Grace Pastore lifted her head and stepped around Anthony to meet my gaze.
“The last time I visited with Victor he told me if there was any sort of danger, or I felt threatened that I should come here and see you. Now, I don’t know what kind of deal you and my husband have but when I told him what I overheard today he told me to get my ass here as fast as possible,” she said with a flustered sigh. “I went to the café this morning like Victor instructed me to, he wanted me to bring Jimmy our financials, papers and what have you regarding our home. Jimmy didn’t know I was there waiting for him, and I overheard him talking to one of his guys. He was going on and on about making you and your club pay for double crossing him. He said you would be his puppet, and he’d teach Vic a lesson once and for all, showing him who, and I quote ‘is the fucking boss,’” she said, before nodding toward the front door of the clubhouse. “Seems like the puppet master is ready to make moves.”
I turned to Anthony. “Any idea how he’d know what we had planned for him?”
“No fucking idea,” he said, shaking his head. “We can’t get in touch with Vic either. She’s sent emails but no response. Might be in the hole.”
“Fine time for him to get locked in solitary,” I mumbled, turning to Grace. “Thanks for coming and clueing me in,” I commented.
“It’s Jack, right?” She questioned.
I nodded, reaching behind my head and cupping my neck.
“My husband will never see outside those prison gates. I know he will eventually die a prisoner but I’m asking you to let God take him and not have it be at the hand of Jimmy. If there is a way you can help him then please, do so,” she pleaded, her eyes watering with unshed tears. “I know you helped my daughter Nikki and Michael get to safety the night of the shooting. I also know you’ve been keeping a watchful eye out on my son-in-law and I want to thank you for that, for keeping what’s left of my family safe.”
“You’re welcome,” I replied evenly, before exhaling. “Is there anything else you heard? Try to think. The last time you spoke to Victor did he mention Jimmy in any other way?”
“You mean before he told me to go to the café?” I nodded signaling her to continue. “He just said to bring him the financials,” she added.
I turned back to Bianci. “And he hasn’t knocked on your door?”
He shook his head, crossing his arms against his chest. “I don’t think he knows shit, I think he surmises something and maybe he knew Grace was listening and wanted to see if she’d run here. That’s why I took her, in case she was being followed,” he explained.
“He blew up my fucking car, the bastard knows something is up,” Blackie hissed. “And it’s not the drugs because that shit was pure,” he added disgustedly.
The door opened to the compound and Pipe and Wolf strode in.
“The fire is being contained. I called it into our friends over at the N.Y.P.D. and Jones is sending a blue and white over so it looks legit on paper,” Pipe announced, providing a cover for our asses. The last thing we needed was the fucking bomb squad sniffing around our shit.
“Your truck is toast, man,” Wolf added, eyes on Blackie. “And you almost were too, so who’s going to clue the rest of us in on what the fuck is going on here?” He looked back at me expectantly.
Pipe glared at Bianci. “This got some shit to do with Pastore?”
I ran my fingers through my hair roughly, realizing that Blackie was right when he first said this shit would land at the Satan’s Knights doorstep despite my efforts to handle it on my own. I had kept my brothers out of my plans, thinking I could fix this mess without them but Blackie nearly got blown away and now my club was looking at me as if I betrayed them.
I turned to Pipe and Wolf, about to explain everything when I realized where Blackie had been before the truck blew up. I spun around, narrowing my eyes as I stepped toward Blackie.
“When you left my house this morning where did you go?” I grilled him.
“I dropped your woman off at the church around the block from her house like a good little gopher,” he growled, defensively.
“His woman?” Pipe asked, incredulously. “What the fuck is going on?”
“And after that?” I persisted, ignoring Pipe.
Blackie remained quiet as he glared at me, matching my cold stare with his own.
“Where did you go?” I demanded, my voice an octave louder.