chapter Seventeen
Two days later, Liam sat at the clubhouse while the group tried to figure out what exactly Richard Joyce had to do with their rival’s business. They had brainstormed since Denise had provided them with the intel. Deciding to take a few days to do some reconnaissance, they were now back to speculating about Joyce’s involvement.
“What the f*ck does he even do now?” Tyler asked, cracking his knuckles and frowning as he thought about the man that had once been their brother.
“Good question,’ Liam praised him. “Steele, work your magic.”
The group sat back for a few minutes, allowing the computer expert to do what he did best. If there was anything in the world that could be found out about another person, Travis Steele would find it.
“Huh, what the f*ck do you know?”
“Do share with the rest of the class,” William said as he walked into the clubhouse and had a seat next to his son. He had been scarce since the evening he spent with Lauren, knowing that Liam would be uneasy about it.
“He’s in the banking industry.”
“What the f*ck, someone gave him access to money?” William laughed. “He had a gambling problem when he was a member. Wonder how he passed that background check?”
“This is even more interesting. He’s got calls placed to someone we all have in common. Meredith Rager.”
The group groaned. “I am so sick of her,” Liam complained, running a hand through his hair. “If I never hear that name again it will be way too f*cking soon. Speaking of which, Tyler don’t forget, we got to go sign off on that class so that we don’t have to go to court on those bullshit charges.”
“I’ll go do it tomorrow. So what’s the connection?” Tyler asked, trying to take the heat off of Meredith. For some reason he liked the nosey reporter, but he didn’t need to tell everyone his feelings.
Travis raised an eyebrow. “It’s also the same bank that Denise uses. I’m beginning to think he’s watching deposits and alerting the reporter as to who we may have working for us. Didn’t you say that reporter paid Denise a visit after we gave her the money for helping us out?”
“But what would that do for him?” Liam asked. “Let’s talk this out. What’s he doing this for? What’s his motivation?”
“Trying to play both sides of the coin? He’s involved with us since he’s watching deposits at Denise’s bank and presumably feeding Meredith info. He’s involved with the Vojnik because he purchased land for them, then quit claimed the properties to them.” Tyler tried working it out.
“Good question, maybe Ms. Rager knows,” William interjected.
“Let me go talk to her,” Tyler said, looking at the group as a whole.
Everyone looked at him uncomfortably. Tyler was a force to be reckoned with and one of the most physically dominating members of the club. No one wanted to cross him or piss him of. Liam could see the looks on the faces of the other members.
“Why don’t you and I take a walk Ty?”
Tyler nodded, and the two of them got up, walking outside for some privacy.
“I don’t want to hear whatever shit you’re gonna spew at me,” Tyler threatened.
“I am your vice president. You will speak to me with respect or so help me God, Blackfoot, I’ll knock your motherf*ckin’ teeth out. Best friend or not. You be careful with this woman. I know you’ve got some sort of misguided hard-on for her, and I’m not sure why. You make her understand that working against us will cause her nothing but trouble. Do you understand?”
The Native American ground his teeth together. He hated being reprimanded, especially by his best friend. “I got it.”
“Make her understand, because neither you nor I can protect her if she goes down. You know that as well as I do. If she’s f*cking around with us, she’s f*cking around with them. I think we’re the least of her worries, but at the same time, I don’t want her blood on our hands.”
Tyler nodded and headed for his bike. He knew what his VP said was true, not only speaking as the VP but as his friend. He just wasn’t sure he could make her understand. She was hungry for the attention and recognition that exposing the two clubs would bring her, and that was dangerous.
Meredith sat in front of her laptop, pencil in her mouth as she wrote her script for that night’s newscast. This one was pivotal. She would be exposing secrets of the two clubs, and this was sure not only to put her on the map but to put a bounty on her head. She thought she was ready for whatever it brought her – even if it meant the end of her friendship with Denise or a bullet to the head. A knock on her door sounded, and she cursed loudly, locking the laptop before getting up and answering it.
“What the hell do you want?” she asked Tyler as he pushed his way inside.
“This is the last time I’m gonna be able to warn you, and you better take it f*ckin’ seriously. Whatever you have on us and the Vojnik, you forget. You are going to get yourself on the bad side of a lot of people. I’m telling you now, you are going to get hurt.”
Her heart pounded in her throat, but she couldn’t let him see her sweat. “Why are you warning me?”
His dark eyes flashed as his mouth sat in a grim line. It was obvious even to her that he had feelings for her, she just wasn’t sure what they were. “For some reason, I feel responsible for you. I feel like maybe I shouldn’t have used the information you gave us. I think you’re a beautiful woman who has a head for what you love to do, but you’re walking a dangerous line, Meredith. Some of these men are cold-blooded killers, and they will snap you in half if you so much as look at them wrong. You have no idea who you’re messing with here.”
She appreciated his warning and she even appreciated him looking out for her, but she had to do this. It was not only her job, it was her pride in that job being done well.
“It’s my job to report the truth.”
“Who told you it’s the truth? How do you know? Tell me what information you have, and I’ll tell you if it’s the truth.” He was very close to begging, something he never did.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You’d like me to tell you everything I know so that you can use it to your advantage. I’m not whoring myself out for your club, Tyler Blackfoot. You want to know exactly what I have? Watch the 6 o’clock news. I’ll be reporting it then.”
He closed his eyes and fisted his hands. He wanted to shake her and scream at her to think. These were men who had served hard time. They wouldn’t think twice about hurting or killing a woman. Throwing his hands up in the air, he turned around because he couldn’t bear to face her anymore.
“I can’t protect you once this news hits, I’m warning you of that right now. I have to do what my club tells me to.”
She wanted so badly to tell him the secrets she knew. He really was a good guy, and in another life they may have dated. He, with his larger than life personality and movie star good looks. They appealed to her, and if she wasn’t who she was and he wasn’t who he was, they really may have made a go of it.
“I’m not asking you to protect me, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
“Then so be it. I’ve done everything I can think of to warn you off of this. I’ve done my duty. When you get scared, don’t call me and sure as hell don’t ask for my help.”
Those words made her want to cry. He really was writing her off. He was giving up on her. “I won’t.”
The two of them gazed at each other for long moments before he grabbed her hand, bringing the back of it up to his lips for a soft kiss.
“Be careful,” he warned.
“You too.”
She stood at the door, watching him leave. It felt final, and that scared her. Had she just made the biggest mistake of her life? Shaking her head, she went back to her story. It no longer held the promise of her fame. It now seemed like it would be the gunshot that would take her to her grave.