Page 29 of Thor
“Not really.Happens all the time.Look at us in this room.”
Ace broke in impatiently.“Just tell him what you found.”
“Janet comes from money.Big money.Old money.And as I’m sure you know, old money doesn’t always come from clean sources.The family owns a pharmaceutical firm in South America, and there are rumors that people who oppose them have disappeared over the years.”
“And this concerns me why?We’re not naive here.We’ve done our fair share of making people who deserve to die disappear.”
“You could be in the way of one of their bigger plans.”He paused.
“You trying to fucking tell me Janet is out to get me?She spent all this time with me just so she could set me up?”I stood.“She’s the one who rushed me to the hospital.That’s just insane.”
“Sit down.”Ace used his Prez voice, the one that said you needed to listen to him.Now.
I sat, but barely.This was my family, but if it came down to a choice between Janet and Riptide, I’d choose Janet.
People don’t just leave an MC.Once you put on the cut, you were in for life.The only way it came off your back was if you weren’t breathing.I knew that.But I loved Janet, and I was damned if I’d let them blame her for what her family was like.
Beast spoke up for the first time since I’d entered the room.“It’s not Janet we’re worried about.It’s the family.Her parents want her to marry some senator’s son for his connections.She’s refusing, but according to our intel, the arrangement is still up in the air.The guy hasn’t been seen in public with anyone else since this was announced, making it look like he’s onboard with it.”
“She walked out, ghosted them, and they still think they can make her go through with this?”I frowned.
Beast cracked his knuckles, a sure sign he wanted to do something physical to release the tension he felt.“These are not nice people.They might figure you’re the only thing between them and what they want.They dress good and smile at the right time, but they’d gut their best friend like a fish if it suited them.”
“Of course they’d have an alibi.These kinds of people pay others to do their dirty work for them.”Rattler shook his head.“And you’re in the way of them marrying Janet off to a family they want to have connections with.”
“So that’s why she won’t agree to be my old lady.”I turned to Shadow.“Is there anything indicating they were behind the attack on me?”
He shook his head.“No.Doesn’t mean it wasn’t them, but so far, we’re still going on the assumption you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.We just thought you should know what you’re up against.”
“Yeah, just wanted you to be aware.”Ace stood up, pacing the space behind his desk.“Sophia and Janet are tight.I had Deuce ask Sophia if she knew about this or if Janet had told you and she told me it was none of my business.It was between you and Janet.”He stood still and pinned me with his gaze.“If you plan on having a future with that woman, you need to sort this out.Make sure you don’t have a target on your back.”
“I appreciate that.”I wasn’t sure how I was going to bring this up without telling Janet the club had been spying on her.I was damn sure that wouldn’t be okay with her.“Anything else?”
“Yeah.”Ace looked at Shadow and Beast.“You guys can go, and send Deuce in.”He looked at me.“The whole club isn’t in on Janet’s family ties.I thought it best if we kept it on a need-to-know basis for now.When you finish with Deuce, we have a run to make today.They asked for escorts, at least six of us.You up for that?”
That’s why Ace was the Prez.He kept his cool and thought things through.Me?I tended to jump first and look later.
Beast placed a hand on my shoulder as he headed for the exit.“We’ve got your back.And hers too, if she needs it.”
I nodded.Yeah.I might not have any blood ties to family, but sometimes a found family was better than one you were born into.
Beast and Shadow left, and a few minutes later Deuce came in with one of those file folder things.People tended to underestimate him when they found out he was an accountant, but I had a feeling he saw a lot more than he let on.When his old lady had been in trouble, I had no doubt he would have killed anyone who hurt her.
“This is the leasehold agreement for the flower shop.”He handed the folder to me.“Janet needs to get her own lawyer to look it over and explain it all to her before she signs.Daryl was very clear on that.”
“What’s in it?”I had a vested interest in making sure she got a good deal.
A half-smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.“Normally I’d say that’s privileged information but it’s between Riptide and Janet, and you’re part of Riptide so I guess it’s okay.”
He gave me the Cliff Notes version of what it entailed, making sure to emphasize the part where nothing in the deal hinged on my relationship with her.
I nodded.“She mentioned she’s got a lawyer she trusts, so we should be able to move ahead once he looks this over.I’ll send her a text and let her know I’m bringing it over.”I pulled my phone out of my pocket and fired off a quick text to Janet.I’d have to figure out how to open the subject of her family to her later.Right now, it wasn’t my top priority.
Her answer came back almost immediately.She was at the shop with the electrician.She’d contact her lawyer and see when he could fit her in.I let her know I’d pop over to her place once we finished escort duty.Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late, and she’d be up and ready for me.
Chapter Eight
Janet
