Page 98 of Redemption

Grayson walks to the door and turns to look back at her. “Be safe, Lex.”

Easier said than done, but she gives him a reassuring smile and walks to lock the door after he leaves. Yes, easier said than done for sure.

Chapter 34

Black Valley

Psycho

Psycho stands outside smoking a cigarette with Colt beside him. Offering him the pack, he says, “You sure you don’t want one?”

Colt waves a hand at him. “I quit a while back.”

“Speaking of things you quit, I didn’t think I’d ever see you outside this clubhouse again.”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect to be here again, either, but shit needs to get done. What’s the plan anyway? I’ve been here almost two days, and I don’t really understand what Chicago’s doing. Besides a lot of fucking nothing.”

Laughing, he shrugs his shoulders and flicks the cigarette. “Don’t know. I’m being kept on the outside as punishment. Fucks them over in the long run since I’m the motherfucker who’ll get shit done, so fuck ‘em.”

“What’d you do?”

He lights another cigarette and inhales. “Called Jennings when the assholes started suggesting an eye for an eye and wanted to go after families. Then I threw my officer patch at Chicago, which I think pissed him off more than tattling to the big, bad mother charter president.”

Signing, he leans against the building. “I don’t wanna go in this building, man. I’m honestly worried I might hit a woman if I do.”

“Lacey fucking hates her.”

“She hate me, too?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” he says and laughs. Looking up, the cigarette drops from his mouth. “What the fuck?”

Colt follows suit, his mouth mirroring Psycho’s to form an ‘O.’

Pushing off the building, his long strides bring him face to face with the normally curly blonde walking with a group of men wearing expensive suits within seconds. She wears an attractive black dress with her hair straight and makeup covering her face. They head to the bar across from the clubhouse until he blocks her path. “Lex?”

“Uh, hey.”

“Lex?” one of the men asks as the group of men walks a few paces and turns to look at them. The fear on their faces would amuse him if he wasn’t so shocked seeing her with these pretty boys.

Lex waves them on. “It’s okay, Ben. I’m fine.”

“We’ll wait for you,” the man with a seventy-dollar haircut says, eyeing Psycho up and down.

The group waits by the building, and no eyes leave them, not that he gives a shit. At least they have manners. They’re complete fucking idiots if they think they could stop him from doing shit, but it’s the thought that counts.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m here for a conference. The bar in the hotel is closed, and they wanted to go out,” she says, her hands rubbing her bare arms. Skinny, white arms.

His eyes narrow. “Conference?”

“Yeah, there’s a real estate conference. Which seems like an odd choice of location, but I think the hotel was cheap.”

“You have a job?”

Her eyes cast to the ground. “Gotta pay the bills somehow.”

Looking back, he watches Colt slowly walk across the street to join them. “You develop a gambling habit or something?”

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