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CHAPTER THREE: CHROME

I flip Stone off as I watch Cicely drive out of my life. I don’t need him telling me what I already know: I didn’t handle that very well. My club has a traitor, meaning I can no longer guarantee her safety if she had stayed. But maybe I made a mistake letting her go. Not only did I piss her off, but what if she’s still in danger?

Fenhua is still out there. Min dealt him a blow by taking out several of his men. Fenhua is looking for his parents, so it makes more sense that he’d head to San Diego as Babe suggested. Fenhua’s brother, Ghost, is a member of the San Diego club. Fenhua was kidnapping and torturing former employees of the Chamber Medical Group in his search for his parents. Ghost would be a better lead. I have to believe Cicely is no longer in danger, especially now that I’ve driven her away.

“She’s better off away from here,” I tell Stone when the three Nomads stand beside me with their duffle bags. “Let’s get you settled in.”

The Nomads, Stone, Eagle, and Padre were once members of the San Diego Chapter. They joined when Dante’s dad, Dale, was the President. They were members of the club when it slipped into its darkest days, thanks to Dale, who supplied human traffickers. Not everyone in the club knew what Dale was doing; he had kept his operation a secret from all but his most trusted men. His son hadn’t known what he was up to. Dante discovered the truth after he took over as President, when he learned his childhood sweetheart had been one of his father’s victims. Dante brought in his best friend, Chaos, to discover who was involved in the trafficking. Chaos is a brutal bastard who takes pleasure in painfully extracting information from his targets. Chaos questioned every member of the San Diego chapter, killing the majority of them in the process. Ultimately, only Grimm, Stone, Eagle, and Padre survived. Grimm became Dante’s VP while the other three took the road as Nomads. Now, they traveled between all the chapters. Dante sent them wherever a club needed help. I just wasn’t sure why they were here. However, I was pretty sure I was about to find out.

After showing them to their room, they drop off their kits and join me in the bar.

“Sammy, can you grab these guys a beer?”

“Thanks,” Stone says, accepting the beer and taking a long swallow.

“Have you seen Scorch?” I ask Sammy.

“He left after Babe and Min took off.”

“Did he say where he was going?”

“He went back for the SUV,” Trigger says, stepping up to the bar and jerking his chin at the prospect.

“Good. How are you feeling?”

“Pissed off,” Trigger admits. “Can’t believe that guy got the better of us. Would have liked to have talked to Babe before he left.” Trigger digs his fist into his palm, demonstrating how the conversation would go.

“You have a problem with Babe?” Stone asks, watching Trigger.

“Only that we think he betrayed us to that bastard Fenhua.”

“We don’t know…” I start, but Stone interrupts.

“That’s a strong accusation. Do you have any proof? And who the fuck is Fenhua?”

“Fenhua is Ghost’s older brother. He’s a member of the Triad and was here in Chicago looking for his parents,” I tell Stone, who nods in understanding. Only those who attended Dante’s wedding know what happened to the Triad leaders.

“Min is Fenhua’s cousin. She told us she fought Fenhua, killed his henchmen, and then drugged him. But he woke up as we were transporting him back here,” Trigger explains. “He attacked Scorch and me, forcing us off the road so his men could rescue him. Min either fucked up or she was working with Fenhua. Babe’s protecting her. He’s putting pussy before the club. I wouldn’t be surprised if Babe and Min were responsible for the attack on Mode.”

Stone studies Trigger before glancing at me. “Let’s talk.”

I lead them to my office and take a seat behind my desk. Stone and Eagle sit across from me while Padre sprawls on the couch.

“Dante said you have a rat problem,” Stone starts. “It isn’t Babe or Min.”

I rub my hand over my face in frustration. “Fuck, you don’t think I know that? Whoever attacked Mode was inside the clubhouse. It was someone we trusted. Someone I fucking trust. Babe wasn’t here; neither was Min. So, yeah, I know it was someone else.”

