Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 69610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69610 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“You want me to dig deeper, I want more.”
“What more could you possibly need?” I growl.
“Money. And don’t argue with me, biker. I’m not here to be your friend. This is business. I need money. I know you have money. I’m going to find out more, but I’ll need compensation for it.”
“How much?” I grate out.
“Ten thousand.”
I glare at her. “Ten thousand, and you go in, you get what I need, and you don’t stop until I get it?”
She nods.
The girl knows how to drive a bargain, and she knows how to get what she wants.
“Deal,” I say, extending my hand.
She takes it and shakes.
“I’ll dig deeper. I have a few contacts. I know people. I’ll try to get a name, a location, something to put you on the right path.”
I nod.
She nods.
And then she leaves the room.
Five minutes later, Maverick walks in. “Koda said our girl got information.”
“She did, but it isn’t enough. All we got is that there is a fuck load of drugs movin’ around, and a new drug, a more powerful drug. Whack, they’re callin’ it. Don’t know what or who Treyton is workin’ with, but I’m startin’ to think it’s for a higher source.”
“Yeah, no way that fucker is smart enough to do this on his own. He’s gotta be the eyes, ears and delivery for someone else. Someone bigger.”
“Cartel, maybe,” I mutter.
“Possibly. You send Charlie out for more information?”
“Yeah, and she upped her price on me.”
Maverick grins. “Like that girl, bro. She’s got spunk. Ain’t afraid of much.”
“No, she isn’t, but I still don’t fully trust her.”
“She got you information.”
“Yeah, she did, we’ll see what she comes back with now there is money involved.”
Maverick nods. “We’ll find him, Prez. We will find that fucker, and we will make him scream.”
“You’re damn fuckin’ right we will.”
That fucker will roam my town no longer.
I’ll make sure of it.
~*~*~*~*~
NOW – AMALIE
“Burn, burn, burn,” I sing into the microphone as Scarlett sings the chorus to her new single.
It feels weird to sing. It’s not natural to me, but it doesn’t feel bad, either. It’s just different. I’m still playing majority of the songs on the piano for Scarlett’s new album, but she wants two with my voice in them, mostly background, but also one as a duet. That’s daunting, and I’m terrified my pitch will be completely wrong and I’ll put her album on hold or delay it, but she’s confident.
They all are.
Her label loved my voice, and were more than happy to add something different to her album. I guess it comes down to sales really, for them; they’ll do anything it takes to make a buck.
Isaac is playing a few songs with us, too, and so far today has been a really good day. We came in early to finish recording the first song, which will be the single to promote the album. After that, we’ll start working on writing and creating the other songs. The process takes quite a while but it pays well, keeps us busy and is really like living a dream.
Well, it is living the dream.
Every second I get to spend in here, with Scarlett, or on tour, is everything I could have ever wanted and more. I’ll be forever grateful to her for what she’s given me. The chance. The opportunity. I close my eyes, singing, and living in that dream for a little while longer, relishing in it, loving it, letting it become a part of who I am.
When I open my eyes, Scarlett has stopped singing and is looking toward the big glass panel that the producers of the album sit behind, changing the tones, changing the pitch, and making the song sound incredible. I follow her eyes and see Maverick and Malakai standing, both of them staring at me. Malakai has a newspaper in his hand, and his eyes look ... concerned, but also kind of pissed off.
My body instantly knows something is wrong. It’s funny how your body does that, it just knows when things are about to go bad, or something terrible is about to happen. It puts you on alert, perhaps as a way of protecting you, maybe to soften the blow. It doesn’t matter, all I know is I can feel Malakai’s eyes.
He looks like he wants to explode at me, and yet at the same time, like he’s about to break my world right open.
“Something is wrong,” I tell Scarlett.
She looks to me, smiles like she’s as worried as I am but doesn’t want me to see it, and stands. “Let’s go and find out what’s going on.”
I pull my earphones off and walk slowly out of the room. My ankle is mostly okay to walk on, but it is still a little tender if I push it too hard. I shove through the door and stop in front of Malakai. “Something has happened.”