***
Knight and Hunt acted like nothing had happened while Zep was meeting with Spider at the motel. For that, he was grateful even if he did have to fight a blush the first time he laid eyes on his teammates.
The evening after he returned to the house was uneventful. Hunt had the monitor that displayed the three video feeds from Slade’s team turned toward the living room where they were watching Criminal Minds and picking apart Hollywood’s version of the Behavioral Analysis Unit.
The volume on the video feeds was turned down so low that unless they focused on them, it couldn’t be heard. Still, not being able to hear the field team didn’t stop Zep from catching himself looking at the monitor in order to get a glimpse of Spider.
“Got it bad,” Hunt commented without looking away from the TV.
“Yep,” Knight agreed.
Zep tore his gaze back to the TV and purposely ignored his teammates. Thankfully, that was the extent of their comments before they all called it a night and went to bed. Unbeknownst to Zep, even glancing at the video feeds, Spider didn’t get off so easy when it came to catching shit from his team.
***
Spider was just pulling on a pair of basketball shorts after his shower when Slade and Lita entered the room. He only gave them a glance before he continued digging in his duffel bag to find a tank top.
“That’ll be twenty, I do believe,” Lita’s smug tone caused Spider to look at both INET agents when he stood up from retrieving his shirt.
“Damn.” Slade pulled a twenty out of his wallet and slapped it into Lita’s outstretched palm. “Would have sworn they’d have taken longer.”
“Serves you right for assuming, Slade.” Lita smirked and added Slade’s twenty to the other bills in his wallet.
Spider frowned at both of them and his frown deepened when Slade walked up and stopped so close that their chests almost bumped. The man was grinning at him like a cat that ate a canary and Spider didn’t like it one damn bit. He liked it even less when Slade’s hand reached out, grasp his jaw, and turned his head to the side. Spider yanked his head out of Slade’s grip.
“What the fuck?” Spider growled and shoved Slade away. He fully expected the man to retaliate his aggressive push, but Slade didn’t.
“Give me my twenty back, Lita.” Slade laughed and turned back to Lita.
“No fucking way. You lost fair and square,” Lita replied, plopped down onto the bed closest to the door, and began pulling his boots off.
“No, I didn’t,” Slade countered before he sat at the small table and mirrored Lita’s movements to undress.
Spider’s eyes bounced between the two INET agents like he was watching a ping-pong match. It was obvious they had placed a bet that had something to do with him, and likely Zep, but he had no idea what they had actually bet on.
“You said he wouldn’t be back at the room before us.” Lita shrugged out of his vest and pulled his T-shirt over his head which left his broad chiseled chest on full display.
“I also said it would be because he and Zep would be getting busy.” Slade shot Spider a smirk before his face disappeared in his T-shirt moments before the cotton hit the floor next to his feet.
“What the fuck?” Spider repeated and glared at Slade before he shifted the same pissed off look at Lita.
“Asshole.” Lita chuckled and leaned forward to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. He thumbed through the bills sandwiched between the leather and pulled out a ten. “You were only half right.”
Slade stood and took the ten from Lita’s hand. “Half right still isn’t wrong.” Slade return the money to his wallet before he turned toward the bathroom. He paused next to Spider, almost shoulder to shoulder, before he turned his head to look at the man.
“You hurt him and I’ll kill you myself.”
Slade’s gaze was deadly and his tone was so honestly serious that a shiver threatened to race down Spider’s spine. Still, Slade’s declaration of death didn’t stop Spider from glaring at him.
Slade suddenly broke into a grin. “If that’s not your intention, then you’ve got nothing to worry about, huh?”
Spider didn’t get the opportunity to reply before Slade smacked him on the shoulder and continued to the bathroom to take a shower. He turned his head to follow Slade’s retreating back and had no idea what to make of Slade’s behavior.
Spider had heard the rumors that questioned the man’s sanity. Anytime death and destruction were associated with the mention of an agent’s name, it was easy to assume the agent in question didn’t have all their ducks in a row. He had heard the rumors about Slade even before the man started actively trying to recruit him to INET.
But, Spider never put much stock in rumors even if they stressed how unpredictable the man was when he was on an op. Until witnessing this scary as shit mood swing, Spider was sure the rumors about Slade’s sanity were exaggerated.
Maybe they aren’t.
“What the hell?” Spider turned back to Lita and wasn’t surprised that the man didn’t offer an answer until the sound of the shower could be heard through the thin bathroom door.
“They are like brothers.” Lita didn’t look comfortable sharing information about his INET team, but Spider didn’t care.
“Okay, and?”
Lita sighed. “Look, if you and Zep are just fucking around, good for you. But, if he’s just something to get your rocks off with and he thinks it’s more, there’s going to be a problem. A big fucking problem.” Lita’s gaze hardened. “Slade will be your biggest problem, but that don’t make the rest of us any less of one. You feel me?”
By the time Lita finished speaking, his tone held the same dangerous edge that Slade had directed at him less than five minutes ago. There was a part of Spider that was reassured and pleased that Zep’s team cared for him enough for them to threaten death to anyone that would hurt the man. And, he had no doubt that Slade and Lita’s words weren’t just an idle threat. These men would take him out if he hurt Zep.
