Page 108 of Dirty Dylan: Dirty Dusters

He pauses, obviously to consider what he’s going to say next.

“I admit I have been contacted by their intermediary. A few Colombian fellas I met when Reaper first started his dealings with them. But I’ve already told them the Whisperers aren’t interested in hearing anything they have to say, no matter how much they’re offering. We’re not interested in trafficking. We’re an MC. We deal in weapons and sex. Drugs if we have to. But we don’t trade or transport people. I’ve told your old man this repeatedly, but he either refuses to listen or doesn’t want to. Likely the latter as it suits his own damn purposes.”

I ignore the barb directed at my daddy. It’s clear Ghost has no time for him, and it’s my guess the feeling’s mutual, hence why they’re continually at loggerheads and resolving nothing.

“I also heard you’ve been threatening brothers’ families to get them to jump ship? Any truth to that rumor?”

He runs his hand frustratedly through his hair. “Jessie, you know me. Now that knowledge may be from some time ago, but we spent time together. You know that’s not what I do. Not who I am. I’d never threaten a brother’s family.”

“And what about you offering them more money?”

He shrugs. “Even if I was, which I’m not, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s called headhunting. Brothers have old ladies to keep happy, kids to feed and clothe—money talks. Regardless of what your old man thinks, many of the men in this town respect me. They like the way I do business. They want to work with me. Not everyone is a fan of Lucifer. Same as not everyone was a fan of Reaper. Different folks, different strokes.”

“So why is Ace here?”

“Because he listens and most of the time your old man and your older brother don’t. We’d never have gotten this far without him acting as mediator.”

“And now you want in on the alliance.”

“Yup. We’ve offered to take care of all the transport areas that are currently unclaimed so the Irish can sell further afield.”

I nod. “Makes business sense for them.”

“It does.”

“Listen, Ty. Now I know what’s going on, let me speak to my daddy.”

“You do that.”

I stand to leave, turning to the door.

“Oh, and Jay?”

I glance back over my shoulder only to find his eyes fixed on my ass. I turn fully, and he takes his own sweet time dragging them slowly up my body until his gaze connects with mine.

“Ty?” I roll my eyes at him, but I can’t stop a smile from playing on my lips.

“Mind if I take you out to dinner some time?”

“At the diner?”

“At the diner.”

“Like you did all those years ago?”

“Yup.”

“I won’t be fucking you in your truck afterward.”

“I can just about live with that.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You do that. Meanwhile, can I have your phone?”

“Why?” I pull the handset from my leather pants, unlock it, then pass it to him.

“So I can check up on how that thinking of yours is coming along.” He keys in his number and then calls his own, so he now has mine. “Oh, and Jay?” He passes it back to me. “For the record, it meant something to me too.”

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