Page 55 of Deadly Aloha
“I’m not mad at you,” I finally said. The words tasted like ash in my mouth, despite the truth of them. “I don’t know how the Dark Web works any more than I know how to make beer.” I gestured towards Hops. “I rely on you for these sorts of things, and in the future, we might not have time for you to reach out to others to learn something.”
Neo nodded, their eyes less sad. That clenching feeling in my gut lessened slightly. “I’ll learn, I promise.”
I inclined my head stiffly at them, feeling like a trail of ants was running up and down my spine.
A snort to my left had me snapping my head toward Tangaloa. I narrowed my eyes at my brother.
Tangaloa shook his head as he poured himself yet another glass. “You better fuckingprayyou don’t have a daughter. Lu’s already got you pussy whipped.”
My back stiffened, the conversation I’d just had with Lu about the gender of our baby still fresh in my head. “Watch it,” I snapped. “I will shove that bottle so far up your ass you chew glass for a week.”
Tangaloa knocked something metal across the wood countertop, and I saw it was the cap from the bottle. “I’d like to see you try,” he grumbled.
I started forward. Tangaloa might be my oldest friend and brother, and there was a lot I would let him get away with that the others couldn’t, but I would not stand for disrespect in front of my club.
Bacon, however, stepped between us. Bold move, but then the fucker had never lacked a pair oflaho. He held something out to me. I snatched the piece of paper from his hand as he explained, “Your sister came by an hour ago.”
Fuck. Itoldher not to come here. I looked down at the legal documents Bacon had handed me. “She didn’t sign them.”
Our parents had left both of us the farm, though Kalea had made it clear a long time ago that she wanted nothing to do with it. With the club taking over the property, I needed Kalea to sign over her rights. Since I’d been generous enough to give her a cut of the farm’s profits over the years, even though I was the one who labored and took care of the businessandkept her horses without charging her board, I was asking her to sign over her rights without monetary exchange. Her horses were still welcome to stay at no cost.
I thought it was a more than fair offer, but Kalea was fighting me on it. She wanted a buyout. I wasn’t happy about it, since the club was already starting so far into the red, but I made her a small offer. This was the second time she’d rejected it.
If she’d stopped by while Lu and I were out riding, and Tangaloa had seen her… Fuck. No wonder he was more than halfway to Drunksville. I was a bit surprised he wasn’t baked too.
Drunk or not, heartbroken or not, I still couldn’t let the disrespect slide. I just wouldn’t beat his ass in front of the others.
“Get him out of here,” I ordered Bacon. “I’ll deal with him when he’s sober.”
Bacon gave me a look that said he understood. Turning, he walked over to Tangaloa and clasped him on the shoulder. My brother glared at me, but didn’t argue at my dismissal. He stumbled as he got to his feet, and I noticed Bacon made no move to support him. The glass bottle scraped against the wet bar as Tangaloa dragged it with him.
The room was deadly silent as the front door closed behind the second and third highest ranking members of the club.
I faced the room again. Holding the unsigned contract out to Tick, I said, “We need to figure something else out. If she’s not going to sign without a cash payout then I need to find some other motivation.”
Tick took down the contract. “We might be able to backdate the cost of care for her horses. Feed, vet bills… Anything the farm has taken care of for her over the past sixteen years. I’ll look into the legality of it.”
I nodded my appreciation. If it wasanyoneother than my sister, this wouldn’t even be an issue. Either they signed or they took a swim, but itwasmy sister, and as satisfying as it might be some days, I couldn’t turn her into living chum. Regardless of what she’d done to Tangaloa, she was still the mother of my niece, and I couldn’t do that to Pualani.
Spirit was sitting by Tommy on the couch. He was playing with a hair scrunchy with tiny bells on it. I had no idea why or what the damn thing was for, but I saw a bowl of them on the end table by a lamp. Like decoration?Haoleswere fucking weird.
“Rory reported yesterday that there are Bloody Scorpions on Maui. Take someone with you and find out why. Only one escaped the laundromat, and we haven’t heard from them since.”
“Are we engaging?” Spirit asked, tossing the scrunchy back into the bowl.
“Find out what they’re up to first. If need be, bring one back here for questioning.”
Spirit nodded and then looked to his left. “I’ll take Tommy.”
I didn’t have an issue with his selection, and Tommy was the most logical. Especially with Tangaloa out of commission. “Fine.” To everyone, I said, “We need to start recruiting. I want us to have at least five prospects by this time next week.”
“My cousin’s interested,” Mako said, speaking up for the first time. “I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to sponsor him since he’s family.”
I shrugged. “His mistakes are on you. Question is if you can keep him in line because he’s family or if you need someone else to take him on.”
Mako shrugged. “He’s a good kid. Just young and impulsive. I have no problem keeping an eye on him.”
“Then bring him in,” I said.
