by J. L. Leslie
“Do not put that past her.”
I grin as I head over to Layla, scooping her up and putting her on my shoulders as we walk to the clubhouse. She’s laughing and innocently telling me she’s my trophy as I carry her inside.
Harper
I’m reluctant to leave Layla at the Sinners’ clubhouse, but she has taken to the bikers extremely well, and if I had to guess, they’ve taken to her as well. She was super excited when Wiggie ordered Chinese, letting him know that orange chicken is her favorite. Then once she finished her dinner and bath, she had no problem curling onto the sofa with Lucien for a movie.
In fact, she’s encased in the middle of him and Warren at this moment and Soco and Reid are both watching right along with them. Soco’s old lady, Leann, is sitting on Soco’s lap and Reid has some blonde woman with him.
I have no idea where Warren’s old lady is, but he doesn’t seem to mind sitting with Layla and enjoying the movie. I don’t necessarily think Death Race is the best movie for her to watch, but she was too excited for me to tell her no. I know she’ll fall asleep pretty quickly anyway.
While we ate, Lucien had Ian, one of the prospects, go pack our bags and check my house. He also had him pick up Layla an air mattress, which will be good enough for her to sleep on tonight. It’s already been set up in the corner of Lucien’s room, a small pink comforter and pillow resting on top of it.
“Don’t stay up too late,” I instruct Layla. “It’s almost nine o’clock already.”
Lucien smiles up at me. “Ten more minutes and I’ll get her in bed,” he promises. “Warren’s going to take you to work, and he’ll stay with you until your shift is over.”
I start to protest, tell him I have my bike, but I know it won’t do any good. He’s having Warren take me so that he can be here with Layla and trust that I’m safe. Make good on his promise to protect us.
Warren may only be a prospect, but I get the feeling that Lucien trusts him more than any other Sinner. Warren stands up, grabbing his phone off the coffee table beside the sofa.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” I tell Layla and lean over to give her a kiss. “Love you.”
She murmurs that she loves me, already getting sleepy, and I start to stand back up when Lucien grabs my wrist. He pulls me over to him and touches his lips to mine, only for a brief moment.
“See you in the morning,” he says, his voice a promise of what’s to come.
I lick my lips as I stand and I only glance over my shoulder at him once as I follow Warren out of the clubhouse. When we reach his bike, I grab the extra helmet off the back and strap it on while he gets on, then I climb on behind him.
“She’s probably asleep already,” he comments before cranking his bike.
I laugh, clutching his leather jacket as he pulls off. I hold on, but I don’t wrap my arms around Warren’s waist. It’s different riding with someone other than Lucien. With him, I love clinging to him, pressing my body against his and squeezing him tightly.
“Sorry you have to wait here all night,” I tell him once we reach the diner.
He shrugs, turning his bike off and removing his helmet. His blondish-brown hair is a tousled mess and he runs his hand through it, making it even wilder.
“I don’t mind.”
“Is it because it’s your job?” I ask him, putting the helmet I wore onto his bike.
I don’t want to sound like Mackenzie, making him think that he has to do what he was ordered to do since he’s a prospect. I know I have a lot to learn about the club I’m in and how things work in general when it comes to the other clubs in L.A., but I do know that as a prospect, I have to do what I’m ordered to do.
“Partly,” he answers, honestly, “But also because I respect Lucien and I can see that he cares about you.” He pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket and lights one up. “You do have to work, don’t you?”
I nod as he exhales a cloud of smoke. “Thank you.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Lucien
I shake my head as I watch Layla eat warmed over orange chicken and noodles for breakfast. I thought she ate enough of it last night. She fell asleep shortly after Harper left, barely watching any of the movie.
I cradled her in my arms and carried her to the air mattress set up in my room. She didn’t even stir when I tucked her in. It was slightly strange sleeping in my bed knowing she was in the corner asleep, but I felt good knowing I was protecting her at the same time.
She grins at me as she shoves another piece of chicken in her mouth. Her long, dark hair is in two braids, courtesy of Leann. Soco’s old lady jumped at the chance to fix Layla’s hair for school, and I swear I could hear Soco groaning as Leann hinted she wanted a little girl of her own.
Warren should be on his way with Harper since her shift ended almost half an hour ago. I wanted to have Layla fed and ready for school when they get here, and the kid wanted more Chinese food. How could I say no?
The door opens, and Harper steps inside, her laughter filling the room. Warren follows after, a smile on his face, and I feel a stab of jealousy course through my body.
“I’m just glad you were holding on!” he grins, and she laughs harder as she approaches me.
“Chinese for breakfast?”
She’s smiling as she asks this and then she leans in and kisses my cheek and fuck me, I’m pretty sure I smell Warren’s cologne on her as she reaches over the table and snatches a piece of Layla’s chicken from her plate and pops it into her mouth.
“What’s so funny?” I ask them, and she giggles.
“It was nothing really,” she says. “I almost fell off Warren’s bike, but luckily, I was holding onto him tightly enough that I didn’t.”