Still, there was another part of him that was pissed that both men automatically assumed he would hurt Zep. That was absolutely the last thing he ever wanted to do. However, even if he and Zep were hooking up as only fuck buddies, that was no one’s business but theirs. That thought was what had Spider’s anger form words.
“I feel you, Thor,” Spider growled. “I’ve no intentions of hurting Zep, but whether we are fuck buddies or anything else, it’s no one’s fucking business but ours.” Spider glared down at Lita even though he stood a few feet away from the man. “You feel me?”
Lita snorted and stood to strip out of his jeans at the same time Slade walked out of the bathroom. He wore basketball shorts just like Spider and resumed his seat at the small, shitty table in the room.
“So, give us the update,” Slade ordered as if nothing had happened before he took a shower.
Spider sat down on the other bed and did just that since they were back on the topic of why they were really stuck staying in this crappy hotel.
##~~##
Twenty-one
Payne and Trigger sat at one of the tables in the back of Hell’s Minions and waited for the KoV members to arrive. Payne had no doubt that Slade would be walking through the door any minute with the rest of his INET backup hot on his heels. He was thinking about the direction Slade could be leading the Blades depending on the details of his offer when Trigger interrupted his thoughts.
“The Knights ever deal in anything other than weapons or drugs?”
Payne was more than surprised that Trigger had dared to ask him so bluntly if the KoV dealt in anything more. Payne knew what the ‘more’ referred to even though he wished he didn’t and that was the reason he needed backup. Trig’s question put him in a position that he wasn’t comfortable with since he was playing the part of KoV’s previous mover from the seat of his pants.
He didn’t let his expression display anything but thoughtfulness. The fact that Trigger even asked him that question
confirmed to Payne that the Blades were looking to branch out. The thought made Payne feel ill, but Trig would never see how he really felt about people becoming merchandise.
“Trig, man,” Payne began and made his tone sound torn. “I moved shit for KoV, but it’s not my place to get into the details about what I moved.”
“But you’d know,” Trig said with confidence and accusation in his tone.
“Man,” Payne sighed dramatically while he wished he had more on his back story as a mover for KoV.
The last thing he wanted to do was feed Trig a line for the cover Slade suddenly added to the one he already had to only have Slade inadvertently contradict whatever he told Trig. It was best for all of them involved who were trying to bust the Blades if Payne played his new undercover role as vaguely as possible.
“You’re putting me in a shitty position.” Payne frowned for effect. “If I did for the Blades what I used to do for the Knights and joined another club, would you be cool with me talking about Blades’ business? Even if I held rank before I left, sharing club business would give me a permanent dirt bed.”
Payne met Trig’s eyes and didn’t look away. “I’ve already shared more with you about KoV’s business then I should have and you know it. I’m not going to share any more that would paint a target on my back because even if the Blades and the Knights do business, if I share shit I shouldn’t, the target will still end up there.”
Payne watched respect enter Trig’s gaze and had to force himself not to breathe a sigh of relief that the Blades’ Lieutenant wasn’t going to push for information that he didn’t have when it came to what he moved for KoV. Patiently, Payne waited for Trig to say something, but if the man was going to reply, he never got the chance.
Junk and Slicer approached their table, but didn’t take a seat. They looked up at the two bikers who stopped before their table. Both men had been with the club since before Payne joined them almost two years ago.
“They’re here,” Junk informed before both men moved off to sit at another table across the room.
A few minutes later, Slade, Lita, and the agent who was new to Payne walked into the bar. Slade only took a minute to scan the bar before he spotted them and all three men headed their way.
“Thanks for coming back,” Trigger greeted the trio when they stopped in front of the table.
Slade grunted. “Payne is our brother and if he hadn’t been a valued KoV then we wouldn’t even be talking after the shit your club pulled.” Slade paused but not long enough for Trigger to reply. “In fact he’s the only reason we aren’t gunning for your ass. Yet.”
Payne internally cringed at Slade’s words even though he knew they were what a ranking KoV would threaten after being attacked twice by Blades’ members. Still, he felt his role of being a previous Knight and a current Blade dictated he speak.
“Eliminator.” Payne met Slade’s glare when it shifted from Trigger to him and he continued. “Trig has taken care of the bullshit.”
Payne practically felt Trig bristle at him, his subordinate, for even mentioning the Blades’ disciplinary actions against the other club members, but thankfully the lieutenant kept his mouth shut regardless of how pissed off he was over Payne’s words.
“Get me a beer,” Slade ordered and returned his gaze to Trigger.
Lita turned and walked to the bar while the new agent remained standing behind Slade. Payne took a moment to look the guy over. He looked like a dangerous as fuck biker and Payne would never have suspected he was an international undercover agent if he hadn’t shown up with Slade. The lack of biker ink didn’t make the man seem any less of a biker, either.
No words were exchanged before Lita returned with Slade’s beer. Slade took the bottle and placed it carefully on the table without taking a drink.
