Page 49

“You’re wrong. That governor who got taken down means they need another one.” Craig insisted. “Pacheco will be that man.”

“He was from another state, dumbass. Pacheco is probably pocketing all that money you funneled his way.” That tidbit shocked Craig into silence and I barked out a laugh. I couldn’t believe these guys were that stupid.

“Get your fuckin’ hands off my Prez.” I turned at the sound of Lu’s voice. I knew that scratchy smoker’s voice well. “Or I’ll make you.”

“You and what Army? Or did you bring a step ladder so you can reach me?”

Craig took his moment to swing, narrowly missing me but his fist grazed my jaw and I pressed my thumb into the beating pulse at the base of his throat.

Lu lunged forward but in an act of disrespect, Jag grabbed the back of his shirt and damn near lifted him off the ground.

“I don’t think so, Lu. Don’t make me embarrass you in front of your girl.” Jag’s voice was low and deep. Menacing. Badass.

Damn! I loved my brother.

“I’ll fucking kill you, Jag.” Lu said.

“You can try,” he said even quieter than before. “But you’ll bleed out before you get to that blade in your back pocket or that piece under your kutte.”

“Everybody calm the fuck down!” I called out. I took a step away from Craig but kept my hand on his throat, applying pressure just because I could. “Craig here was telling me that Pacheco will be our next junior Senator from Nevada. You boys believe that?”

The Reckless Bastards laughed and I continued, “Unlike these dumb sons of bitches, we know the only way to change the system is to understand how it works.”

“Someone ought to tell him it’s too late and his name isn’t on any ballot,” Jag said on a laugh as he let Lu go with a shove.

Pacheco’s daughter went to Lu and I knew this was my moment to cause a little drama because I had the upper hand.

“You’re Pacheco’s daughter, Carly, is it?”

“Yeah. You got a problem with that?”

“No, I’m just curious how much extra money they threw to your old man just to get your sweet ass as part of their deal.”

Lu stiffened, and Carly took a step away from him. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t listen to a word he says, babe. His whole club is full of fucking liars.” Lu moved in and wrapped an arm around her, pressing his lips to the spot behind her ear.

“You mean I’m lying when your own Prez already confirmed you’ve been funneling a fuck ton of money to Pacheco’s nonexistent Senate campaign? I wonder what that money is for if not his campaign.”

“Daddy isn’t running for Senate. He’s retiring when his term is up.” Her wide eyes bounced between me and Lu, conflicted and angry.

“What’s he talking about Lu?”

“Yeah, Lu. You’re the MC treasurer. Tell your girl what I’m talking about, unless you want me to show her?”

That did it. Carly took three big steps away from Lu, as clear a ‘fuck you’ as any words could ever be. “No! Don’t fucking touch me!”

“Tell her about the money, Lu.”

“Shut the fuck up, Cross!”

I smiled. “I have no beef with you, sweetheart. I’m just trying to figure out why the city is doing this asshole’s dirty work.”

“Maybe you should run your businesses better, you piece of shit,” White Boy Craig spat out.

Craig choked and grabbed my wrist as I squeezed harder and harder until his face turned red. There was no anger in me, just a cool calm certainty that I could kill this asshole in a split second if I wanted to.

“That’s rich coming from an asshole who got conned out of millions,” Savior added, swinging a punch at a Roadkill newbie who got in his face. “Funny how you know so much about our business when you got fucked out of so much money.”