Page 5 of Savage Lust

“She.” AP responded before I could. “Probably about twenty.”

AP Merrick was Archer’s best friend since birth, a founding member of the club. And one of the two men at the table I fully trusted. No surprise he’d known about Riley. He’d been around when she was born.

Recovering, Preacher zeroed in on me. “How’d you know she was here? She call you? Already bagging her, son?” He snorted a half laugh, but his gaze held a glint of meanness.

“She was at the house when I got back.”

A few curse words, some surprised faces. Nothing I hadn’t expected or needed to see. I held Preacher’s gaze. Once, I’d watched a documentary about prey animals and how they frantically glance around for places to run when a predator watched them.Nah, Preach, I’m a fucking lion.I leaned back in my seat, grinned a little.

“Said the lawyer contacted her. She’ll be here for the funeral tomorrow.”

“That’s why you called this meeting?” Preacher’s eyes narrowed. He thought I was just a young idiot that Archer gave too much power.

Fuck him.

“With next of kin, there are changes to make for tomorrow.” Drop Top groaned. “I fucking hate this position. None of youdegenerates die on my watch. I ain’t fucking doing it again. But I’ll wake up the goddamn mortician and get this set up.”

“Thanks, brother.” I stopped shy of sighing.

The short, dumpy man with the ruddy complexion reached across the table to bump his fist against mine.

“You running interference with the daughter?” Preacher asked me, his voice unusually amicable. “Or you want me to? I know it’s been rough for you this week.”

I’d kill him before he got anywhere near her. His gambling habit wasn’t the only thing that had almost cost him his cut. “I got it. She knows me, and I’m already there.” The protective rush for someone I’d just met pitched my stomach.

That surge of emotion was something I’d have to throttle back. It had been a long time since I felt anything—I blocked everything out. Losing Archer had stirred up a variety of dangerous thoughts. I wasn’t anyone’s savior. I was my own man.

I’d keep Riley safe, and then get her the fuck out of Dry Valley. Once she was gone, one less thing for me to worry about. Because I didn’t need a woman making shit harder for me.

“Car will be there for her in the morning.” Drop Top grumbled, making notes on his phone.

“One more thing,” Preacher interjected, rolling the gavel around in his hand. “I’m going to give the Ukrainians another go, see if they’ll come off some guns for Wanda’s boys.”

Wanda, Queen of the trailer park and Nevada’s most prolific meth cook. I recoiled at the thought of her.

Merc cleared his throat before speaking. “Ky said no. I don’t see that changing.”

“He doesn’t call the shots, the uncles do. I’m going to see them.”

I’d known Merc most of my damn life, but there was some shit we didn’t talk about. Whatever he had going on with theUkrainian mob was one of them. He knew them, so we all deferred to him.

“It’s not going to do any good.” His voice even, his expression never changed. He thought Preacher’s play was a stupid one. I could read it all over his non-reaction.

“I’ll see about that.” Preacher puffed up, clearly disbelieving. His ego couldn’t bear to hear no.

“That it?” AP prodded Preacher before that topic could turn into an argument.

“Yeah.” He grumbled low and smacked the gavel on the table to signify the meeting over, frowning as he processed.

That went smoother than I thought. I was halfway out the door before Preacher called to me. “We need to have a sit down, you and me. Soon.”

“The fuck for?” I turned back. I’d adamantly opposed his goon Paul’s seat at the table. There had been better options, more loyal guys with longer standing. And that was just one thing in a long list of shit Preacher wanted done I didn’t agree with. “It is what it is.”

three

Riley

For the first time in weeks, I slept. But not until I was reassured by the low rumble of Cam’s bike as he parked it out back. Something about being alone, but not alone, in the house, was soothing. No worrying about some rapist or robber breaking the window in my car and pulling a gun on me. The fear of resting in parking lots in my car—gone.

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