Page 71 of The Devil's Reward
I nod. “Windows were tinted.”
“Crypt was able to get the plate number off it before they hauled it away,” Viper says. “It comes back to a dummy corporation called Grom Industries.”
“Grom is a Slavic deity,” I mutter, straightening slightly. “So our mole used one of Dmitri’s vehicles.”
“I can’t imagine that Dmitri would have wanted such a blatant hit,” Sniper muses.
“So he stole the vehicle?” Viper questions. “Either our mole is stupid or one brave son of a bitch. I wouldn’t want Dmitri pissed at me like that.”
“We need to amp up our search for him,” I tell Sniper tightly, looking him dead in the eyes. “Put on the pressure.”
“Fucking right,” Viper agrees.
“We will,” Sniper assures me. “Doctors say that Rose, Bullet, and Sage will probably be out for at least another twenty-four hours, but Izzy and Kaleb are both in and out. Torque hasn’t left Izzy’s side, and Kaleb’s mother has been here to see him. She begged me to find who did this to her son, and I made her a promise that I will. I don’t intend to break it.”
“Sniper,” Hammer says, coming over, eyes heavy with stress and fatigue. He nods at Viper and me, and continues, “We having Church soon?”
Sniper nods at him. “I’m going to call it in a couple of hours. You need to get some sleep, brother. You’ve been here all night.”
“Bullet is my oldest friend and brother, Sniper, no way in hell am I leaving him,” Hammer snaps. Sniper just nods. Hammer huffs out a breath. “Fuck,” he hisses, rubbing his eyes. “Sorry.”
“I get it, brother,” Sniper says with a wave of his hand.
“This is just like back in the fucking eighties when Bull was running shit,” he growls. “That good-for-nothing bastard was always landing one of us in the hospital, or sometimes heading for jail. Now we’ve got a fucking mole, the mafia on our tails, and brothers and their women in the damn hospital. It’s like the past’s come full circle.”
I glance at Viper and see him give me a subtle nod. Our thoughts are heading in the same direction. Hammer is on to something, and I doubt it’s a coincidence. “You said Bull was in with the mafia back then, wasn’t he?” I ask Hammer casually.
Hammer shakes his head. “Nah, back then it was the cartel and some other local gangs that were trying to take control of the town. It was a fucking mess, brother. It was all-out wars on the streets. Bull was moving drugs and some guns mostly, but we all knew he wanted more power and pull. It’s why Bullet, a few others, and I worked so damn hard to get the club out from under his thumb. There was a divide in the club, and some of the brothers paid the price by standing with us, while some were taken out by the gangs and cartel.”
“Some deserted the club though, didn’t they?” I ask carefully.
Hammer gives a humorless chuckle. “Bullet, Trickster, and I tracked them all down. If they were deserters, then we took care of them,” he says grimly. “Couldn't let that shit stand.”
We all nod. I vaguely remember Trickster from when I joined. He died of a heart attack within the first year after I patched in, but he had been a gruff old man that liked to play tricks on everyone in the clubhouse. I vaguely remember him tricking a club girl into taking a laxative, ending in her spending almost a full twenty-four hours in the can. She didn’t stay long after that. She was too pissed.
“So we don’t have to worry about any of them coming back to get revenge,” Viper muses.
Hammer shakes his head. “Whoever Dmitri is working with, our mole is smart and is figuring out a way to stay hidden. But this shit, this isn’t going to fly.”
“No, it isn’t,” Sniper agrees. “Dmitri and his men are going to wish they hadn’t set foot in this town.”
Hammer nods. “I’m going to go grab some of that shit coffee. Call my cell if anything changes.” Then he turns and heads off.
Once he’s out of earshot, I murmur to Sniper, “We’re not going to mention our mole is responsible for this, right?”
Sniper shakes his head. “Let him think he’s safe, and that we’re blaming Dmitri. Might make him sloppy enough to slip up.”
“Hopefully,” I agree. “I’m going in to see them, and then I’m heading back to the clubhouse. You’re keeping the guards here?”
Sniper nods. “I’m not taking any chances. I have Carson and the other prospects keeping the clubhouse locked down, but I want Crypt here. With his training, he’ll be in better use here.”
“Good call,” I agree. “Crypt is a scary bastard when he’s on a job. I’ll come back and rotate out with them after Church to give them a break.”
“Not going anywhere,” Hulk says as he comes over. “We only have a couple of rooms to watch and they’re close enough that I don’t have to have two people on them at all times. Crypt and I will rotate out if needed, but we’re not leaving.”
“And I’m not leaving, so I’ll be a guard too,” Stone says as he also joins our circle. “King and Torque are too focused on their women and aren’t in any shape to watch over shit. I also doubt they’re going to want to leave for Church.”
“Think they deserve a pass on this,” Sniper agrees. “You coming or staying here?”
