“Uh, not to butt in,” Core interrupted, “but have we just called the number back?”
I rolled my eyes and sat back in my chair.
“Yeah, Core. As soon as I called it back, it was disconnected. I’m assuming it was a burner.” Quinn ran his fingers through his hair. “And getting the phone number to two known human trafficking organizations isn’t exactly an easy thing.”
Sledge cleared his throat. “I’ve got a contact in an MC in California. He was in a prior club with me and wound up on the west coast with the Royal Bastards.”
“Good contact that is actually going to help us?” I asked.
Sledge shrugged. “We were close a few years ago. If anything, he’ll tell me if we’re on the right track. I don’t know if the Royal Bastards have their hands in things that could help us.”
“Make the call. Find out what you can,” Quinn ordered. “Hopefully, these guys will call me again and this time, I’ll be able to get them to talk a little bit more than they did last time.”
“Did Brick give you any names? People we could try to look into ourselves?” Rhino asked.
Quinn shook his head. “He said he knows of a guy who is serving time in the same prison that has connections to California. He doesn’t know if it’ll pan out, but he’s going to put the time in and find out for us.”
I sat forward and rested my elbows on the table. “So, we at least have a few leads right now.”
“A few,” Quinn agreed, “though none of them are concrete in any way. We just need to think of anything that could lead us to whoever this is.”
“Are we thinking they’re actually going to come after us, or are they just pissed off for a minute?”
Zephyr was dreaming if he thought whoever called Quinn was bluffing. Right now, we have to take every person and lead seriously.
“You think maybe the car that pulled over for Fancy had something to do with this?” Core asked.
I shrugged. “Don’t really fucking know. Could have been, but then again, there is also a serial killer running around.”
“Don’t tell me you’re like Kimber and think this is some crazy running around kidnapping girls and then killing them.” Quinn shook his head. “She is damn near obsessed with this damn story. The other day she woke Fancy up at the crack of dawn to let her know they had found another body.”
“I figured since we had set up shop in a smaller town, we weren’t going to have to deal with bullshit like this,” Point grumbled.
“Evil lives everywhere,” Rhino replied quietly.
Everyone was silent as we all wondered just what the hell was going on.
“I got some sort of good news,” I called. At least, it wasn’t as depressing as serial killers and human trafficking. “One of the guys I used to work with let me know there is a local builder who is going belly up and he’s got some equipment for sale that we’ll be needing. I went over there last night before I had to pick up Fancy.”
“He selling the shit for a good deal, or are we going to have to sell our souls to the devil to get anything?” Quinn laughed.
I pursed my lips and lifted my shoulders. “I think a couple of things he’s dreaming, but the scaffolding and tools he’s got up for sale are a good deal. I can put up the money to get everything.”
Quinn nodded. “You know about all of this shit, Dyno. I trust you if you think it’s something we need to jump on.”
Point raised his hand. “Can I just ask where you’re going to get the money to buy all of that?”
I shook my head. “Let’s just say I’ve been lucky in the past to land some lucrative jobs.”
Pointed leaned forward. “Does that mean you’re going to help us all land some lucrative jobs once we get done with the clubhouse?”
I nodded. “That’s the plan. Word has gotten out that I’m in the area. Companies I’ve worked with before have already been in contact with me. Until we get our feet fully on the ground with the Kings of Construction, we can use my contacts to get us jobs. One of the guys I used to work with has already told me he’s given our name to a couple of jobs he couldn’t take.”
Quinn pounded his fist on the counter. “That’s what I’m fucking talking about. We get the clubhouse done and then we move on to making money.”
“How much longer until you think everything is done?” Rhino asked me.
“If we really get to it and the rest of the materials get here, we should be done in a week.” So far, all of the guys had really put their backs into it and had gotten a ton of shit done.
“All right.” Quinn stood up and looked down at all of us. “You heard him. Let’s get this done. Some furniture is going to be delivered today and the rest will be here Monday.”
“Do I want to ask how we came up with money for all of that?” Zephyr laughed.
“Kings of Vengeance and Construction are funded by the bank of Dyno right now with the intention to pay him back every penny.” Quinn nodded at me. “Probably not as fast as he gave us the money, but it’ll be paid back eventually.”
Everyone laughed, and Quinn reached his fist toward me.
I bumped my fist against his and smiled. “Whenever is good, brother. I know you guys are good for it.”
I knew I wasn’t going to get my money back right away. I looked at it as an investment in my future.
“Now, the real question we need answered.” Quinn cleared his throat. “Who wants to take the girls grocery shopping? Kimber was bitching at the fact we only had beer and booze in the fridge.”
“Ah, so you were the one who ran and got donuts this morning,” I chuckled. When I had woken up, Fancy was gone from the bed, and I had found her in the kitchen munching on donuts with Kimber.
“Kimber would have ripped my balls off if I hadn’t gotten her something to eat. Thank God we had a coffee pot, otherwise I’m pretty sure she would have kicked my ass.”
Everyone laughed and filed out of the meeting room toward the common room.
“I can take the girls to the grocery store if you want, Quinn.” Zephyr volunteered. “I’m not really into working on molding.”
