“Will do, boss.”
Chapter Twelve
Drea
Crew’s body was the only thing keeping me from sliding to the ground as his finger lazily circled my clit.
“It’s just, do you trust me enough to tell me what you’re hiding?” His question was a bucket of ice water freezing my insides.
Did I? Could I? I had yet to figure out where Crew’s alliances lay, if he even had any for that matter. I was in uncharted waters and even as my pussy clenched around his finger, I questioned his intentions.
We stared at one another a second longer. His soft lips were inches from my own until he smiled, lifted his head and gave my clit one last stroke. “Not tonight then.”
He stepped away, balancing me when I wobbled, and I wondered what I’d revealed tonight. He suspected me of something and I was starting to think he had his own plan. One that might interfere with mine.
“Help me and I help you.”
Could he help me though? I’d found out after the fact that Monty had met with Domingo right after he was released. It had been pure chance I’d discovered the information at all, and I wasn’t willing to let a second chance go by without taking out Domingo.
I licked my lips and decided to trust my instincts. “Monty can lead me to the guy who killed my fiancée,” I told Crew and he nodded slowly.
“You want that guy?” He asked, watching me carefully.
I nodded, my expression growing cold as rage froze me from the inside out. “He needs to pay, but first, I have to get to Domingo Martinez.”
“Okay,” he said simply, lighting another cigarette. My gaze flickered to him as he took a drag, causing the tip of the cigarette to glow brightly in the dark, stunned by his lack of reaction. I’d just told him I wanted to take down the head of the biggest cartel in Mexico.
“You’ll help me?” I couldn’t help the disbelief in my voice and his teeth flashed white in the darkness. “Why?”
“I have my reasons,” he muttered cryptically. “Can you do me a favor?” I lifted my shoulder, nodding carefully. “You let me know if you hear anything about a woman with a baby, a’ight?” He paused, taking another long drag. “Anything.”
“I can do that,” I answered, rubbing my hands on the denim skirt I wore. “She have a name?”
He inhaled, not answering for the longest time. “Norah,” he said finally. “Her name is Norah and she has a son.”
The conversation I’d had earlier that day flashed through my mind.
“There’s been bad blood since one of the Southern Rebels was killed. Beat to death on a run.” She glanced at another girl. “What was his name? It was kind of weird.”
“Deacon,” she replied quietly.
“Who killed him?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure I knew the answer. Dick had bragged about beating up a guy, but anytime I’d questioned him, he’d clammed up.
“They said it was the Aces,” the same girl answered, her gaze meeting mine as she shook her head slightly, warning me not to keep asking questions. “The Rebels thought it was the Vipers.”
This wasn’t a coincidence. Was it possible Crew was avenging the death of one of his own? And if he was, what did it mean for my mission?
“She your girl?” I winced at the jealousy I heard in my voice, knowing I hadn’t faked it. A flash of white and his low voice reassured me.
“No, she’s a promise I made.”
“I haven’t heard anything, but I can ask around.”
“No, don’t ask,” he responded quickly and I peered at him in the darkness. “It’s not safe.”
“Okay,” I whispered, wondering why he’d ask me for information and then say it wasn’t safe to know. He tossed the cigarette butt aside.
“Let’s go inside,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders. “This tattoo is driving me nuts.”
I followed him to our room, as we bypassed the still rowdy bar. He tugged his shirt over his head the second we were in the room, revealing the coiled snake inked on his back. I brushed my fingers over the dark ink, my fingers stilling when he twitched.
“Don’t stop,” he mumbled, lowering his head. I lightly rubbed the sensitive skin of his back, alternating with gentle pats as his shoulders drooped and he groaned.
“Lay down,” I murmured, kneeling on the bed. He didn’t reply, just sprawled out on the blanket so I could keep scratching his back. I traced the newly inked tattoo, seeing where VP had been incorporated into the viper and felt him relax further.
