Page 72 of Hell & Back

“Do we know where we’re going yet?” Jackson changed the subject.

“Jed, you want to fill them in on what you learned?” Race motioned for him to speak.

“I went to see if Sadie had any useful information. Thought since her brother had been in the club, maybe she might have overheard something that could lead us to the drugs.”

Just the mention of her name had Darren’s heart racing. Not because he wanted her, but because he worried about her. How was she and her nephew doing? Had the old ladies gotten everything set up for her? Was Oliver in school yet? Was she having any lingering effects from the drug?

“It took her a few minutes, but she remembered that she used to have a tracking app on his phone so she was able to see where he was at in case she ever needed to get a hold of him in an emergency since she was helping to raise his son. She was able to identify all the places he’d been except one.”

“Why was she tracking her brother? Didn’t she know if she’d gotten caught, it wouldn’t have ended very well for her?” Chris asked.

“After losing their parents in a car accident, she had this fear of losing her brother, too. As long as she was able to track his movements and see that he was okay, she was able to get by.”

Damn. Darren hated to hear about that. Losing her parents and then a brother had to have been devastating. Then having Oliver, the only member of her family she had left, kept from her had to have been unbearable. He couldn’t imagine how she’d done it for so long.

“Hey, you okay?” Tuck leaned over to whisper in his direction.

Darren frowned until he saw where Tuck was tipping his head. When had his leg started bouncing like crazy under the table? “I’m fine.”

“Are you?—”

Darren cut him off before he could ask if he was sure. “I’m fine.”

“We’re talking when this is over.”

“Something you two wanna share?” Race asked irritably.

“No. All’s good,” Tuck answered for the both of them.

“She give you an address by chance?” Jackson asked while Race kept eying him and Tuck like a couple of misbehaving five-year-olds.

“Yeah.” He rattled it off and Race pulled his focus from them to make a note of it on the pad of paper in front of him. “Hang on and I’ll ask Preacher if he’s familiar with the address.” He got up and left the room to make the call. It was times like this that would have been convenient to have their phones on them.

Conversations started up all around him and he braced himself for what Tuck might say while they waited for Race to return. He really hoped his friend didn’t get into their personal stuff in front of the others. He was holding on by a thread. The need to get out of here and fuck was riding him hard. Tuck must have seen the thin line Darren was toeing and left him alone.

Race came back and resumed his seat. “Preacher is very familiar with the area. They’ve been watching it ever since they followed one of the drug shipments there. He’s got a few guys watching the building and a couple of guys who owe him a favor on the couriers that usually transport the drugs to the Phantoms. The cartel has its own hub in Arizona that accepts shipments from Mexico before sending them throughout the U.S. He’ll let us know when they’re headed north.”

“Does that mean he’s still coming tonight?” Chris asked.

“No. He’s going to wrap up a couple of things in Lost Junction and be here in a couple of days.”

“I wonder how long they’ve been watching them?” Dagger asked no one in particular.

That was a good question. Darren also wanted to know how many more days they were going to have to wait. The need for justice was riding him every bit as hard as his need to fuck.

“Okay. That’s all I’ve got for now unless someone else has something to add.” Race glanced around the table and when no one spoke up he banged the gavel, ending the meeting. “Once we’ve got a plan, I want to move on it ASAP.”

Darren hung back, allowing the rest of them to exit before him. He had a feeling Tuck planned to ambush him once they left the room. Sure enough, as soon as they both had their phones, he grabbed him by the elbow and steered him farther down the hall and the opposite direction everyone else was moving.

“You need to talk to me. Seriously, how are you doing?”

“I’ve been a hell of a lot better.” He looked over Tuck’s shoulder, avoiding eye contact. It would kill him to see judgment in his eyes.

“Is there anything I or Kylie can do?”

Darren exhaled heavily as he swiped a hand down his face. “I wish there was, but no.” He stared into Tuck’s eyes for a moment, then told him what Bacon had found out. “Bacon says they mixed the EZ Lay with some other drug. So not only do I have a constant hard on, but I’m horny as hell and can’t do a damn thing about it. He has no clue what to do to help me because he isn’t sure of the drug interactions if he were to give me something. He also has no clue how long this shit will stay in my system.”

“Fucking bastards. What the hell is wrong with them?” He turned and paced away, then came back. “Who does shit like that?”

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