I clapped Zephyr on the shoulder. “Trying to get out of the hard work?” I teased. I peeled a couple hundred dollar bills from my wallet and handed them to Zephyr. “That should be enough to get you started on the basics we’ll need.”
“Thanks, brother.” Zephyr shoved the money in his pocket. “And you can bet your ass if I can get out of putting up molding, I will.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Quinn stood at the folding table in the kitchen area with a piece of paper in his hand.
“What’s up?” Point asked.
“Looks like the girls couldn’t wait for us and decided to do a little shopping themselves.” Quinn balled up the piece of paper and tossed it on the floor. “Damn Kimber and Fancy. I told Kimber she needed someone with her whenever she goes out and then she pulls this shit.”
Something told me that had more to do with Fancy deciding they were going to the grocery store and not so much Kimber. “I’ll go get the girls.”
They couldn’t have gone too far, and I should be able to catch up with them.
Zephyr handed back the money I had given him. “Looks like you’ll be needing this and I’ll be spending my morning with the molding.”
I grabbed the money from him and pulled my keys from my pocket. “Something tells me you’re gonna have a much more peaceful morning with the molding than I am with the girls.”
✽✽✽
Chapter Thirteen
Cereal aisle secrets…
Fancy
“You really think we need that much cheese?”
Kimber held up a large five pound bag of shredded cheddar cheese. “I was thinking of grabbing another one.”
I blinked slowly. “Were you planning on serving a large bowl of shredded cheese for dinner?”
Petra giggled. “Uh, yeah. That is a lot of cheese. I don’t think you would poop for a month if y
ou ate all of that.”
“Who’s not pooping for a month?”
We all spun around, and my jaw dropped as I watched Dyno strut toward us.
“Here I thought Quinn was going to be the one to hunt us down,” Kimber laughed.
“I volunteered for the job.” Dyno winked at me.
I curled my lip. “We were fine on our own,” I muttered.
“I’m sure you were, babe, but just humor me and let me follow you around while you,” he glanced in the cart, “buy the world’s largest bag of cheese.”
I bit my lip and tried not to tell him my name was Fancy. I was beginning to sound like a broken record every time I told him.
“Hey,” Kimber protested. “You can never have enough cheese.”
Kimber pushed the cart forward, and I fell into step next to Dyno behind her.
“Did you really have to come find us?” I asked quietly. “We’re at the grocery store for God’s sake, Dyno.”
He looked down at me. “Doesn’t matter where you are, Fancy. Bad shit happens everywhere.”
“But at the grocery store?” I laughed.
“She needs to watch more true crime shows, Dyno.” Kimber raised her hand in the air. “I know what we’re doing this afternoon.”
“True crime shows and a bowl of shredded cheese?” Petra asked.
“I like the way you think, Petra. You think Oscar will watch with us?” Kimber rambled on about Oscar, and Petra loved every second of it.
“I’m gonna head down the cereal aisle. You guys want anything?” I asked Kimber and Petra.
“Fruit Loops and Cinnamon Toast Crunch,” Kimber called. “We’ll meet you in the ice cream aisle.”
I turned down the cereal aisle and hoped to lose Dyno. “Shouldn’t you be keeping an eye on Kimber and Petra. They are the ones who need protecting after all, right?”
“Why would you say that?” Dyno asked.
I glanced over my shoulder at him. “You must think I’m stupid.”
“Stupid is the last thing I would ever think about you, Fancy.”
“You do know my name,” I muttered.
“You know I know it, but calling you babe or darlin’ sounds good to me too.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a box of cereal that boasted fifty percent less sugar and great taste. That was a bold-faced lie.
“You’re not gonna buy that shit, are you?” he asked.
I shook my head and set the box down. “Nope.” I moved down the aisle and stopped in front of the many varieties of Captain Crunch. “So, are you going to tell me why Kimber and Petra have to live at the clubhouse?”
“Do I need to?”
I glanced over at him. Standing in front of the cereal aisle with Dyno was something I never thought I would do. “I’ll let you pick out whatever cereal you want, and I’ll try not to be such a pain in the ass.”
“Cereal and you won’t be a pain in the ass?” he chuckled.
“That’s really the best deal you’ll ever get from me.”
He grabbed a box of peanut butter Captain Crunch and handed it to me. “I’ll take your deal, but seeing as I’m buying all of the groceries, this really wasn’t much of a deal for me.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a box of plain Captain Crunch. I cradled the two boxes of cereal to my chest and moved further down to the cereal Kimber wanted. “So, spill the beans, dinosaur.”
“I can’t call you babe or darlin’, but you can call me dinosaur?” he chuckled.
“You’re named after a dinosaur. Of course I’m going to call you that.”
He shook his head and grabbed a giant box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. “It’s Dyno with a y, Fancy, as in dyno tuning.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Now you’re just pulling my leg. That isn’t a thing.”
“It is and when I was younger, I was one of the best at it.”
“You wanna tell me what it is or should I just google it?”
He had to be lying. Here I thought he was named after dinosaurs.
“Basically diagnostics on a car or really any kind of vehicle.”
I spotted the Fruit Loops. “But you said you weren’t really into cars last night.”