I couldn’t help but wonder why Monty had agreed to make Crew vice president. It was a huge responsibility for someone so young. And new, I added mentally. I’d known Crew was a prospect for the Vipers but I hadn’t paid much attention to him. A mistake, I knew now.
I continued to stroke his back, my fingers making random patterns until his breathing evened out and I knew he’d fallen asleep. I shifted my weight carefully, but he didn’t stir and I slipped off the bed, padding over to the backpack he’d left propped on the chair.
I checked periodically to make sure he was still sleeping as I rifled through the many compartments of the military issue pack. Nothing stood out. In fact, there was nothing personal at all. Frustration coursed through me as I stared at the dull green backpack, my hands planted on my hips.
“There has to be something,” I murmured softly to myself, my gaze lingering on a strange bulge on one side of the pack. There were no pockets so what was poking out the side? I ran my fingers over it, feeling a hard ridge. It felt like a phone. My heart pounded as I glanced at him again, but he slept on, his breathing light and even. I dug my hand down into the pack, my fingers skimming the sides for an opening on the inside. I was about to give up when frayed fabric met my touch. I wiggled one finger inside and felt the cold face of a phone. It took a minute but I finally pried the phone from its hiding place. I held it for a second, trying to calm my breathing as I stared at it curiously. He’d went through some trouble to stash the phone so whatever was on it meant something.
I pressed the power button, unsure if it was even charged, but the screen lit up and I was staring down at a beautiful woman. A sharp pang of jealousy went through me at her bright smile, the honey colored waves falling around her happy face as she smiled lovingly at whoever took the picture.
I tried to remember the last time I’d felt that kind of joy. It seemed impossible to me that I ever had. It had been over two years since Nick had died and I’d been nothing but angry and sad since then. Staring at her, I knew I must have felt that same emotion at some point, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember it.
Unexpectedly, my eyes began to burn and I blinked rapidly to clear them. Whoever this woman was, she was important enough to Crew for him to keep the phone with her picture stashed safely.
“Drea,” his voice caused my head to snap up as my eyes met his steady stare. “Her name is Norah.” I swallowed at the gruffness in his voice. “Put the phone back where you found it and come to bed.”
I hurried to obey, guilt making me clumsy, as I fumbled to find the tear in the lining. My heart beat rapidly as I padded back to the bed. He’d caught me red handed going through his bag and finding something he’d intentionally hidden away. My hand trembled as I lifted the sheet, scooting under the rough cotton. His hand came over me and I flinched, but he only settled his arm around my waist.
“I don’t hurt women,” he mumbled, his head buried in the pillow. I closed my eyes, almost lightheaded with relief. His arm tightened around me. “But don’t repeat the same mistake twice, understand?”
“Yes,” I said shakily, barely able to get the word out. He didn’t say anything more and after a few minutes, I heard his breathing change. I laid there, staring up at the grungy ceiling, as I calculated my odds of surviving this assignment. I’d gone into it with the expectation it was a suicide mission, but knowing I wasn’t going down without taking Nick and Donny’s killers with me.
Now, I wasn’t so sure.
I h
ad thought I was ready to die. Losing Donny and Nick had carved a hole so deep inside of me I’d thought there was nothing left. The only thing that had kept me going was the thought of revenge. It had burned so strongly I could shrug off the abuse and violence Dick had thrown at me. Ignore the crimes I witnessed. Excuse the choices I made to get payback for the ones I loved.
Planning to die on my own sword had blurred the lines of right and wrong, but now, I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
Another flame had flickered to life, warming the icy rage I’d lived with for so long, and reminding me I had to live with my choices.
***
I woke up as he left the bed, the room still cloaked in darkness.
“Shhh, go back to sleep,” he murmured. “I gotta make a run.”
I nodded sleepily, curling up in the warm spot he’d left as light briefly brightened the room as he slipped through the door.
Hours later, I woke up and the first thing I saw was the backpack sitting on the chair, still in the exact same spot. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, as I tried to decide if he trusted me or just thought I wasn’t stupid enough to go poking around again.
