Page 109 of Rags's Awakening
Then Casey’s warm laugh and soft eyes slid into his head. Out of nowhere, he pictured a house. A yard. A damn puppy, but not a cockapoo, a German shepherd. Her in the kitchen cooking a steak. Maybe a kid or two.What the hell?The thought hit him like a punch to the chest. It had to be the mission. Even the best plans could go sideways: brothers got hurt and died. That was all it was. Rags reached over and turned the photo away from him.
“Hey,” Hawk said, entering the room. “I got the info you wanted on your woman.”
“Friend,” Rags said.
“Right.” A crooked grin tugged at Hawk’s mouth. He pulled a folder from the cabinet and tossed it on the desk.
“Is that the report?” Rags asked.
“Yeah. She’s got about twenty-two grand in debt between two cards.”
Rags let out a low whistle.
“But it’s tied to a joint account with a Jared Trevor Walsh. Does the name ring a bell?”
“No. Can you find anything out about him?”
“I’ll try, but with just a name it’ll take time. Or you could ask her.”
“I could.”Is that the biker?
“Anyway”—Hawk slid the folder closer—“it’s all in there.”
Nodding, Rags picked it up. “Thanks.”
“Sure.”
“You want me to take my SUV tonight?”
“Yeah. Throttle, Puck, Wheelie, and Animal can ride with you. Smokey’s taking his. I’ll sort the rest once Banger and me finalize the teams.”
“Is Banger going?”
“Nah. He’s staying back.”
“Got it. Later.”
Closing the door behind him, Rags stepped into the hallway. Voices, clinking glasses, and the steady bass of an old-school rock song blended together as he climbed the stairs to his room.
He stood by the window. Two mule deer moved through the evergreens, browsing on wild shrubs and juniper tips in the shadows. The folder stayed tight in his hand.
Since their steak dinner at Mountain Ember, he’d known Casey was holding things back. He figured she didn’t want to digup painful memories in her past, but after she rode like a pro on the back of his Harley, he knew there was a lot more she was keeping from him. And when he’d asked her about it, she back pedaled, changed the course of the conversation, and revealed nothing.
Now, she was working her ass off for a debt that wasn’t fully hers. And some Jared Walsh was tied to it.Who the hell is this guy?And why was she left holding the bag? Was he still in her life?
The barbed wire that had loosened around his heart tightened and squeezed hard.
Rags shoved away from the window, threw the folder onto the desk, and strode out of the room. He needed a Jack, the noise, and the company of his brothers.Fuck women and their lies.
The sound of his boots echoed down the stairwell.
***
The sky wasthick black, devoid of even a sliver of moonlight. Rags shoved his subcompact 9mm Ruger in his cut’s gun pocket. His right boot concealed a larger Ruger fitted with a silencer. In front, behind, and on all sides of him, dark silhouettes of his brothers crept into position.
Diesel, Helm, and Blade’s scouting had confirmed all twelve Devil’s Reign members were inside the clubhouse, along with five club girls and a couple of citizen hangarounds. The main objective was to destroy the clubhouse, confiscate the cuts bearing the Colorado rocker, and teach the jerks a lesson once and for all.
At no time did the Insurgents want to hurt anyone who hadn’t done them harm. But, depending on how the Devil’s Reign reacted, there could be casualties. Some of them innocent.They’d do their best to minimize that. Still, they were outlaws living in an outlaw world.
