Page 85 of Minus

“What, then?” Cutter asked.

“It’s time for the Burning Saints to join the twenty-first century,” I said. “Cricket, you were telling me about your hacker friend. This guy trustworthy?”

“He’s a Dog,” she said.

“Who cares if the guy fucks around, is he any good?” Clutch asked.

“She means he’s with the Dogs of Fire, dickhead,” I said.

“I swear to God, it’s not too late to pull the plug on you. I can get Doc Gardner back in here and make him do it. He likes me.”

“Booker is the best,” Cricket said, ignoring Clutch. “I can call him now, if you like. What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” I said. “Just because we haven’t been able to find a paper trail on him, doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. Ask Booker to throw everything he can on this guy, and I’ll make sure he’s compensated fairly.”

“He won’t take your money. I can guarantee that,” she said.

“Then, tell him he’ll be helping to take a bad guy off the streets, and that the Burning Saints will owe him one.”

“What are you thinking, Minus?” Cutter asked.

“I’m thinking we can either solve this the way we used to, with brawn, and start a war with Los Psychos by killing Viper and his crew…”

“Or?”

“Or, we can use our brains and find a way to end this before things get worse for everyone,” I said.

“I agree, but what’s data-mining gonna do for us at this point? The war has already started, hasn’t it? I mean, shots have been fired. Look at you!” Clutch exclaimed. “I’m the club’s Sergeant and I’m saying it’s time to hit Los Psychos now. While they’re down.”

“We don’t even know if theyaredown, Clutch! For all we know, they’re playing possum. Waiting for us to make a move before they attack. Los Psychos have been one step ahead of us the whole time and we still don’t know how.”

Cutter and Clutch shared a heavy look.

“What is it?” I asked, almost afraid to hear.

“We didn’t want to tell you until you were feeling a little better,” Clutch said sheepishly.

“Tell me what?” I said, growing irritated.

“This is gonna sting, son.” Cutter said, with a tenderness I’d never seen him display before.

“It was Grover, man,” Clutch said softly. “He was the mole.”

“What?”

“He’s been feeding information to Viper for over six months.”

“No way,” I said. “There’s no fuckin way he was the mole. Not Grover.”

“It’s true,” Cutter said, leaning in to place a hand on my shoulder.

I felt lightheaded and my ears rang. “How did this happen?”

“He fell in with some of Viper’s crew at the Nine Ball and started working for them shortly after. They threw a shit ton of cash his way, paid off his mom’s mortgage, the whole nine.”

“We found bugs in my office,” Cutter said. As well as GPS trackers on your new bike, and inside your phone. That’s how they knew so goddamned much, and how they followed you to Savannah.”

I felt sick. Next to Clutch, Grover had been my oldestfriend and ally. We’d always had each other’s backs. For him to betray us like this was unimaginable.

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