“Please,” she begs. “Come back to my house. Let me talk to Cut. We’ll figure this thing out. I promise.”

“One day, Aja. I’ll give you one day and then I’m gone.”

“Fair enough. Follow me.”

Aja turns to leave out of the clubhouse and I follow close behind. For a little thing, she sure is agile. I’m impressed with the way she hefts herself up into the cab of that truck. I follow behind in my car as we drive back down the mountain. She heads out of Bentley towards a town called Middlesboro.

I swear on my mother’s grave if she’s giving me the run-around, she’ll be sorry. Pregnant or not. Who am I kidding? I’ll wait until the baby is born.

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