Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 845(@200wpm)___ 676(@250wpm)___ 563(@300wpm)
I’d given him free reign.
My crew took their chairs, except for the newest members who would stand until they fully earned their seat.
I was at the head.
Trevan to my right and Phoenix to my left.
Seventeen others took up the rest of the chairs, and another ten hovered on the fringes.
I slammed the gavel down onto the worn, rustic wood of the table. “I call to order this meeting of Crimson Crows.”
Trevan gave a dip of his chin. “I second it.”
“Good,” I said as I glanced around at my army.
The lot of them were unruly and wild. Shaped by wounds and traumas. Scars that had been carved on their spirits and minds.
Driven by the rage that had coated their souls in sin and barbarity. Twisted by the thirst to right some of the wrongs that had been meted by tyrants and oppressors.
I wouldn’t have anyone else beside me.
Their devotion was unwavering and complete, and their utter commitment to our cause had written them as my brothers.
Every bit as permanent as the tattoos on my body.
They were family.
No, they didn’t know what our club really stood for when they became prospects. We needed to establish their complete loyalty before we could take them there.
Which was why the prospects were currently guarding us without a clue of what we were actually meeting about until the time came when we gave them a peek at what Crimson Crows was really about.
Those we never came to trust were plucked out and weeded.
“Have some important updates tonight,” I started with. “Going to need each of you to be all in. Focused and ready.”
A raucous of “ayes” went up around the room.
They agreed without having any indication of the details.
Exactly what was required of them.
“First and foremost, tonight’s job. Are we set?”
I looked to Fuse.
Dude was as fucking smart as they came, the scary kind of smart that verged on diabolical. He had a photographic memory. Permanently cataloging every face and name he encountered. Dates and times and details embedded in his wicked brain.
He lifted his trimmed, blond beard, blue eyes hard as he stared back at me. “Team is en route.”
We’d been getting intel coming in about constant deals taking place near a southern town in Oregon.
Guns and fentanyl.
Even though we were neck deep in the bullshit with Kent Ellison, we couldn’t turn a blind eye.
It was close enough that we could be in and out without notice, small enough that we only needed a handful of men to carry it out. But what we were stopping was atrocious enough that it was worth the expenditure.
Our duty always prevailed.
“Do you foresee any issues?” I asked.
Fuse was in charge of intel. In organizing every facet of every job. Piecing them together like a disordered puzzle that only made sense in his mind.
His hacking skills were almost as good as Cash’s, though directed at different things.
“No. This one should be cut and dry. In and out. Easy.”
But the impact would be astronomical.
“Good. Keep me apprised.”
His tongue swiped out to wet his dry lips. “I’ll let you know as soon as I hear it’s done.”
I dipped my head then pulled in a steeling breath, ready to dive into the larger matter at hand.
“You all know the girl is here.” I tried to keep my tone in check. Last thing I needed was a mention of Brinley rumbling out like possession.
“We might have noticed.” Tamping it was a failure since a smack of suggestion filled Trevan’s voice, all while he capped it with a question mark.
A razzing challenge lifting in his dark gaze.
Yeah, she’d made quite the impression last night.
A wildfire streaking through the night.
But that could be written off as expected.
What could absolutely not be written off?
Fact that I’d had her on the back of my bike when I’d taken her into town earlier today.
Assholes were going to make it something it wasn’t.
Something it couldn’t be.
“No question she made a bit of a stir when she tried to run last night.” I played it off like Trevan wasn’t referring to something else.
A bunch of speculative nods woven with muted amusement rolled through the Crows.
It’d been quite the scene.
Like she was actually going to make it over that fence before I got to her.
“She thought she was here as a prisoner,” I continued. “Thought we were basically holding her against her will and holding her over her brother’s head. Thought she was marked for dead.”
“Thought?” Phoenix’s low, raspy voice curled into the room, his hands in fists on the table.
Mad was written across the knuckles of his right hand and Man was on the left.
Each pinky capped with a jester’s face.
My chest tightened, and I looked at him point blank. “I at least owed it to her to let her know that she’s safe here. Protected. We aren’t in the business of tormenting innocent women.”