I cut my eyes over to him, and I see his face pale. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. We hit this dip in the road, and this idiot pulled out in front of us like a crazy person, so he had to swerve, and anyway, I slid off the seat a little and thought I was a goner! He had to reach back and grab me, and if I hadn’t been clinging to his jacket, I would probably be a pancake on the freeway right now!”
Warren clears his throat, “Yes, she was clinging to my jacket.”
I know he’s trying to point out that Harper was not holding onto him, but maybe it’s too early for his words to register because I’m still pissed. Not only do I not want to think about her clinging onto him, but I trusted him with her, and he nearly wrecked.
“Layla, go brush your teeth. We have to get going,” I say, trying to keep from snapping on the man I now consider being my closest friend.
She hops out of the chair and skips down the hallway, clearly having already made herself at home here at the clubhouse. I made sure everything was PG here last night. No club whores and no drugs. Not while she was here.
Having her here made me realize I need a place of my own. A lot of the men who have old ladies have their own place outside the clubhouse. They have their rooms here in case a run goes late or they’re needed for club business, but they live with their old ladies and families outside this place. I may need that one day.
“I told Warren I would be driving next time. He could ride bitch,” Harper smirks, reinforcing my thoughts.
I get Layla’s plate and take it to the sink, tossing it down a little harder than I should. “There won’t be a next time. Apparently, I can’t trust my own men to look after you.”
“What are you talking about?” Harper asks me just as Layla comes back into the kitchen.
“I’m talking about how he nearly let you die, and yet you somehow thought it was funny.”
“I’ve got my backpack,” Layla says. “Are we taking your bike, Lucien?”
I shake my head. “No, we’ll take the Suburban today. Go load up.”
She doesn’t gripe about not taking the bike as she heads to the door. Harper is glaring at me, the good mood she came in with all gone to shit now. Warren is loading the dishwasher, taking the initiative to try and get back on my good side.
I motion to the door, waiting on Harper, and she huffs as she brushes past me. I don’t say anything to Warren as I follow her. He already knows he’s on my shit list.
Harper
Lucien is being absolutely ridiculous. I was never in any real danger with Warren, and he should know that. Why did he trust him to take me to work if he thought I wouldn’t be safe with him?
He’s driving Layla to school right now, giving me the damn silent treatment and acting as though Warren and I snuck off together or some shit. If he wants to be pissed off, fine, but I can be pissed off too.
“Bye, sweetie. I’ll see you this afternoon, and we’ll be going back home,” I make it a point to tell her when I let her out of the back seat.
“You shouldn’t fucking lie to her,” Lucien says when I close my door, and he drives away.
“I didn’t.”
From the corner of my eye, I can see him grip the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turn white. He clenches his jaw in frustration. We ride the rest of the way back to the clubhouse in silence. When we get there, I get out and go inside to get mine and Layla’s things, determined to get back home no matter what he says or does.
“I don’t trust the Sicarios, so your home is not safe,” he tells me while I’m putting our things into the bag he had Ian bring us.
“We won’t be staying here, so I’m willing to risk it,” I smart, slinging the bag over my shoulder. He stands in his doorway, his body nearly filling the frame. “You can send Warren over to keep an eye on things.”
It was a shitty thing to say, and I’m aware of it the moment the words are out of my mouth. It’s too late to take them back though.
“Is that what you want?” he asks quietly, pain etched on his face. “Because you would not be the first woman to do that to me.”
I grip the strap of the bag, readjusting it on my shoulder. Despite the time we’ve spent together, I don’t know much about Lucien and what makes him the man he is. Why he became a Sinner. What he’s been through. I know from research that he was in foster care and that he got out the moment he turned eighteen.
I know the things he’s done, and I know the bleak future he has, but I don’t know the past that molded him. His comment is only a glimpse into him. He’s been scorned, just like I have been.
“So, if he’s what you want, then fucking tell me now and save us both a lot of time. I’ve let go of one, and I can let go of you too.”
His words sting a little. I’m not sure if that’s his intention or not. I tell myself I only started spending time with him so that I can make him fall for me, but if it’s not working then what the hell am I doing? Why do I pretend that him dying wouldn’t devastate me? If I knew the truth, knew that I could trust him, then I could stop hating myself for feeling this way.
“It would fucking gut me, but I can let you go, Harper,” he admits. “If that’s what you want me to do.”
I slowly lower the bag to the floor and cross the room to him. “Tell me about her. Tell me why you believe I would do something like she did.”
He takes my face in his hands, rubbing his thumb over my lip. “No. She doesn’t matter anymore.”
I want to know about her though. I want to know everything, mainly because I want to know about him. But I don’t push him right now. I let him peel my jeans down my legs and my shirt over my head. I allow him to carry me to his bed and I watch him undress, my eyes flickering over his scars.
He fucks me roughly, driving into me to the brink of pain. I know it’s to remind both him and me that I am his. That I belong to him and only him.
And I’m fine with that. It means I’m making him fall for me. That I have him right where I want him.
Thing is, he has me too.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lucien
I’m reluctant to hold church with Harper asleep in my bed, but it has to be done. We need to form a plan for our attack on the Jiminez cartel. I will make good on my word to Wakeford.
