Page 146 of 12 Months of Mayhem

“...and that’s when I realized I had to get out,” Meredith finishes. “But by then, it was too late. They were already after me.”

“Why don’t we just give them what they want? Seems like the simplest solution,” Tex comments. “They get what they want, and we get rid of her.”

I shake my head at Tex’s suggestion, though a small part of me is tempted. “We can’t just hand her over. That’s not how we operate, no matter how much of a pain in the ass she is.”

Meredith shoots me a grateful look, which I pointedly ignore.

“Besides,” I continue, “even if we wanted to, we don’t have what they’re after. The shipment’s still missing, remember?”

Maya leans forward. “What’s our play here, Rex? We can’t exactly take on a whole cartel.”

“No, we can’t. But we might be able to negotiate. Buy some time, at least.”

“Negotiate with a cartel?” Tex scoffs. “That’s suicide, man.”

“Maybe,” I concede. “But right now, it’s the best option we’ve got. We need to find out more about this missing shipment. If we can track it down, maybe we can use it as leverage.”

Meredith perks up at this. “I might be able to help with that. I overheard Rocky talking to one of his guys before...before everything went down. Something about a warehouse in Savannah.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “And you’re just mentioning this now?”

She has the decency to look sheepish. “I didn’t think it was important at the time. I was too focused on staying alive.”

“And bringing your trouble to our doorstep,” Maya mutters under her breath.

I let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Alright, Savannah. It’s not much, but it’s a start.” I turn to Tex. “I need you to reach out to our contacts in Savannah. See if anyone’s heard anything about a new drug shipment or any unusual activity at the warehouses in the area.”

Tex nods, already pulling out his phone. “On it, boss.”

“Maya,” I continue, “I want you to dig deeper into Rocky’s recent activities. Phone records, bank statements, anything you can get your hands on. There might be something that could lead us to the shipment.”

Maya gives a curt nod. “Consider it done.”

I turn back to Meredith, who’s watching me intently. “As for you, you’re staying put. You don’t leave this safe house, you don’t contact anyone, you don’t even look out the window without permission. Got it?”

She nods quickly. “Yes, of course. Thank you, Rex. I—”

I hold up a hand, cutting her off. “Don’t thank me. I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it to keep my family and my club safe from the shitstorm you’ve brought down on us.”

Chapter 8

Remy

The steady beep-beep-beep of the heart monitor is like a lullaby in the otherwise silent room. I can’t help but fidget, trying to get comfortable on the hospital bed. The sheets are so crisp they practically crackle every time I move. But at least the contractions have stopped.

I hear him before I see him. Those heavy footsteps are unmistakable. And there’s Rex, filling up the doorway like a mountain in a leather cut. I swear, his shoulders almost touch both sides of the frame. But when those dark eyes of his meet mine, they go all soft, and I catch the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

“Hey, darlin’,” he rumbles. “How’re you holding up?”

I manage to scrape together a smile, even if it’s a bit wobbly. “Better now that you’re here.”

Rex nods, crossing the room in what seems like two giant steps. He drags the chair over before plopping down and engulfing my hand in his. Those callouses of his could probably sand wood.

“Your mama has the kids. I have one of our prospects watching the house, and Cheyenne is staying with her,” he says, his thumb doing that soothing circle thing on my hand.

I let out a breath. “Thank you. I was worried about them.”

Rex leans in, his face etched with concern. “You don’t need to worry about anything but you and our baby right now. I’ve got everything else handled.”