Page 73 of Chaos & Carnage

“Fuck’s sake, you lot. I can’t keep putting bodies through the crem. At some point someone will find out,” Heidi complained, barely glancing up from the laptop screen.

“It’s fine Heidi,” I answered this time, my eyes glued to the door, watching for movement. “Not our bodies to worry about.”

“As long as Alice’s boss does his bit,” Indie reminded me.

And then they walked through the door with the rest of them. Fury and Magnet. My brother and Alice. I didn’t know how to feel. She was here and she was safe. Yet it was Cade’s hand she gripped tightly, not me. I had no right to her hand. I had no right to her attention. He had found her first. He had the better claim. And even though we were used to sharing our women, I wanted this one to myself. The thrum of disappointment drilled on inside, growing heavier with each step they took towards me.

“Upstairs, boys,” Indie instructed, gently peeling Emmie’s arms from him. “Ladies. Take care of Alice, please. She needs a drink, at least.”

Suzy and Emmie nodded, waving their hands towards her, guiding her into the booth in front of the bar.

“Do we know who they are?” Indie asked once the door of our chapel closed behind us.

“Teesside accents,” Cade shrugged.

“First, I’ve heard of drug trafficking through a vet round here.” Indie crossed his arms over his chest, his face pensive.

“Common practice out in the States. And Gabapentin hits just like cocaine.” Fury acknowledged. “What’s the chance the Hand are behind this? Cocaine dealing is much riskier than even Magnet’s product.”

Indie frowned, nipping the bridge of his nose. I was sure he grew an extra grey hair at every mention of those fuckers.

“I’ll ask Brie.”

“So, Brie is our intelligence now?” Cade asked.

“Brie is good at getting answers. Discreetly. That was always his skill.”

“He always was better at the intel than at the fighting.” Fury grinned. “And you don’t always have to fight to win a war.”

“But it helps.” Indie reminded all of us. “So, we let Brie do his thing and we’ll do ours in return.”

Chapter Twenty Eight

“Are you sure me coming to a bike rally is a good idea?” I asked, raking through my drawers for warm clothes.

“Why wouldn’t it be, Al?”

“Just I don’t really know anyone, and Caleb will be there.”

“Fuck Caleb.” Cade answered.

I raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry. Sorry,” he muttered, visibly wincing. “Look, Abbie said she’d take care of the kittens, and since the vets can’t open at the minute while the fire damage gets fixed, it’s a good time to have a bit of a break.”

“And what if the police stop by again?”

“Then you’ll be in a field in the middle of Cumbria. They’ll wait for you to get back.”

“I dunno. That Sergeant Gray is persistent.”

“Fury’s little brother has a death wish. But even he isn’t that stupid.”

“That’s Fury’s brother?” I didn’t disguise the shock in my voice.

“Oh yeah. Sorry. I thought you knew that.”

“Why would I know?” I shrugged, watching him as he lay on my bed.