Page 181 of Fury

“How long do you think this little deal you’ve got going with Reich is gonna last, bitch or no?” I let out a laugh. “Now that her and Catch have made a spectacle of themselves, you can be sure it’s going to be common knowledge that there’s a crack in your relationship, that she ain’t happy. That you two are done. Someone’s gonna try to exploit that rift. Exploit both our clubs.”

“I won’t let that happen. Nina fucked up, and she knows it. She knows what’s at stake. She’s keeping low for now.”

“Damage is already done, Butler. Add to the mix the Broken Blades, who have had it raw for you and for me since we got rid of the Calderón group. Notch needed that alliance. Now he’s like a hungry junkyard dog, desperate to keep whatever is left of his club together, desperate for a bone let alone a good meal. He’s fucking rabid, and I like him that way.”

Notch would never give in to me, and my mouth watered at the thought of his next move and my ultimate retaliation. It needed to be done right.

“And then you’ve got Jump on your back,” I continued. “How long until your Prez pulls the rug out from under your sparkly ass? I bet he loved this shit last night, huh?”

Butler brushed his boot into the dirt. “Yeah, he enjoyed it.”

“I don’t want what we have going on to be fucked with,” I said. “I’m trying to focus on patching in the Blades right now.”

“And you don’t think that’s gonna stir up trouble?”

“It sure as hell is,” I said. “But if I don’t make a play now that they’re down, someone else will, and soon. We can’t have outsiders coming in so close to our territories. Jump thinks it’s got nothing to do with him. He’s living with blinders on.”

“Jesus, you and Jump have never seen eye to eye,” said Butler. “Two of you have been like oil and water for as far back as I can remember. Hell, Dig and I’d been this close to getting shit started with you, and then the minute Dig got killed, Jump made sure to break any ties with you. I never knew what the—”

“That’s between me and Jump,” I cut him off.

The rat rod roared past. That was Tricky driving, spinning around the track, fresh from Lenore’s bed.

Fucker.

I spat on the ground. “Don’t stay comfortable, Butler. After last night, shit’s up in the air. You made a good play, but you’d better sprout eyes in the back of your head to stay above water.”

“I had an opportunity with him, and I took it.”

My eyes drilled into his. “You seem mighty confident to me. You’ve got something on Reich, don’t you?”

Butler remained silent, his eyes following the car speeding around the track.

“And it’s good, huh?” I folded my arms across my chest. “I can’t get involved. You know I’ll have to take his back over yours if it all comes crashing down on your head.”

He eyed me. “I know, but you won’t.”

Yes. He had something I wanted.

“Things just got much more interesting then. Remember, you get Reich ticked at you, don’t expect me to save you. He might just test us both.” I raised my chin. “This ain’t the eighties or the nineties no more. The landscape keeps changing, brother. Do not underestimate the players on it. Wounded dogs do desperate things to stay alive. Be prepared. If Reich sniffs an opportunity to make you squirm, he’s gonna take it.”

Which way would Butler sway? Either way, I wasn’t going to sit around and trust it would be my way. I wanted whatever he had on Reich.

Tricky raised a fist outside his open car window, a huge grin on his face as he gunned around the track again.

My jaw clenched. “I’m heading out.”

Butler shifted his weight, his tongue toying with his bottom lip. “Hey, what’s with you and Tania?”

Poor bastard, he had it bad for her. Did I seem freshly fucked after a night with Tania? I sure as hell hoped so. Butler needed to sweat. He needed to work for a good woman like her.

“What do you fucking think?” I asked, my tone perfectly pitched to the tune of irritation.

His eyes widened a few degrees. He was struggling to keep it in check. “I don’t know what to think, but—”

“But what?” I eyed him, pushing down my amusement. “What’s it to you?”

He shut the hell up and averted his gaze back to the track.

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