Page 50 of Menace

Lucky smiled and shook his head. His brother sounded happy and relaxed now that he was talking about his family.

“Happy for you, brother. Give your woman my love and I’ll come see you soon. The folks and Frankie are talkin’ about comin’ out for the birth, so be prepared for madness.”

Remy laughed. “Not worried, we’ve got a big house, there’s always space for visitors. By the way, there’s somethin’ I’ve been wantin’ to tell you. Joney is gone, she no longer works at Maingarde Ink. Pixie said she had to leave because of family troubles but that she will be back once it’s been sorted. My wife is bein’ very cagey and it worries me. I’ve put out a couple of feelers but so far I’ve got nothin’. And Dom isn’t sayin’ anythin’ either and that’s pissin’ me off because it means he knows what’s goin’ on. With my woman I suppose it’s the girl code bullshit, keepin’ a friend’s secrets.”

Hearing her name had his gut clenching and worry followed close behind. He couldn’t ask questions though, not while he had his prez listening in. This wasn’t club business, it was private. He would call Remy back later and get more information on Joney. Or better yet, he’ll call Pixie she’ll tell him what he wanted to know. Then again, maybe not, seeing as she’s not telling Remy anything.

He finished the call with his brother and focused on how the club was going to get out of the mess the cartel had dumped them into.

They had been dancing along a thin line with the law, keeping them out of their business for fucking years and now this. They couldn’t have the pigs looking too closely at them. Plans would have to be made to start a clean-up as soon as possible. It didn’t look like they had a lot of time to get it done. If the pigs were watching there was a lot they might have seen.

It was time to clean house.

“Do I have to carry on seein’ and pretendin’ I have no clue who the fuckin’ bitch is?” He asked his prez.

He was hoping his prez would end his assignment but he should have known it wasn’t going to happen. They needed to keep that avenue of information open.

“Unfortunately that’s a yes. But not for long. With the information Remy gave us we’ll do a clean-up and then co-operate with the fuckin’ FBI. We need to come out smellin’ like a rose once this shit has been dealt with. The cartel and the Grave Robbers have to take the blame for everythin’ goin’ down around here. I don’t want the club tied to any of their bullshit.”

Lucky agreed, they had to be sure none of the cartel’s dirt stuck to them.

“The bitch asked me to take her shoppin’ tomorrow. Once we’re done I’ll drop her off and come back here to help with gettin’ us straight.”

“I know its hell to be around the bitch, Lucky, but we need the information you’ve been getting us. Not long now, brother. I can feel it in my bones; we’re close to settling this shit.” Grave reached out to tap his shoulder and Lucky sighed.

“She’s fuckin’ vile, man. I can hardly stand bein’ around her. And havin’ to touch her kills somethin’ inside me.”

Everyone nodded, agreeing with him, but it didn’t help him much.

He still had to do what he had to do.

And he was going to hate every single fucking minute spent with the slut.

FOURTEEN

Carmella

She hesitated before she picked up her ringing phone. Carlos Mendez wasn’t the easiest man to talk to; he was extra difficult when his plans weren’t coming together the way he wanted them to. Her orders had been to seduce Lucky Boudreaux, again. He was now the Shadow Wraiths’ officer in charge of the club’s distribution routes and no longer an impressionable young boy. She was doing as ordered but as yet she’d been unable to give her father more than the basic outlay of their clubhouse. Nothing on their routes. Lucky had taken her to several Friday night parties but she hadn’t been allowed further than the main room and the bathrooms. Everything else was behind security doors with cameras everywhere.

And Boudreaux wasn’t talking. Not even when he’s been drinking and she gently probed for information. It had been so easy to do when he was younger. The man he had become was impossible to read which was absolutely infuriating.

And her father was becoming impatient.

“Papa.” She was hoping the softer name would soften him up.

“Carmella. What do you have to report?” He obviously wasn’t falling for the soft.

“Unfortunately nothing new. He’s loyal to his club and never talks about what he does for them. I don’t think I’m going to get anything out of him. I’ve been unable to get him drunk or get him in my bed. He’s not the easily manipulated boy he used to be.”

Her father gave a displeased growl before giving her the order she didn’t want to hear.

“You will bring him in and we’ll make him talk. I need the information on their supply routes and stash houses. The Grave Robbers are becoming a problem. They’re insisting on getting involved and it will turn a simple elimination into a bloodbath. Then the feds will take notice and we can’t have that. When will you bring him in?”

She had to breathe deep to stay calm and plan her next words carefully. There was no way she could let him realise she had done the unthinkable. That she had started to develop feelings for her mark, again. She knew if he found out this time he would kill her, for real.

She didn’t want to die but she didn’t want Lucky to die either.

And he would die. Her father would have Pablo do things to him that would make him talk and once they got what they wanted they would kill him.

---