“Or maybe he doesn’t have anything to hide,” I mumbled to myself, then snorted. “Yeah right.”
He was definitely a guy with secrets. I just hadn’t figured out if they were the kind that would get us killed. I walked over to the pack and ran my finger along the side, unsurprised when I felt the hard bulge. He’d left the phone where it was and I resisted the urge to dig it out.
The phone had a picture of the woman he was searching for, but was it his phone? Why would he have someone else’s phone? And what did Norah have to do with anything?
I shook my head and went to the bathroom. I checked the burner phone and saw the last text I’d sent containing the coordinates of the drug shipment Dick had let slip. He would brag about the shipments to make himself sound important, giving me the chance to have them intercepted. I’d been careful not to do it too often in case I was discovered, but this last one had been too big not to report. Dick had kept talking about how it would set them up for life, and make the stash they’d lost with Rob’s arrest seem like child’s play.
We couldn’t afford that many drugs getting on the streets so I’d taken a chance and reported it. Nothing had come through so I didn’t know if they’d managed to seize the shipment or not.
I hopped into the shower, scrubbing my skin red, then washing my hair. I was done in less than ten minutes even with quickly shaving my legs. Taking a shower made me feel exposed and vulnerable. No one was at their best dripping wet and naked in my opinion.
I hurriedly dried off, wringing out my wet hair and braiding it. I was about to walk out of the bathroom when I noticed my reflection. My fingers came to my lips, their pink color muted compared to the red lipstick I wore almost constantly for my cover.
“I like you best without makeup,” Nick whispered, tugging on a strand of my hair. “It’s like I can see you, the real you, not the mask you wear for everyone else.”
I lowered my hand as my lips curled upwards, surprised to realize the memory hadn’t brought a jolt of pain with it, only fondness.
A knock on the door had me scurrying to grab the first thing I could find to cover myself. The black t-shirt hung to my knees, covering me completely as the door slowly opened.
“Crew?” A woman’s voice called out and my eyes narrowed. I really needed to get the lock fixed. I wasn’t okay with just anyone waltzing in, especially not women looking for Crew.
The door creaked open further and I grabbed the knob, yanking it toward me and startling the woman hanging on to the other side.
“Oh,” she gasped, her hand going to her skinny chest which was barely covered by a tiny halter top. “You must be Drea.” I gave a short nod, taking in her itty bitty shorts and the wrinkles no amount of makeup could hide. She’d put her time in and it showed.
“Nina, right?”
She nodded, sniffing as she wandered into the room without invitation. “Crew?”
“He’s not here,” I replied, studying her. “Club business.”
“I wanted to tell him how proud I am of his promotion.” She glanced at me. “He would never have been Vice President of the Southern Rebels.” Her lip curled as she sneered, “His brothers would make sure of that. They wouldn’t let him prospect until he was eighteen. They didn’t treat my boy right.” She scratched her arms and I realized she was itching for a fix.
“You could have told him last night,” I mentioned and she cast me a sharp glance.
“I was busy.”
“High, you mean,” I perceived and she turned on me.
“Watch yourself, girl. You’ll be gone in a second if I tell him to get rid of you.”
“So, you’re full service, is that it?” I made a crude gesture and her hand came flying toward my face. I caught it before she came close, my hand tightening around her bony wrist. “Don’t threaten my relationship with Crew and I won’t tell him you came poking around his room looking for a fix.” She stared at me warily and I pulled her toward me. “Monty send you?” She shook her head, but she couldn’t meet my eyes. “Let me guess, he promised to give you something to tide you over.”
“I’m just checking on my son,” she hissed, wrenching her arm from my hold. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll do the same.”
My eyes narrowed in warning. “Are you threatening me?”
“Dick had a big mouth. My boy don’t,” she snapped, leaving me confused. “Don’t think you’ll get info from him for Monty. Monty ain’t gonna make you his old lady.”
