Page 24 of The Truths We Seek

“Me? I should be asking you that,” she says as she looks up at me. Her eyes are puffy and it’s obvious she’s been crying recently.

“Angel, I am fine. You are the one who’s hurting right now.” Tucking her hair behind her ear, her eyes close at the touch, and when she looks back up at me, her eyes are glassy. “Is there anything I can do?”

“No,” she whispers, before gulping and burying her face in my chest again. “Just this.”

I tighten my hold on her again, resting my chin on the top of her head. “I can do that, Angel. I’m not going anywhere.”

* * *

“So what do we know so far?” I ask as I lower myself onto the sofa in Meyer’s office. Leaving Quinn sleeping in my bed was torturous, especially after she fell asleep crying in my arms, but I’ve been out of the loop for too long already.

“We know that someone working for Tommy told Trent where Quinn was. We don’t know who that was yet and Trent is proving to be… elusive in being forthright.” Meyer’s distaste spills over his words.

Glancing over to Rory, I find him brooding as he stares at the fire. “He’s not talking?”

“Nothing we don’t already know,” Rory says, the bite in his speech revealing his frustration. “And I can’t push much harder without killing him. I don’t want to do that yet. It’s too soon. He hasn’t suffered anywhere near enough.”

I don’t need to ask if Rory has been creative, he always is. The things he’s done to people in the name of information is enough to make most grown men vomit while shitting themselves.

“Do you think he’ll give us names?” I ask, but I have a feeling I already know the answer.

Rory shakes his head and Meyer’s matching grunt of annoyance tells me they’ve already had this discussion.

“So, essentially, we know nothing? Just awesome.” I lean back on the sofa and pinch the bridge of my nose. This isn’t exactly what I was hoping to hear but I’m also not entirely surprised. Trent isn’t the sort to save others, but he is the type to fuck with us by withholding. “What about everything else?”

Meyer heaves a breath and shakes his head. “It’s fucking chaos out here. Word got out that we were attacked, and it’s a battleground. The Demons backed out of the deal and the Ghosts are saying they won’t deal alone because it isn’t worth it to them. They’re being giant dicks in my ass and need to be dealt with. The Demons are at least lying low for now and staying quiet, so they can drop down the priority list until we get control of this situation back. Trent fucked us, but I’m working on it. I already secured the deal with the south for the guns that are sitting with Elise, we just need to finesse the details, but I’ve got it handled.”

I blink, a little surprised that he managed to keep that deal, all things considered. The boys on the other side of the border don’t tend to like drama, especially when hospitals and cops are involved, but I guess my silver tongue is finally rubbing off on the big man. That, or he threw his weight around for a change and showed them not to fuck with him. Either way, I’m happily surprised and still itching to get to work and have something to fucking do. “Put me in, coach. What do you need me to do?”

He eyes me, like he’s weighing up whether he wants me to be working.

Fuck that.

“Do not treat me like some paper doll. I can work, so put me to work. I’ll go fucking stir crazy if I keep sitting around with nothing to do, so tell me what the fuck you need.” We have a mini stare off, but he concedes and I do a small internal fist pump at winning. He’s a stubborn fuck when he wants to be, but I also know he needs the help. There wouldn’t be chaos if he didn’t.

Plus, me being back out and seen will let people know the hit we took wasn’t as bad as might be rumored. I’m not stupid, me being in the hospital was a weakness for our family. People see it as instability. A weakened defense system. Which is fucking ridiculous when you consider the empire Meyer has built since he took over the family business, but perception is everything.

“What do you know about Echoes Cove?” he finally asks.

“Not a lot. The Knights’ home territory, isn’t it?”

He nods his head and runs a hand over his face, telling me I’m not going to like what he’s about to say.

“Yeah. And we’ve somehow managed to make it onto their radar. I don’t know if they’re involved with the Demons or the Ghosts, but they started sniffing around after all this shit blew up.”

“We’re not even close to their territory. Someone had to have brought them here, tattled to the big kids in the sandbox.”

“Exactly my thought. Get out on the streets. Meet with the mid-level people. They’re the gossips. Do the collections like you’d normally do and deal with anything that comes up and find out whatever you can. Let people know you’re back. That should spread quick enough that I can get Dario back to the table. Get this peace treaty back in place once and for all. It’s not like the threat won’t always be there, but it should be lower. Check in at the clubs too, let’s pretend it’s business as usual for you and that should be enough to convince some people that that’s real.” I nod at him and he turns his attention to Rory. “That gives you the freedom to work the Trent angle with no distractions. I want to know who betrayed us. Every single name, and we will show no mercy. You do not come for our family and live to brag about it.”

“Got it.” Rory says with a nod, and just like that, I feel more settled.

“I’ll get back to the club, as if it’s business as usual, and I’ll check in with Elise. She’s been shouting the last week, so I’ll handle her and figure out how to get her off those guns so she’ll get off my ass. The drugs can wait. The clientele aren’t going anywhere and I don’t want you distracted, Rory. If she contacts you, let me know, and if anything else comes up, tell us for fuck sake.”

Rory rolls his eyes in response, but nods in agreement again, saluting Meyer with a little, “Yes, sir.”

He’s obviously spent too much time with Quinn and her sassy mouth of late.

I’m only a little jealous of that.

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