Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 40446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40446 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 202(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Wylde looked like a child told to clean up his room or go to bed without supper. “I just wanted something to eat,” he muttered. But I noticed the way his lips curled. The man had no reverence whatsoever. Then his smile brightened. “Good thing I have a couple prospects who need to learn how to do this shit.”
Venus went to Sting. The two sized each other up for a few seconds before Venus stuck out her hand to him. “I will put in a formal request to patch in with Iron Tzars. I’m not the type of prospect you normally recruit, but I can be asset to you.”
Sting grinned. “Come with me.”
He took us to Wylde’s office where Danica, Wylde’s woman, was talking to her sisters. Lemon and Apple were chatting away while Danica smiled and laughed. There were several feeds open on the call, not just the one from Grim Road. It looked like every club in the circle was in on the call. Bones. Salvation’s Bane. Black Reign. Grim Road. Even Kiss of Death and the fucking Shadow Demons.
“Hey, guys.” Sting said, after the women finished their conversation. “Deed’s done. Clean-up’s underway.”
“Good.” Thorn grinned. “Good to see you, Venus. When Giovanni flew in here like a bat outta hell, we were a little worried about you.”
“Shut up.” Giovanni grumbled. He looked as disgruntled as I’d ever seen the man. It looked almost like the bastard was pouting.
“Hey. It wasn’t my fault. I tried to tell you she could handle herself.”
“I can’t believe you were willing to take that kind of a chance with a member of your own club.”
“What kind of chance?” Thorn actually scowled at the other man. Giovanni was with Thorn at the Bane clubhouse, likely in Thorn or Ripper’s office.
“Victor Zaitsev isn’t the kind of man you fuck around with. He will destroy you and have the backing of the entire Russian government to do it.”
“Would have tried.” Venus said. “He would have tried to destroy me.” She shrugged. “He did try, actually. I’m here. He’s not.”
“I was just looking out for you, Venus,” Giovanni pleaded his case. “That’s what I’ve done since the first day we met you.”
“You’ve looked out for yourself,” she countered. “You found out Victor was tracking me, then you sent me off. You know. Away from your precious company and home. News flash! I survived on my own until I found place to call home. I found that with Thorn and Salvation’s Bane. And then I met all kinds of other people in clubs who work closely with Bane. I may not have fully appreciated it at time, but in my heart I knew I was never alone.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I should have at least told you. I honestly thought you probably knew.”
“Whatever.” She pointed a finger at Giovanni’s image on the screen. “You’re still on my shit list.”
Thorn grinned. “I talked to Mama.” I had to wonder if the change of subject was intentional. Knowing Thorn, probably.
The smile Venus gave Thorn was tentative, but she didn’t demur. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything. Just never seemed like right time.”
“Doesn’t matter because I’ve always thought of you as family. You’ve been a wonderful asset to Bane.”
“Thanks.”
Thorn opened his mouth to say something else, but El Diablo, president of Black Reign MC and former assassin, spoke first. “I never thought I’d see this day, Venus.” The enigmatic man had a warm, welcoming smile on his face. “But what we’re all about to propose benefits us all and, because it was my idea, I’m butting in to make the proposal myself.”
There was a collective groan from the monitor’s speakers. El Diablo just smiled even bigger. I didn’t know him very well, but I’d heard he’d mellowed somewhat since he and Jezebel married. He mellowed even more when their adopted daughter, Dawn, married Ice, the new president of Bones MC. I’d heard he’d actually said “please” when Dawn had gotten herself in trouble and El Diablo had needed help retrieving her.
“Daddy, you’re doing it again.” Dawn was beside Ice on the call. “Don’t be that guy.”
“What guy?” He looked genuinely puzzled, but his wife rolled her eyes.
“Liam, hush. Venus belongs to Bane so let Thorn do his thing.”
“Fine. But just so you know, I had rehearsed a whole thing. I’m sure I’d be better at this than Thorn.”
To my surprise, Thorn just chuckled. “He’s just happy because he’s finally going to be able to claim Venus as one of his club family.”
Venus stiffened. “What?”
“What we’re all trying to say is, we all want you to patch in. With all our clubs. You and Piston both, if you agree.”
“Huh,” I said, scrubbing a hand over the back of my neck. “Wasn’t expecting that.”
“It’s a simple thing, Piston,” El Diablo said with a wave of his hand. “You both become patched members with all the clubs, and you work on keeping us together. Ambassadors, if you will. We’re spread out over the southeastern part of the country, but we can be great assets to each other during times of trouble.”