Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Pippa stood close to us and she gave me a pained look. “The Miles family. Seth and his son, Antonio.”
“Yeah,” Griffin said slowly. “Guess we’ll need to get that sorted out.”
The Miles family. And one of Tonio’s businesses had appeared in Carl’s ledger. The same Miles family that Kiss of Death had been running muscle for. Everyone in the city knew the connection though no one spoke about either group. The Miles family were prominent in Nashville, but it was rumored they controlled a very large portion of the city’s underground and ruled it with an iron fist.
“What does ‘sorting it out’ look like for a club like this?” I asked.
Griffin didn’t dress it up. “Knuckles finds out who knew what, then we take care of it appropriately.”
Knuckles turned back to us, his face hard. “She’s your responsibility until we know exactly what Iron knows about her and whether Steel Serpents are already looking for her.”
I straightened away from the wall. “I’m not anyone’s responsibility.”
Griffin looked at me, his expression unreadable. “You’re right. You’re not. But until every Steel Serpent is accounted for, I’m standing between you and them whether you like it or not. And you can be pissed about it the whole time if you want.”
“OK, people,” Knuckles raised his voice so the gathering crowd of men and women in the garage could hear him. “We might have a situation. I want everyone confined to the inner warehouses. There’s plenty of space for the kids so they don’t feel like they’re trapped inside.”
“Knuckles, we’ve got a new resident and five traumatized kids.” Hannah spoke softly. “And no, I’m not suggesting we not help Veda. She needs our help just as much as the women at Haven do. But this might not be the best place at the moment. The club’s attention would be divided and that’s not good for anyone.”
“Hannah…” Knuckles gave his wife a hard look. The two stared at each other for a long moment like they were having a whole-ass conversation without saying a word.
“I’ve got a place,” Griffin said, suddenly. “It’s in the middle of nowhere but it’s comfortable and on the high ground, so it’s defensible.”
Knuckles held his gaze. “Are you sure, Griffin? I still want to circle the wagons, so to speak. Keep everyone here.”
“You know Hannah’s right.” Griffin lowered his voice. “Send a couple guys with me and we’ll be fine, but keep most everyone here to guard the women and kids.”
“Give me a couple days. I need to know what we’re dealing with,” Knuckles said.
Griffin nodded. “Understood.”
Men in the garage spoke in a low rumble as most of them left the building from a couple of different exits. I stood there, wide-eyed and growing more alarmed by the minute.
Griffin turned to me. “We need to move.”
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s happening.”
“You know as well as I do that the people who burned down Éclipse and executed three people in cold blood probably know you were there. Given they tailed us all the way here, they may not know who you are, but they know where you are. They know you have things you shouldn’t. And they’ll probably be pulling up outside our gate soon, deciding whether to come in shooting or wait for you to come out. We need to get you somewhere they can’t find you.”
“You’ll be safe with Griffin,” Pippa said, giving me a concerned look.
“I’ll go with you if you want,” Hannah spoke as she walked in our direction. Knuckles and Knight huddled over the laptop, with Knight studying the files I’d given them. “Knuckles knows I can take care of both of us if the guys have to fight off a threat.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want anyone hurt because of me.” I glanced up at Griffin, then back to Hannah. “If you guys think Iron will come looking for me here, then I’ll go.” I looked back at Griffin. “But if this is some kind of elaborate plot to get me to go quietly and you give me to these people, I will find a way to cut off your balls and feed them to you before I die.”
Griffin gave me a serious nod. “I’d expect nothing less.”
Chapter Four
Griffin
Tiny’s Bronco rolled to a stop at the curb outside Veda’s building, the headlights catching on peeling paint and the metal railings of the fire escape. I’d managed about three hours of sleep after talking with Knuckles. He also told me, once we’d gotten some rest, we were to go to her place, get her shit, and bring her straight back to the fucking compound. Our president had been on edge when we left, saying he had a bad feeling. Which meant, everyone was on edge and being careful.
I scanned the street of the working-class neighborhood before I climbed out. Most of the buildings had been built in the ‘50s and ‘60s, three stories of narrow efficiency apartments. Porch lights glowed at both ends of the street, but the middle section -- where Veda’s building sat -- was a stretch of shadow. A single bulb flickered above the entrance, its glow barely reaching the bottom of the concrete steps.