Page 3 of The Devil's Reward
Bullet gives him a cool look. “It doesn’t take much to get that far, brother. The entire reason Bull kept power for so long was because he dealt in the shit I vowed never to touch again. We were drowning in drugs and booze, running guns, and at one time, people. That was the beginning of the end. I refused to stand for it. If our mole is in league with Dmitri Norikov and his band of miscreants, then chances are he’s already neck deep in that shit too. Being a member of our club, and one that Dmitri knows about, means we have two possibilities.
“One, our mole is trying to save up his money before he gets out and lives a life of luxury. Or, two, he’s working on dragging our club into a turf war with the mafia. A war that we won’t win if we’re not smart. And I, for one, will never let those assholes win.”
I nod, along with the others. There is no way we can let that happen.
“But our mole forgot one thing,” I mumble. “He forgot what brotherhood means, and that we will never let him drag us into this mess. He made a mistake in coming after this club, and it’s time we reminded him of that. Fuck Dmitri Norikov. We’ll fight back harder, and we’ll win.”
“Not to mention,” Viper says with amusement, “all we need to do is sic the women on them to make them regret stepping foot in this town.”
Everyone chuckles. Rose and the girls are well known for their crazy antics, but he’s right. If it came down to it, those girls would deliver some pain. It won’t come to that though. Not if I have anything to say about it.
“So, what’s our plan?”
“Our plan is to flush him out,” Bullet answers. “It’s time to apply pressure, and see what squeezes out. When they’re cornered, moles either attack or burrow deeper. We need to be ready for either, and make sure he doesn’t bring in any others behind him.”
“I’m doing a full run again on every brother, Prospect, and woman in the clubhouse and on the grounds,” Cryos assures him. “This time I’m going as deep as I can. Between all of us, we’ll find him.”
“We better,” Bullet replies. “Because if we don’t, we prepare for war.”
TWO
MOLE
Fools!
They really think they’re going to get the better of me? As if I don’t know about their secret meetings. These idiots aren’t as smart as they think they are, sneaking out in the middle of the night. Lucky for me, I was awake and making plans when I heard them moving around outside.
I left my bedroom window open a crack, not noticeable to the naked eye, but enough for me to hear if anyone was out there. And look at that, it paid off. I could see the assholes walking over to their meeting spot, and I carefully followed to listen. Stopping far enough away they can’t hear me or spot me, but close enough to make out most of what they’re saying.
They think they can trap me? They have another thing coming. When they mention Bull’s name, I have to grit my teeth to keep from raging at them. Bull had been a genius. A visionary, and what had Bullet and those other assholes done? They killed him. Turned their backs on him so they could live cushy lives like they don’t have blood on their hands.
Well, fuck them. They’re right that Dmitri is going to want them gone, but not before I get my licks in. First, though, I need to get my plans in order. I need to fix my mistakes and get rid of the women, but that won’t be easy with them under guard with the brothers suspicious of everyone.
No matter, I’ll figure it out. When I do, this club will be nothing, and I will finally get what I deserve. Bull will have his vindication, even beyond the grave, and if I play my cards right, I’ll have Dmitri right where I want him.
It’s going to take some finesse, but I’ll make it work. I always do.
THREE
SHADOW
Our mole’s days are numbered, and it’s going to be damn satisfying to catch him.
I huff out an annoyed breath at the number of emails sitting in my inbox. Do people not have enough to do without pissing me off? With this whole mole problem, the last thing I want to deal with is a bunch of rich assholes wanting twenty-four-seven protection services because of some perceived threat. Half of them won’t be anything more than paranoia, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Still, the amount of work coming our way is starting to be more than we can handle. Meaning I need to enlist some more brothers, or we need to hire civilians not associated with the club. Neither option is ideal, especially since pulling more brothers in takes away from other businesses, and also could bring our mole right into the mix. Civilians could work, but that would require vetting, and that is another type of headache.
Instead of worrying about it, I get to work on the emails, forwarding any I think others can handle. I’ve learned that delegation is a life saver.
“We need a receptionist or something,” Viper groans as he walks into my office. “I have so many fucking emails I can’t even do my own work.”
I nod in agreement. “I know the feeling. Who are we going to get though? We need someone with clearance.”
“Could ask if Rose could fill in until we find someone,” Viper suggests. I give him a bland look, and he grins. “Yeah, I know, I wasn’t going to say anything, but it’s her, Sage, or one of the club girls. Sage, well, I don’t think this is her idea of fun. She’d spend more time taking pictures than doing actual work. And I really don’t want to deal with any of the club girls over here.”
I groan and run my hand over my face. I love Rose, but she is a handful. Not to mention, she and the rest of the coven, as Torque calls them, usually all end up in the same place. Truthfully, I don’t have the time or patience to deal with that headache. Still, how long could it be?
“Or,” Viper continues, making me look up at him. “I had another idea that might be an option. Not sure if you’d agree, and we might need to run it by Bullet, but I can’t see why he’d object.”