Taking the money from our general funds is a risk as it will take some time to rebuild that. I want Jiminez to go down. Mainly for the simple fact that the asshole won’t do business with me and also for the fact that I think he’s making a move on Harper.
“The fucking pill mill house was a damn breeze,” Reid says once the meeting is underway. “Those assholes didn’t have a clue what was coming. No security. No cameras. Shitload of money and pills.”
“The Jiminez cartel is not like dealing with one of the Mexican cartels,” I explain. “He’s fairly low-level, only supplying L.A. and trying to work his way into the other cities in California. Once he is taken out though, his supplier will try to step in. Once any cartel is taken down, another one takes it over. We will have to make contact with his supplier and see if they’ll work with us.”
“How short are we on the funds?” Wiggie questions.
“About a hundred grand,” Soco answers. “We have close to that in our general funds, but it would wipe us almost completely out, and we need that money for payroll. We spend it, and we get our trucks. We’ll have to start selling the product right away to replenish it.”
“It has to be done. It pisses me off that we are using that for payroll as it is, but I want the trucks. We have to start getting product out there again before people think we’re weak,” I tell them all. “And yes, the pill mill house was a breeze, but I doubt that Jiminez will allow such an easy attack a second time. I want this fucker taken out. If we go ahead and pay Wakeford now, we’ll be in his good graces for making good on our deal early instead of waiting until the end of the month.”
“So, we get our trucks and start selling our shit right away. Then, we take out Jiminez to recoup the loss from our general funds,” Reid says.
“That’s the plan. It’ll be happening fast. We can’t waste any time, or we won’t make good on our payouts, and that just can’t fucking happen,” I explain to them. “I’ve already contacted Wakeford, and we can pick up our trucks tomorrow. Anyone opposed to this?”
No one does, which I didn’t expect them to. Harco limps over, passing out some papers. “This is what I could find on Jiminez. The most impactful hits will be those three locations. That is where he stores most of his products. His other places are pill mill houses like the one you and Reid hit.”
“They will also be the hardest locations to take down,” Soco puts in, reviewing the intel.
“They have the most security, and they are located just outside the city limits,” Harco replies, and I hear some grumbling.
I sit up in my seat, and the damn grumbling stops. “Which means that although security will be a problem, there will be dozens of escape routes and it’ll be easy to get lost in the city traffic.”
“What’s the plan to get past security then?” Hatcher questions. “You got anything on them, Harco?”
“There’s some stuff in there if you read it, fucker.”
I skim over the intel he’s given us. Each location pretty much has the same security. Heavily armed guards outside, at least five. There’s a security camera at the front entrance, and once inside, there’s an unknown number of armed guards.
“Anyone know any good snipers?” Reid laughs.
It crosses my mind to call Dax Daughtry for a favor. His daughter just might be the best shot in California, but I won’t ask the Ravens to get involved in a cartel war.
“We will need three. We need to hit them all at once,” I announce, and I can see their unease. “If we try taking our time with this, Jiminez will be onto us before we get the second attack underway. Call Warren and Ian in here. If they can shoot worth a damn, we need to know. Chances are, as soon as one of the guards goes down, they’ll know where you are, and your ass is grass.”
Soco goes to the door and hollers for the two prospects to join us. They take a break from washing the bikes and come have a seat at the bar with the rest of us.
“I need our three best shooters to take out the security c
ameras and armed guards outside these three locations,” I tell them, passing them each the intel from Harco. “Harco, I need you doing everything you can to get me Jiminez’s routine. I need to know where he’ll be and who will be with him. I can’t take him out if I don’t know where he is. I’ll be trusting you assholes to get this job done. Once the cameras and those men are down, we will be sending in a group to take down the men inside. We have no way of knowing how many there are inside the buildings.”
“Fuck it, I’ll do it,” Reid says. “I like a challenge.”
I nod, figuring he would be one of the first ones to raise his hand for the job. It’s a dangerous one. Possibly more dangerous than going inside the warehouse. Once the first shot is fired, there will be four highly trained men with their guns on you. It won’t be hard to find a shooter when there’s really nowhere to hide. Chances are, the guards inside will come out to see what’s going on. It’ll take some time for the other Sinners to move in on them. The whole damn attack is a risk.
We aren’t just hitting three of Jiminez’s prominent locations. We are making an attempt to take over his cartel. Go fucking big or go fucking home, right?
Warren is reluctant, but when no one else steps up, he says, “It’s not my favorite job, but I’ll do it.”
“I’ll do it,” Wiggie finally says.
We have our three. Now, we just have to figure out the rest and do it quickly. Especially when I tell them we’re doing this right after we get our fucking trucks, in two days.
Harper
I ease away from the door before Lucien comes back, sliding back into his bed. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I really didn’t. I woke up alone, and when I went to the door to go find him, I heard him talking. I could tell the Sinners were having a meeting.
I should’ve gone back to bed. I should’ve listened to that voice in my heart telling me what I was doing was wrong. I didn’t though. Instead, I listened to the voice in my head telling me I should gather all the intel I could. So, I did.