Page 41 of Waging War
Cooper laughs, holding her tighter as if she may actually sprint back to me. “And where would she live without her family? The club gives Hazel safety and security. Surely you’re not implying that she should go withyou.”
My neck burns at the implication.
Things didn’t seem so familial when Cooper came seeking me out that night at Four Spades. He mentioned they’d been split up, and I take this opportunity to strike the open wound.
“Oh, so you’re afamilyagain?”
Hazel’s head cocks his direction, but he presses on.
“You’re a criminal who willingly works for our enemy. Jack’s taken the brunt of your mistakes, even when you left him and your bar practically defenseless. Who do you think has been patrolling the city with Sasha and keeping things peaceful for him all this time?”
I hold a breath before releasing it slowly. It kills me to give Cooper another reason to be smug, but I’ve since learned my lesson about contacting my brother. It’s not worth the risk.
“What are you talking about?”
He points at me. “Do you even realize how pathetic you are? You’re so caught up in whatever it is you think you’re doing that you don’t even know how bad things have gotten.”
I take three steps forward, delighted when he flinches, but the deadly threat glistening in Kenneth’s eyes gives me pause.
“There’ve been nightly break-ins and robberies of businesses over on the east side of town. Remi has been flooding the streets, and Sasha said arrests are completely out of control, filling up jail nightly. On top of that, they’re short officers. It’s like Diablo is gunning for chaos by overwhelming the precinct.”
Fuck. That can’t be good. Knowing that Lucky’s is one of the main suppliers of Remi means steady nightly cash flow for Bruce. There’s no telling how many people are rapidly buying and distributing the highly addictive drug now.
Kenneth pauses for a moment to consider me. “Did you really not know?”
I shake my head, though beating it against the metal frame of their car lift is tempting.
Whatever grip I thought I had on this entire charade has slowly began to slip—and I’ve been distracted. I’m juggling too much at one time, and Bruce and Jackie seem to be making moves before I can catch up.
“If you want to make yourself useful, then start there, but you’re not welcome here,” Cooper says.
My eyes fall to Hazel. I’m drawn to her perfect lips, memorizing new little details about her. Like that the bottom is slightly fuller than the top and how they’re the perfect shade of rosy pink.
I watch uneven breaths part them while my thoughts play tricks on me, telling me what’s happened between us isn’t just a fluke.
From the moment I first saw Hazel waltzing through The Pound to now, I’ve been unable to shake her. I’ve lied to her, kept her away from her loved ones, and been forced to keep her at arm’s length. But I’m starting to believe our story’s not quite finished.
I salute her dad before turning away from them and making for the exit. When I’m within a few feet of the door, I turn back over my shoulder. “Come find me when you’re done playing Rapunzel.”
CHAPTERTWELVE
Hazel
Cooper and my dad can’t figure out what’s wrong with me, and to be honest, I can’t quite figure it out either. I’ve hardly spoken to them all day, and instead, have thrown energy I’d usually expend riding, into projects around the shop.
The police chief’s family is safe, I’m back home with my very alive father, and Ben is out of my life for good. What happens between him and Diablo doesn’t even faze me.
Except that as much as I rail against it, it really, really does.
I give one final turn with the wrench I’m holding and huff an exhausted breath. The tang of oil and gas permeates the garage, even with the back bay wide open.
It’s not just Ben who’s affected by all this mess; it’s Juliana, Cassidy, and their loved ones too. But with our club barely hanging on, this overwhelming sense of urgency claws beneath my rib cage, forcing my throat to constrict. It’s clear that they want nothing more to do with Diablo or his dealings, but I’m ready to make a move. I can’t sit back and let him get away with what he’s done to every one of us.
In the week since coming back to the compound, Dad made an appointment with the Wolves’ personal physician to make sure I was healthy and unharmed—even though I insisted I was. Things around here are slowly starting to get back to normal, but it was troubling to see my once-tight-knit family walking on eggshells around one another.
The very foundation of the club started to crumble after they lost Dad, and then the failed attack Cooper led on Jackie’s mansion only caused more uncertainty. Dad is the glue that holds this organization together, and even as tough as Cooper is, he couldn’t keep the fear of Bruce retaliating from building within the club.
To make matters worse, Dad’s now demanding we keep out of Diablo’s business and lie low until it blows over. I’ve been forbidden from riding and stepping anywhere near inner-city limits. But he doesn’t realize that hiding isn’t going to solve our problems. Kingpins don’t just disappear… unless they’re forced to.
