Page 12 of A New Era

This is why everyone goes to Alannah, her way of calming you down or giving you the advice you want to hear is unmeasurable.

Chapter Four

Leo

The moon is full and partially hidden by clouds. The clock on the dash ticks over to two a.m. and my mind wanders to Holly just as my phone beeps with a text.

A picture of her in our bed with a red lacy bra barely covering her nipples fills the screen with the caption, “The bed is too cold without you.”.

My dick grows and I groan. This isn’t the time for letting it have its own mind. I’m about to tell her to wait up for me when headlights shine in the distance. Sliding my phone into my pocket, I lower my window and light a cigarette. Luca comes to a slow stop beside me, his window already lowered.

We’re in the middle of Willow’s Peak and Dog City and with only the two of us in the know about this meet, it’s the way we plan on keeping it.

“How’s the baby?” I ask.

“I just got him down before I left, I’m hoping he’ll sleep through till I get back.”

“Where’s Victoria?”

“She’s with him. She’s like a walking zombie at the moment. I want her to get a good sleep.”

I nod, understanding the mental strength it takes to raise a baby. After a couple of nights of broken sleep, the mind becomes a heavyweight.

“What is it you needed to tell me?” I further ask. It’s why we’re meeting after all in the dead of night.

“I’ve had three visits from the Haywards this week alone. Jamie Boy’s been divulging their future plans. They’re looking to use the city as a pipeline down south.”

“That’s it? An entire city for one pipeline?”

“Apparently so.” He shrugs.

“Seems like bullshit to me.”

“Good thing we’re on the long road and willing to wait them out,” he throws back at me.

“Did he share how you’d fit into this plan?”

“They want us to keep the city clear of any potential threat and to facilitate their runs. But on the down low, I’ve been digging into what the city has to offer them and it turns out Bolton is smack in the middle of the line between the port up north and the airfield to the south. Whether you’re shipping in or out of the country, Dog City is a prime location.”

Mulling it over, I nod and swallow thickly. The city is basically gold and could be ours for the taking.

“See if you can find out what deals the Rathbones have had over the years.”

“Will do.”

My brother has fallen into his role as president as easy as breathing. Dad’s plans for his sons before he stepped down are playing out just as he foresaw and by the time my day with the gavel comes to an end, I hope to have the foresight he does. The older I get, the more I see how great my father truly is… as a man, a father, and as the previous president of the club.

“You should get home, we’re done here.”

Through his window, he holds his fist out and I bump mine into his. I pull forward as he does, and we both make U-turns and drive off in our own directions.

The drive home doesn’t take long with it being the middle of the night and the roads empty. Nodding to the prospect as he lets me in and closes the gate behind me, I park up and walk through the compound until I reach the house.

I doubt Holly’s still awake and it’s a crying shame. A beer will have to be enough for now. Closing the fridge and opening the beer, a thud from outside the front door gets my full attention.

Placing the beer on the counter, I head for the door, knowing there’s no threat here but my heart thumps against my chest all the same. Flipping the lock over and throwing open the door, I expect to find a drunken brother on the porch, but I find a parcel. No one’s around and as I’m about to pick up the package, a buzz fills the air as a drone flies up from the ground and disappears into the night.

Effie Rathbone.

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