“Go relax, Thor,” Slade said without turning toward Lita. “Go get yourself an ice cold one.”
Payne watched Lita turn around and go back to the bar. He barely noticed that once Lita took a seat at the bar, Keg moved to sit next to his teammate. Payne had no time to consider Keg’s motivation for chatting up a KoV member before Slade spoke again.
“Widow.” Slade still didn’t look away from Payne or Trigger. “Take a seat.”
***
Keg made sure that he was hanging out in Hell’s Minions well before the time that the INET agents who were posing as KoV members were supposed to return to meet up with Payne and Trig. It was easy to hang out in the Minions. Most of the unemployed or only barely legitimately employed members of the Blades killed their afternoons at the Minions. So, even though his cover included being a construction worker as his day job, which he never did, no one would be suspicious if he was at the bar in the middle of the afternoon.
Keg was standing at the end of the bar facing the door when the INET agents walked in to meet with Trigger and Payne. He took a sip from his bottle of beer to hide his interest in the men who were meeting with the club’s lieutenant. Keg forced himself to look away from the five men when the blonde who looked like he stepped straight out of the pages of a Thor comic book headed toward the bar.
Keg didn’t chance a glance back at the men until he caught the blonde moving again. The man took a seat at the bar, but didn’t sit with his back to the table where his fellow agents were located. Instead, he sat sideways on the stool so he could keep his teammates in sight. Keg wasn’t surprised.
Lita spotted the ICE agent the moment Slade ordered him back to the bar. The agent was leaning on the back corner of the bar and Lita had no doubt that Slade had spotted him the moment they walked inside.
He ordered a beer and waited because there was no way in hell he could approach the man. At least not outright. If he was lucky, the guy would need to piss and he could intercept him in the men’s room to give him a heads up about the team. They knew ICE knew they were coming in to backup one of their own, so Lita could only hope that luck would be in his favor and the man knew about them. Apparently, it was because the biker set down his empty beer and approached.
“Mind if I join you?”
Lita glanced at the man and grinned. “No, let me buy you an ice cold one.”
Lita knew that his offer might seem out of place after the way the Blades had treated them. He also knew he should treat all of them like assholes, but since the barmaid was nowhere within hearing distance, he didn’t worry about how he should have responded to the Blades’ member.
Keg met the blonde’s clear green eyes and the recognition of one undercover agent to another was instantaneous even without the man’s subtle use of the word ice. He plopped down on the stool next to the INET agent. They didn’t speak until after the Blades’ barmaid brought Keg another beer.
“So, you been with the Blades long?”
Keg grinned. He loved this aspect of undercover work. The most innocent questions to any oblivious observer meant something else totally to those undercover.
“A little over six months.” Keg took a sip of his beer. “My brother is in a home in Fort Lauderdale,” Keg shared the location of his handler, his lover, with the agent and had no doubt they would try to track him down if he provided Rick’s cover name. He did and watched the INET agent nod.
“It’s hard to keep track of the care a loved one receives.”
“Oh, I keep track of his care just fine,” Keg replied. He knew that they weren’t talking about anything medical. He had the feeling the agent was referring to the trackers he placed on their bikes.
The INET agent flagged down the barmaid and ordered another round for them. It wasn’t until she walked away and he had taken a sip of his beer before he sighed.
“Too many of these and I’ll be pissing my brains out.”
The agent glanced at him and even if the words the man had just uttered weren’t a clue, his gaze clearly said they needed to talk in the bathroom.
“Fuck, man.” Keg chuckled. “Did you have to mention pissing?” Keg didn’t expect the INET agent to reply and he didn
’t before Keg stood, turned, and made his way to the men’s room.
Keg actually did piss and was just zipping up when the blonde INET agent walked in. He turned toward the man and didn’t waste any time.
“Update me on what you can and please tell me that Payne is one of yours.” Keg’s voice was hushed and with the agent’s body between him and the door to the bar, Keg was sure no one would overhear his quiet demand.
“He’s ours,” the man confirmed. “Been under for almost two years and his work has given up a shit ton of info to make outside busts.”
Keg had the impression the agent was defending Payne for some reason. He had no doubt that if Payne had been under so deep for so long that INET had made some serious narcotics busts as a result of the man’s Intel.
“Not arguing that,” Keg reassured and didn’t bother elaborating on the subject. “I’ve been here six months because we heard the Blades were branching from weed to people.”
“You have no confirmation?” The tone of the INET agent wasn’t condescending or accusing. It was just a question presented to one agent from another.
“Only a very small ring we busted who had a member that claimed the Blades gave them the women,” Keg growled. “For a price, of course.”
“So they sent you in?”
“Yeah. The Intel was too detailed for us not to believe. Whether the Blades are just dabbling in human trafficking or trying to get a foot hold as a major player doesn’t matter.”
“No, it doesn’t. The weapons they are suddenly trying to move are no fucking joke either.”
“Weapons? Shit.” Keg frowned. “I thought their main income was from weed until we got the lead on the human trafficking.” Keg paused in thought. “It makes sense that they would escalate to weapons before people.”
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