Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
As a prospect, I’d not only dealt with remains, but I’d hosed enough blood off his playroom floors to know exactly what happened when Grim was working someone over. He didn't stop because someone screamed. He didn't stop because they begged or passed out. He only stopped when he got the information he wanted.
And I mean everything.
Goose must’ve recognized the expression on my face because he scoffed, “He’s messy, but he’s good.”
“That he is.”
Goose gave me a nod, then headed for the door. “I’ll see ya when I see ya. Until then, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
The door closed before I could respond, and silence settled over me in a way that made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle against my skin. Somewhere down the hall, I heard a dull thud, and then another and another. Seconds later, Grim came barreling out of the hallway like a bull ready to lead the stampede.
His eyes met mine as he asked, “You seen Prez or Creed?”
“Afraid not.” I stepped toward him. “Just got back from dropping off Brooke, and I haven’t seen anyone but Goose. He just headed over to the Vault… When I asked, he said he figured Prez was with you.”
“Son of a bitch.” Grim dragged his hand through his hair before fishing his phone out of his back pocket. “Been trying to reach them, but nobody’s answering.”
He dialed the number again, then put the phone to his ear. After a few seconds, he grumbled something under his breath and shoved his phone back in his pocket. He motioned for me to follow as he started out of the bar. That’s when I asked, “What’s going on?”
“Need to find Shep.”
I fell into step behind him, trying my best to match his long, angry stride as he started down the hall. I didn’t say anything. I just waited silently for him to finally announce, “We got the wrong guy.”
I stopped in my tracks as I asked, “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“The kid they brought in.” Grim stopped and looked back at me. “He’s not the Coyote… It was his father.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah, the kid’s barely eighteen.” He shook his head. “And he don’t know shit about anything.”
“How the hell did that happen?”
“They’ve got the same damn name.” He let out a slow, aggravated breath before continuing down the hall. I followed and listened as he told me, “Didn’t help that the kid was wearing a hat and had a beard thicker than half the club. And he’s a thick ol’ boy. Made him look a good ten… fifteen years older.”
“Aw, shit.”
“Yeah. I don’t do kids, man.”
“I get it.” Grim took his job seriously, and that meant stepping out of line now and then. But there were certainly lines he wouldn’t cross, and that included torturing women or kids. When we rounded the corner, I asked, “What about his ol’ man? Did he tell you anything that might help us?”
“Said he’d patched into the Coyotes a few years back.”
“So he’s one of ‘em.”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure if the guy’s still around.” He stopped at Prez’s door as he told me, “Kid hasn’t seen him in weeks, maybe even months.”
I thought back, and it didn’t take long to put two and two together. If it had been months, there was a good chance he was there when we burned down their clubhouse and warehouse. “So, what made Shep think he was still alive?”
“The kid’s been using his ol’ man’s credit card to get food and shit.”
“So, we’re right back where we started?”
The words tasted bitter as I said them, but the fact that they were true made it that much harder to swallow. We had no answers, no leads, and it was only a matter of time before there was another strike against us. Grim shook his head and said, “Afraid so.”
He pushed Prez’s office door open and disappeared inside. The door clicked shut behind him, and I stood there alone in the hallway, staring down at the worn, wooden floor. Even though I trusted the brothers to handle things, I couldn’t help but think that we’d lost ground instead of gained it. One lead turned out to be some dumb kid, and the other was off hiding from the cops and DCS.
I was still hanging out in the hallway when Prez and Grim came out of the office and announced, “Conference room. Now.”
I followed them down the hall, and by the time we were seated, Shep came rolling in with Creed and Rusty. Prez remained standing. “We’ve got a problem.”
He went on to tell the others everything Grim had told me. As soon as he was done, Shep ran his hand across the back of his neck and let out a slow breath. “Sorry, Prez. That shit was totally on me.”