Page 15 of Gatsby's Starlet
I just looked at him.
Mystic cut in before the interrogation could keep rolling. “Leave him alone,” he said, voice calm. “Some men like privacy.”
Thunder grunted his agreement from the other side of the table. “Not everythin’ a man does needs to be everybody’s damn business.”
Thank fuck Devil walked in then, because I was about two seconds from walking right back out. I was a private man on a good day, and every one of them knew it.
Devil took his seat at the head of the table and rested his forearms on the wood. “Alright,” he said. “Let’s get to it.”
The room settled.
“Gatsby,” he said, looking my way. “Did we pass the smell test after rescuing Lark?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Our guy watching those tunnels hasn’t seen hide nor hair of anyone snooping around. Whatever’s left of thatcult either scattered or moved on. They know they can’t organize around here anymore.”
Chain and Thunder spoke at the same time.
“You sure about that?”
“Real sure?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I ran my own checks. Kickstand and Jaycee dug deeper. Even Ash took a look and came up empty.”
Chain’s jaw flexed. “They come sniffin’ around again,” he muttered, voice low, “I’ll finish what we started.”
Devil lifted a hand slightly, shutting that line of thought down before it could grow teeth. “We’ll deal with it if it happens,” he said. “Right now we’ve got something else.”
Chairs creaked as a few guys leaned forward.
“There’s chatter about the Fire Dragons,” Devil said. “Georgia chapter might be trying to stand back up.”
The shift in the room was immediate. Bolt stopped rocking his chair. Spinner leaned forward, elbows on the table. Across from me Mystic went completely still. Not angry. Just still in a way that made every man at that table notice. “Who’s behind it?” he asked.
Devil shook his head. “Don’t know yet. Word came through a couple Nomads who heard it moving through bars down in south Georgia.”
Spinner rubbed his beard slowly. “Chatter doesn’t start unless someone wants it heard.”
Thunder nodded once. “Means somebody’s building somethin’.”
Bolt exhaled through his nose. “Thought that chapter was ash.”
“So did I,” Gearhead muttered.
Chain’s eyes darkened. “They better hope he ain’t like who I’m thinkin’.”
Nobody said the name.
Didn’t have to.
Every man at that table was thinking it.
Devil straightened slightly. “Gearhead. Bolt. Spinner. I want you three digging. Head down into their old territory and start listening. Quiet like.”
Bolt grinned a little. “Always liked Georgia.”
Mystic checked his watch and pushed back from the table. “Anything else?” he asked. “Zeynep’s got a doctor’s appointment in an hour.”
A few of the guys smirked.
