“You can’t put a price on family, Spyder,” Parker spoke up, fingering that purple-pink bead string on his cut. “I’m sure, to Minter, it’s not even a dent in his supply or revenue. We’re not his only train.”
“Kid’s got no option for citizenship, though. We’re gonna have to fake it.” Davey spoke up from my left, and I grunted lowly in acknowledgment as I rubbed the back of my head thoughtfully. “Even though that’s not difficult, we’re gonna have issues when Hellraisers start kicking up shit for real. Right now, they’re just causing shit because they can. Rook’s here illegally. If he gets caught, he’s gonna get deported back to Canada, and getting him back into the country’s not gonna be easy if that happens.”
“Even if they tried something, it’s not like we can’t get the kid outta there. Forget that for now. We’re here to figure out what to do about him.” Pointing at Rook, staring at the sky listlessly, Spyder frowned darkly. “He’s not in a good way. What’re you plannin’ to do about it, Bruiser?”
“We’re gonna go to Vegas over the weekend. Davey and I already talked about it.” I met Davey’s eye, and he nodded firmly even though it’d only been briefly mentioned once. Scuffing the heel of my boot on the asphalt, I turned my gaze back to my cousin to frown. “We’ll see what happens. It’s not gonna go away overnight, but hopefully, it’ll ease up.”
“He’s young and had his first heartbreak and betrayal. Woulda been nice if it was just being cheated on, but . . .” Parker shrugged carelessly, and my frown morphed into a scowl as I shot him a glare, but he ignored me. That little shit. “We can’t do anything about it right now. It’s Tuesday, I gotta make that run to Texas to get back on Friday, and whether you wanna worry about it now or not, Saint George’s Highway Hellraisers are becoming a problem, and we have to discuss it.”
“I hear you, Parker, but even if they’re gearing up for something, we have no choice but to be reactionary right now. Hailey also said they were comin’ out in more force, but we don’t have enough information to plan anything.” Hailey again, huh? That bitch was sniffin’ where she didn’t belong, and I stared shrewdly at Spyder. It was getting harder and harder to keep Hailey’s big-ass nose out of shit, and he shook his head to clear his uncertainty from creasing his brows. “It wouldn’t be a terrible idea to bulk him up. Give him an outlet.”
“You wanna make him an Enforcer? Spyder, I don’t think that’s a good idea with him bein’ this way.” I scoffed loudly, punctuating my point, and Spyder rolled his eyes at me.
“Do you have a better idea what to do with him? It’ll give him some money, a purpose, and more importantly, a reason to fucking shower every day. You wanna leave him like this, Bruiser?” Biting my tongue, I didn’t reply at Spyder’s pointed question, and he nodded firmly. “Done deal, then. Monday, kid’s on the payroll. Davey will keep me updated on what happens over the weekend.”
Clenching and released my jaw as Spyder mounted his bike to pull a U-turn and head back to Margot, my lip curled in a snarl. Rook stayed on the ground, maybe reconsidering his life. I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. Davey sauntered over to me, his hair bright under the harsh sun, to clap a hand on my shoulder.
“If the kid’s anything like you or Minter, he’ll be fine with something to punch. You hungry? Wanna grab some lunch? I bet he hasn’t eaten all week, and if he has, he threw it up in seconds.” Rook lifted his head at the mention of food, the clouds in his eyes clearing some before he sat up to ruffle his hair violently. I jerked my head in a nod, tossing my half-smoked cigarette into the dirt before Davey headed back to his bike.
This is all just fucking wonderful.
Chapter Fourteen
Nicole
“So, that excuse you gave me at my apartment . . . how’d it work out? Did you figure out what happened with your little cousin?” Bruiser stiffened across the small, square table, and expectation rose my brows when he shot me a dark look. He wore a nice, gray, short-sleeved button down that blended into his faded cut, and his tattoos rippled as he rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “What happened to him?”
“Some rich girl mercilessly broke his heart. I knew it had to have something to do with a girl, but . . . the first one’s always the worst. He’ll be okay.” I took my wine glass in hand as Bruiser paused, his eyes flashing darkly when they met mine. “It’s complicated. My uncle and Rook had a stick up their asses since I came here permanently. It’s pretty damned ironic that he’s joining Warpath with everything going on with another club.
“Another motorcycle club?” Instantly the air chilled, and my mouth dried as Bruiser scowled nastily. Goosebumps swept up my arms, and I took a sip of my wine to clear the dense lump in my throat. I didn’t know anything about the club lifestyle, but one thing I’d learned in a very short amount of time is that danger was everywhere you looked. It was only a natural assumption they’d have some sort of issue with a local one. Then again, I assume it was my first guess.
“I wouldn’t call them that. I’d call them wannabe gangsters on badly supped up dirt bikes. The difference between my club and their gang is they’re violent drug addicted losers