“Why does Trigger think Babe and Min were responsible?” Eagle presses.

“He’s a hot head. He’s pissed that Fenhua got the better of him and Scorch. They’ll calm down and realize that Babe and Min aren’t involved.”

“Do you suspect anyone?” Padre asks.

“Fuck no! That’s what is so fucking frustrating.”

“Who was here when Mode got hurt?”

“Most of the club. All the prospects. Babe and Min had gone to the hospital to track down a skip. That’s when they spotted Fenhua. Babe followed Fenhua to a warehouse and called Mode to get some intel. Mode was helping Babe when someone attacked him. That’s when we knew for certain that we had a rat. But Babe suspected it beforehand.”

“Why?” Stone asks.

“Min and Babe tracked three skips from San Diego to here, along with the dirty cop who helped them escape. They came here to hook up with Theodore Jordan.”

“The guy who runs a church for misogynists and racists?” Padre asks.

I nod. Theodore Jordan is the world’s biggest asshole, which is saying something because the world is full of assholes. Some men are racist assholes. Others are bigots. Many are misogynists. Theodore Jordan is all three rolled up into a deranged package. We know he’s kidnapped women and raped them in some sick attempt to produce a child that he believed would become the chosen one. Jordan ran a church of men who took pleasure in hurting women. He encouraged these men to marry wealthy women and impregnate them. The men sometimes stole the women’s freedom as well as their money. But their sickness didn’t stop there. When the women were close to giving birth, they’d let a doctor into the house so he could rip the baby out and sell it to the highest bidder while leaving the woman to bleed to death. Shield tracked down and arrested the doctor and two men participating in the scheme. A dirty cop helped them escape, and they all came to Chicago to reunite with Jordan.

“Min and Babe captured two of them, but she killed the cop and the doctor in self-defense after they kidnapped her. We’re still looking for Jordan. I’m guessing that’s why you are here. To help us find the bastard?” I ask them.

“That’s the cover we’re going with,” Stone says. “But that’s not why we’re here. Dante called us in when Babe told him you had a rat. We’re here to flush him out.”

I should have known. Those of us who have earned Dante’s trust know the Nomads played a crucial role in helping Dante purge the cancer Dale let into the club. Shortly after clearing out the chapter in San Diego, Dante learned that Dale had brought other chapters into the skin trade. Puma had discovered that his President played a role and had plans to frame Dante with the crime. The Nomads took to the road to clean up the other chapters. Now they provided extra muscle and eyes. So, I’m not surprised Dante sent them my way when he learned we were dealing with vermin.

As much as it pisses me off to let someone else come in and solve my problem, I owe it to Dante and the rest of the Demon Dawgs to swallow my pride and accept their help, since the rat infiltrated my club.

“What do you need from me?”

“Keep our reason for being here to yourself. If anyone asks, we happened to come this way and offered to stay to help you locate Jordan. We can say that we’re helping out because you’re down a man, what with Mode out of commission.”

“Dante is sending Byte to help us out with the tech shit,” I tell him. “But I can sell that you’re helping us hunt down Jordan. Everyone knows how much Dante wants this guy stopped.” His mention of Mode gives me an idea. “Since you’re here, maybe you can help guard Mode. He’s still unconscious. Stitch thinks he’d be better off in a hospital since he hasn’t shown signs of waking up. Plus, you’d be doing me a favor by watching Cicely while she works.”

“Cicely?” Padre asks. “Is she the chick that stormed out of here?”

“Yeah. Cicely works in the ICU at Insight Hospital & Medical Center, where Mode would end up. Fenhua tried to have her kidnapped. We think Fenhua has left town, but I’d still like to know that Cicely has a guard.”

“We can do that. When Byte arrives, we can break into teams and take turns guarding Mode and Cicely,” Eagle agrees.

Knowing that Mode will be under their care lifts my spirits. I didn’t realize how concerned I was for his safety until then. If we put Mode into the hospital where Cicely works, she’ll also have protection.