Page 14 of Crush's Fall

“Let him in, Pike.”

Pike glared at him as he slowly opened the door and let Lucifer enter the room. He knew Pike was picturing slitting his throat, and he didn’t fucking care.

“What do you need, Lucifer?” Axle was sitting behind his desk, leaned back in his chair, with his feet propped up.

“A minute alone, if you can manage to get your dog to leave the room.”

Axle raised a brow. “You know how clubs work. He’s doing his job.”

Lucifer shrugged. “And we both know you can protect yourself against me.”

Axle chuckled quietly before looking over at Pike and nodding toward the door.

As Pike left the room, he uttered, “Remember that killing you won’t get me kicked out of the club, asshole.”

Lucifer grinned as he waited for Pike to close the door behind him, not giving Pike the pleasure of taking him seriously. After the door clicked shut, he took a seat in one of the chairs across the desk from Axle and met the man’s curious gaze.

“He’s going to kill you, one of these days, if Bullet doesn’t get to you first.”

Lucifer shrugged. “If their egos are that fragile, they need to work on thickening their skin.”

Axle rolled his eyes. “What did you need to talk to me about?”

“I think I have a way to help the Howlers. I want to earn my place here, earn the trust of the clubs. And I think I can do that using my contacts.”

“You’ve got my attention,” Axle mumbled, staring at him, studying him.

Lucifer launched into his past in Chicago and various connections he had to mafia families in the city. He also told Axle he knew of some members of Leighton’s team and might be able to weasel his way in to play insider.

Elijah Leighton was a drug lord that ran the lower Michigan territory, distributing all over lower Michigan and into Canada, Ohio, Indiana, and the Chicagoland area. Leighton grew up in Chicago. His younger brother, Leo, had graduated with Lucifer and his friend, Liam Agosti. Liam and Leo were never friends, but they both seemed to get along with Lucifer. Leo hung around with Jensen Maloy and his crew. Back then, they weren’t into anything but picking up chicks and partying on the weekend. Oh, how things have changed.

“I still have Leo Leighton’s number. We’ve kept in touch, but I haven’t spoken to him since the shit went down in Indiana.”

Axle lowered his feet to the floor. His amused curiosity turned to focused attention as he leaned forward and placed his elbows on the top of the desk, his eyes locked on Lucifer. “You have a connection to Leighton?”

Lucifer gave a nod. “I might be able to work my way into his crew. Leo would get me a job with his brother if I told him I was reeling after my club was decimated. I could use the angle that I held a grudge against the Howlers and was willing to do what I needed to in order to get back at you.”

Axle was nodding. “And you’d report back to me?”

“Every chance I got.” Lucifer took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know you don’t have a reason to trust me, but I just want a chance to prove it.”

Axle was quiet for a long moment before he finally let out a sigh and sat back in his chair. “I have to run it past Crush.”

“I thoughtyouran your club,” Lucifer uttered.

One of Axle’s brows went up. “You’re walking a fucking line, Lucifer. Idorun my club. And she runs hers. What affects us, affects the Claws. Crush has to give her approval.”

“Well, then let’s get Sugartits over here and see what she has to say.”

Axle snorted a laugh as he picked up his phone from the desk and dialed a number. “She’s going to cut off your balls, if you keep calling her that.”

“That would involve her touching them, so I’m all for it.”

Crush

When Crush answered Axle’s call, she heard him tell someone, She’s going to cut off your balls, if you keep calling her that.

She realized who Axle was talking to when she heard the reply,That would involve her touching them, so I’m all for it.

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