Page 3 of Enforcing the Rules

“’Bout sixty-two grand, give or take.”

“Sixty-two fucking grand? Are you shitting me?” I wanted to punch a hole in the wall. My fist flexed.

“What happened in the hall?” Memphis asked.

“Night Train happened. He walked in the back door, and Cochran got the jump on him when he dashed out of the office. He just stabbed him—didn’t even give him a chance to back down.”

“Night Train wouldn’t have backed down. Cochran knew that,” I said.

“He had that sweet dog with him. That ol’ boy wouldn’t hurt a flea. But when his master was attacked, he lunged, teeth bared. He got a chunk of Cochran’s forearm before that asshole stabbed him. It was the saddest thing I’d ever seen. Cochran got away out the back door, and I radioed Tiny. He came runnin’, but Cochran was long gone.

Tiny looked at me. “I tried to call 911, but Night Train wouldn’t let me. He said he had to get Hondo to the vet. He picked the dog up and took him out the back to his truck. Drove away before I could stop him.”

Memphis and I exchanged a look.

“Clubhouse was closer, so he stopped there,” Memphis surmised, and I nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go find this son-of-a-bitch,” Memphis muttered.

I held up a finger and looked at Trixie. “Why didn’t you fucking call the club?”

“I was a little freaked out. Sorry. I was about to and saw you roll up on the security camera.”

“Speaking of, I want to see the security tapes.”

She rolled her eyes but moved to her computer to pull them up. “You think I’m lying about all this?”

“I think you made a major mistake not takin’ that deposit to the night drop at the bank the last two nights. You cost the club a fortune. I know what I’d do with you, but your fate ain’t up to me. That’s for Rock to decide.”

That wiped the smartass look off her face. The woman was too big for her britches, in my opinion, and I’d never fully trusted her. She was good with keeping the girls in line and the place running smoothly, so I didn’t question Rock keeping her on when we bought the place. But it wouldn’t surprise me if she was in on this with Cochrane. All she would have to do is tell him when to come, leave the back door unlocked, and conveniently forget to make the night deposits. Then she claims it was a robbery, and they split the take. I’ve always been suspicious of women. Most are liars, but maybe that’s just me. Chalk it up to my crappy upbringing.

She pulled up the footage, and I pushed her aside, rewinding it even further. There are cameras at the front and back doors, the bar and the hallway. All four pull up together in a grid. “He come in the back?”

Tiny shifted on his feet. “Must have. He never went past me.”

I lifted my gaze to his. “You leave the door at any time?”

“No, sir.”

“So why was the back door open?”

“It wasn’t when I checked it this morning,” he replied. “I swear to God. I check every morning.”

I looked at Trixie, and she shifted in her seat, not meeting my eyes.

“Okay. I may have left it unlocked when I went out to my car. I forgot my cigarettes.”

I shared a look with Memphis, and I could tell he wanted to grab her by the arm and shove her out that unlocked door.

I decided we needed more time to review all the footage at the clubhouse, and I wasn’t ready to watch my brother get stabbed on camera.

I yanked open the top drawer of the desk and dug around until I found a jump drive. Then I copied all the security footage from today and yesterday.

When it was uploaded, I shoved it in my pocket, meeting Memphis’ eyes. “Let’s roll.”

As we moved out the door, I turned back to Tiny. “Walk us out.”

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