Page 246 of Sweet Temptation

“Running the crew?”

“Players head of security.”

I’d expected more of an argument here, or maybe for Jude to come down on me about the whole thing. Take Piper’s side.

Definitely didn’t expect a promotion.

“I know you’ve got your other clients,” he said. “Your company. But we can make an arrangement. The Players would need to be your primary client. We’d need you on the road with the band, ideally. But if you want the gig, I’m sure we can work it all out.”

“Well… I’m honored,” I said, which was true. I knew Jude and Brody didn’t take these things lightly, and the offer wouldn’t be made unless they were sure. But. “I’ve gotta tell you, though. If I’m even gonna consider this… I’ve got some real issues with your club brothers.”

“And what issues would those be?”

“Their loyalty, for one. Honestly? I’m fucking pissed that Maddox went behind my back to Piper. No matter that Piper very possibly saved my ass last night—”

“Possibly?”

“If you want me managing security for this band,” I told him, “there are no Kings on my crew.”

“Lot of guys in the club have been doing security for Dirty for years.”

“Yeah, well. You and Dirty can do whatever you want. But your brothers’ loyalty is split. How can I protect my client if the guy I put on her isn’t one-hundred-percent loyal? If my orders mean less than your brother’s do?”

“Your client?” Jude kinda laughed. “You mean Summer? I figured you were in love with her by now, but Christ. Can you hear yourself?”

Yeah. I heard it.

“I’ll put someone else on her, as her bodyguard,” I muttered. Obviously, I had to. She was way more my partner at this point than my client. We did everything together.

She was practically my wife.

“Good,” Jude said. “But other than that, everything stays the way it is. Haz is on Ash. My guys will back you up whenever you need them. And my brother and his club will keep saving your ass whenever I ask them to.”

That got my attention. “You asked them to?”

“Maddox didn’t call Piper,” he said. “He called me. He was watching your back, like he was supposed to. So, there’s your loyalty for you.”

I didn’t know what to say. That threw me for a major loop.

I’d just assumed Maddox had been on the phone to Piper the second he was out of my sight.

“And if I were you,” he added, “I’d seriously consider making Maddox Summer’s bodyguard. He’s licensed, he’s cleared to travel, and he wants it bad. And if that doesn’t work for you, I may have someone else I can pull from the club.”

And that’s when I got it. I saw it all clicking into place.

“You want them out,” I said. “That’s why you hire them out to the bands. You want to give them a chance to get out of the club.”

Jude didn’t respond to that, but he didn’t have to. It was obvious.

“Let me know who you decide to put on Summer,” he said instead. “You can get back to me about the head of security position. I’ll give you a few days to think it over, but the door’s not gonna be open forever.”

* * *

Naveen called, just as I was getting off the call with Jude—to tell me he’d received word that Blair Sanchuk had been arrested last night.

“I was just gonna call you,” I told him. “Just talked to Jude. But he either wouldn’t or couldn’t say much.”

“Well, I got the rundown,” Naveen informed me. “Sanchuk’s being charged with a long-ass list of serious offenses. Including possession of at least three controlled substances, and trafficking at least two. VPD is sifting through the evidence right now. It sounds like they’ve got him on methamphetamine, and get this, Flunitrazepam, better known as Rohypnol.”

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