Page 9 of The Devil's Reward
Not to mention, I can be surehe’snot the mole.
Finally Crypt replies, “I’ll give it a trial run. No promises I’ll stay with the MC, but if that won’t affect my job, then I see no reason to refuse.”
I smile at him. “Good. I’ll let our President know, and then we’ll work out the details. In the meantime, I’ll get you to fill out some paperwork, and we’ll get you set up. You’re good where you are another day? It’ll be tomorrow before we can move you to the clubhouse.”
He nods. “I have until the end of next week to be out. I’ll let them know I’ll be out in the next couple of days.”
“Got a lot of shit?” Viper asks him.
He shakes his head. “All my shit can fit in a couple of duffle bags. It was just a place to crash when I got back. The furniture and shit stays with them.”
“Makes it easier. You got a bike?” Viper asks.
“Got one in storage. Got a truck that I use for most things now, and haul shit around when I need it.”
“We got space for it, so it’s fine,” I assure him. “You pack up tonight, and I’ll let you know what time tomorrow. Now, let’s get this shit done, and then I’ll show you around.”
The next couple of hours go by quickly, and by the time Crypt leaves, I’m feeling pretty damn good. Not only for helping Crypt, but because we now have an exterminator for our little mole problem. Something Viper immediately says as soon as we’re in his office.
I shut the door behind us and lean against the wall beside it. Viper sits behind his desk and regards me curiously. “You think he’s a good bet?” he finally asks me.
“What you see is what you get with him,” I explain. “He’s blunt when he talks, and he’s damn sharp. The mission our teams paired up for was about ten years ago. He was still relatively new to the game, but he was near fucking perfect. Didn’t whine or complain, gave good intel, and worked well with our team. Even if he doesn’t stay with the club, he’ll be a damn good person to have on our team here.”
“And if he’s nothing like you remember him to be?”
“Then I’ll handle whatever comes next. If that means firing his ass and kicking him to the curb, so be it. I don’t see it happening, but I’m prepared to make that step.”
“And it won’t bother you that he’ll remind you of your team?” Viper’s gaze is assessing, as if trying to figure out if I’m about to lose my shit.
“It was a long time ago, and he wasn’t on my team,” I remind him stiffly. “As for my team, I’ve worked through my issues around them, and if something else pops up, I’ll handle it.”
Slowly, Viper nods. “Alright.” Thankfully, he lets it drop. “I reached out to Syn, and she said her dogs are trained in narcotics and explosives detection. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to do it, but agreed when I told her we wanted to figure out who hurt Izzy. She said to let her know when we need her and she’ll figure out her schedule. She’s got a light week, but she recommended not doing anything tomorrow because she has a cop coming to pick up his K9 from her place and she doesn’t want to worry about being late for him.”
“Gonna take a day to figure out the logistics anyway,” I muse. “Did she say if she can do the grounds and the clubhouse the same day?”
He shook his head. “She said that it will need to be two different days. She recommended doing outside at night, since the dogs will blend in and make it harder for someone to spot them. Daylight is best for the clubhouse. Doing both in one day is too much for the dogs.”
“Alright that makes sense. You figure out the details and let me know. I’ll handle Crypt tomorrow, and we can fill Bullet in tonight before Church.”
“He said to head for his office when we get back. We’ll sweep for bugs, just in case our mole has gotten wise.”
I nod. “Fine. We’ll leave here in about three hours, that should give us enough time.”
“I’ll have to meet you there,” Viper corrects me. “I have to go over to the construction office and the bar to pick up the books. I don’t have Archer this weekend, so I figure it’s the best time to get them done.” He looks pissed at the thought, and I understand.
Archer is Viper’s ten-year-old son, and he’s a damn good kid. It’s too bad his mother is a bitch who uses her son to get back at Viper. She is constantly extorting more money for more time with Archer, and Viper pays it every damn time, because as he always says, the money is nothing compared to his son. We all know that Viper is only biding his time until he can take her back to court to get full custody, but he’s also making sure he has all the evidence in place to make it stick. Even with all that, Archer loves his father, and makes his thoughts known to his mother, much to her annoyance.
“You finally ready to make a move on that?” I ask Viper curiously.
He shakes his head. “We both know a judge won’t take him away from his mother for no good reason. I have some intel that she’s been drinking heavily lately, and using the money I give her for everything other than Archer, but it’s not enough to really get what I need. She also has a new man around.”
I straightened at that. “You get a name?”
Viper shakes his head. “Archer only met him in passing when he came to pick up Maggie, but I’ll figure it out. It won’t be long before she lords that over my head and starts trying to keep Archer from me to spend time with her new man. All so she can say that if I want to see him, I need to pay up.” His lips thin, giving away his anger.
Personally, I’d love to see someone take the bitch down a peg or two, but I know better than to interfere. “You let me know if you want that information sooner rather than later,” I order him.
“Thanks, brother. I got it handled for now, but yeah, I’ll keep it in mind.” He glances at his phone. “I’m going to head over to the job site, and I’ll see you back at the clubhouse.”