He shrugged and grabbed the largest box of Fruit Loops. “Seems like a different life now. I was into racing through my teens and got into being under the hood. Everyone started calling me Dyno, and it just stuck.”
I glanced over at him. “So, what is your real name?”
“See, no one around here knows that so if you wanna know, I’m gonna need something else from you besides the cereal and the promise not to be a pain in the ass.”
“God knows what you are going to say you want.” He was probably going to make some sleazy proposition, and while I wanted to know his name, I didn’t want to know it that bad. “I’m not interested in having sex with you just to find out your name. I’ll just call you Harold.”
“Harold?” he chuckled. “While my name isn’t the best, I can tell you it’s better than Harold.”
“Whatever, Harold.” I grabbed a big box of Frosted Flakes and headed out of the aisle. I had no idea what these guys ate, but I figured I had all of the good cereals.
“You don’t even want to hear what I want in exchange for you knowing my name?”
I did want to know. I just didn’t want him to know that I wanted to know. “You can tell me if you want, but you do need to let me know why Kimber and Petra need to be at the clubhouse.”
“Always playing cold, Fancy,” he mumbled. He grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. “Things are happening that could hurt Kimber and Petra, but we don’t want them to know. It might be nothing.”
“What things?” I asked. My interest was piqued, and I needed to know more. “Didn’t you guys blow up all the bad guys?”
Dyno shook his head. “Hardly. We just got rid of the ones that were knocking on our door.”
“But now you have new visitor knocking on the door?”
He shoved the boxes of cereal under his arm and pulled me closer. “Someone is knocking, but we have no idea who it is. We tell Kimber and Petra that someone might be after them but that we also don’t really know, it will just panic them when maybe they don’t need to panic at all.”
“You’re kind of losing me here, Harold. Are they in danger or not?”
He sighed and hung his head. “We don’t fucking know, Fancy, but don’t you want your friends to be safe rather than possibly being kidnapped or worse?”
“I don’t feel like you’re telling me everything, Harold.”
He rolled his eyes. “There isn’t much to tell. We think the guys who were supposed to buy Petra and Kimber might go after them since they didn’t get their delivery of three women.”
“That’s insane. What the hell kind of people do you guys deal with? Here I thought you guys just rode Harleys and acted like badasses. Who would have thought you guys actually are badasses.”
Seriously. I didn’t think Quinn was on the wrong side of the law. I knew the club he was in with before were a bunch of assholes, but I didn’t think that was going to follow over to the Kings of Vengeance.
“There’s a lot of bad people out there, Fancy.”
“But you don’t know who these bad guys are,” I muttered.
“Not yet, but we’re close to finding out who they are.”
I nodded and looked around. “We better go find Petra and Kimber, but you can bet your ass we’re going to continue this conversation when we get back to the clubhouse. You’ve earned your box of cereal, but you gotta give me a little bit more if you want me to tone back the sass.”
“And we gotta talk about what you’re going to give me for my name,” he reminded me.
I rolled my eyes and stepped back. “Hmph, we’ll definitely have to discuss that, Harold.” I flounced down the aisle, knowing he was watching me walk away. I sort of wished I wasn’t wearing yesterday's clothes and didn’t have my hair up in a messy, unwashed bun.
I h
ad Dyno right where I wanted him, and I was going to get all of the information I needed. He didn’t know who he was dealing with.
✽✽✽
Chapter Fourteen
Too much estrogen…
Dyno
Zephyr surveyed all of the bags in Kimber’s trunk. “You got all of this for two hundred bucks?”
I shook my head and grabbed a couple of bags. “No, not even close.”
The girls had each grabbed a couple of bags and headed into the clubhouse, but there was still about twenty bags, four cases of beer, and six cases of water in the trunk.
“Thank God you went shopping and not me. Would have been hella embarrassing to have to put half of this back at the register.” Zephyr loaded up with bags and followed me into the clubhouse.
“More bags in the trunk,” I called out to Point and Rhino.
I dropped the bags on the table, and the girls descended on them.
“Are we going to get more cabinets?” Kimber asked.
“And a stove would be nice,” Fancy added.
Right now there were three racks with five shelves each and a refrigerator. A chest freezer was going to be delivered today.
“Coming today.” Quinn walked into the kitchen area and pressed a kiss to the side of Kimber’s head. “I gave Dyno’s credit card a bit of a workout today.”
I grunted and started helping to empty the bags. “Don’t give it too much of a workout. We still need to get some more building supplies.” I wasn’t really concerned since I had pretty fucking high credit limit, but I didn’t want the clubhouse to rack up too high of a debt with me. Starting off in a deep ass hole of debt was not something we needed to do.
After I helped unpack the bags, I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and stood back to watch the girls organize and put everything away.
“Everything go okay?” Quinn asked. He stood next to me and pulled his phone out.
“Good as can be expected when shopping with three women.” I nodded toward his phone. “Any more news on our situation?”
He shook his head. “Nothing concrete yet. Sledge is talking to his guy today and hopefully we’ll get something from him.”
Lean Into It (Kings of Vengeance MC Book 2) Page 8