Her ranting started to make sense when I realized she saw me as a threat to her relationship with Monty. This wasn’t about Crew. “Do you care about your son at all?” I asked, not hiding my disgust. “Or you just out to keep your supply line open?”
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with,” she blustered.
“A washed up hag with a nasty habit?” I suggested, arching an eyebrow as I crossed my arms over my chest. “Because that’s all I see here.”
She poked a sharp nail at my chest. “I got him a position here. Monty did it as a favor to me. Crew knew he deserved better and I made sure he got it.” She eyed me scornfully. “What have you done but made Monty question my boy’s loyalty?”
“Me?” I laughed. “Your son killed Monty’s second and took the job. I had nothing to do with it.”
“You don’t think?” She cocked her head. “He went after Dick because Dick was roughing you up. You think he would have killed him if it hadn’t been for you?”
I leaned forward, holding her gaze as I whispered, “Yes.” She looked startled and I shrugged. “I was a handy excuse, but it was only a matter of time. Crew’s ambitious and the best way to get rid of your competition is to eliminate it.” I flicked my gaze to the door. “Now, get the hell out.”
She shuffled to the door, lingering for a second before saying, “I love my son.” I didn’t comment and she sent me an angry glance. “Hurt him and I will come after you.”
I gripped the door, pushing against it, as I replied, “Same here.” I shoved her right out the door, slamming it before leaning back against the flimsy wood. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply as I counted to ten and then a hundred.
“What a piece of work,” I muttered, pushing away from the door and grabbing clothes. It was hard to believe that woman had anything to do with raising Crew. It was interesting to know she’d been the one to bring him into the club though. Monty would hold her responsible if Crew showed any signs of disloyalty and I shuddered to think what he’d do to someone like Nina.
I glanced at the backpack where he’d hidden the mysterious phone and had to wonder where Crew’s loyalty lay. He hadn’t flinched when I’d mentioned my own desire for payback, leaving me to question his intentions for the Vipers.
Chapter Thirteen
Crew
Six Months Earlier
I rolled the
bike silently down the driveway, knowing if I started it the rumble would wake Creed and Cord, and I didn’t need them trying to stop me. If I couldn’t find Norah, then I needed to eliminate the threat that had caused her to leave.
My heart pounded unsteadily as I came to the street, and I glanced back at the little house with the bright blue shutters. It had been home for as long as I could remember and what I was about to do might take it away forever. I was about to become a traitor to the club and to my family. My fingers tightened around the handlebars as I second guessed my decision.
If I persisted maybe my brothers would help me find Norah. Figure out what the phone meant. Get revenge for Deacon’s death.
At what cost though? I swallowed, knowing what I wanted would put Sloan and Tori at risk. Whatever the threat was it had caused Norah to run and I couldn’t ask my brothers to risk the women they loved. Not for a promise I’d made.
“Going somewhere?” The cigarette glowed as he inhaled, revealing Johnny’s face. He chuckled faintly. “Your daddy….he must be laughing so hard. I’d swear he died on purpose just to make me keep my promise that I’d look after you boys.” He exhaled, tossing down the cigarette butt. “You got a plan at least?”
“Joh-Johnny,” I stammered, my stomach knotting.
“Relax, boy. I knew this was coming.”
“Y-you did?” I almost asked him how he knew since I’d just decided that day.
“Yeah, I’d hoped you’d let Deacon’s death go, but when Monty got released I realized how stupid that was.” He let out a burp, then sighed. “Every one of you boys is cut from the same cloth and it ain’t in you to let things go. Not when you see an injustice committed.”
“You’re not mad?” I hated how small I sounded, but Johnny had that effect on me. On all of us Hayes boys. He’d always been there in the shadows, the disciplinarian, the guardian of the Hayes boys and our antics.
“No, Crew, I’m not mad. I’d be more upset to realize I was wrong.”
“I made a promise,” I said, intending the words to be an excuse but they came out strong, determined, and I saw him nod in the faint light. “I have to keep that promise.”
Traitor (Southern Rebels MC Book 3) Page 5