Page 30 of Rattler’s Revelation (Demon Dawgs MC: Las Vegas #6)

When Rafe claims that we don’t want to know how they got the location of Wade and his men, I want to protest and insist they tell us.

Why should we be kept in the dark? However, the look on Rafe’s face and the inability of Rattler to look me in the eye tell me that I won’t like the answer.

I still want to know. I open my mouth to say so, but before I can, Chill draws our attention back to the satellite images.

“There.” She points at the spot. I focus on the image and recognize it. They’ve added a few more buildings, but the layout looks familiar. It’s the place where Tommy took me all those years ago.

“That has to be them,” Puma says. “You have the location, Taylor?”

I keep half an ear on the conversation as Puma and Taylor discuss the attack plan, while I study the satellite image.

After identifying the house where I knew Walt and Wade lived, I shifted my attention to the other buildings to see if I could figure out where they’re keeping Bianca and the other women.

The containers are the most likely, since the Demon Dawgs believe Wade and his men plan on shipping the women to New Orleans.

The thought of Bianca trapped inside one of them has me itching to move.

I tune back into the conversation when I hear Rattler volunteer to provide a distraction.

I frown at him. “How?”

“Walt and I look enough alike to fool most people. We can use that to our advantage. If I show up, I can distract them long enough for everyone to get in position. I’ll lure them into the open with a ploy.”

“What if the real Walt is already there?” Taylor asks.

“He won’t be. He’s currently our guest.”

“That’s good news. One less asshole to deal with,” Taylor says while I gape at Rattler.

Walt is their guest? I’m not stupid, I know what that means.

No wonder no one seemed worried about locating Walt.

Why search for him when you already know you are holding him captive?

The Demon Dawgs are holding him against his will.

I know Walt is an asshole, but I’m a cop.

How the fuck do I reconcile that the man I’m growing to care for is blatantly breaking the law?

I’m not the only cop in the room, so I look to Rafe for his reaction.

“So, much for plausible deniability. I choose to believe that Walt’s here visiting his cousins,” Rafe says with a smirk at Viper.

Seriously? He’s just going to ignore the fact that they are holding a man prisoner?

Have they tortured him, too? I’m betting yes, since how else could they have gotten the compound’s location?

“You’re okay with this?” I demand of Rafe.

The man I respected so much that I followed in his footsteps is now making jokes about the club kidnapping and torturing a man?

It’s one thing to ignore the club members making threats to get information and quite another to know they’re using torture.

They are no longer bending the law; they’ve broken it into pieces and ground it into dust. “They’ve admitted to kidnapping a man and holding him against his will.

I’m guessing they tortured him to get information from him. This situation isn’t okay.”

Puma glowers at me. “Are you planning on arresting us, or do you want to rescue Bianca and the other women? If you’re going to be a hindrance, get out now. We don’t have time to convince you to help us.”

I gape at Puma, who has turned into a threatening biker before my eyes.

Looking toward Rafe, I’m hoping he shares my concern, but Rafe’s expression says that he’s siding with them.

He’s looking at me with disappointment, as if I were the one who let him down.

I snap my eyes to Rattler and realize I don’t know the man at all.

I thought we had a connection, but how can I be with someone who has no respect for the law?

If he doesn’t respect the law, then he doesn’t respect me as a representative of that law.

Our relationship was a mistake, but it’s a mistake I can rectify.

Pushing past Rattler, I storm out of the room and burst outside. I need to get out of here.

I’m almost at my car when Rafe catches up with me.

“Hold up, Randy,” Rafe says, grabbing my shoulder and spinning me around. “Let’s talk about this.”

What is there to talk about? These guys have kidnapped someone! They kidnapped him and don’t tell me you don’t know that they also tortured him to get information. They’ve broken who knows how many laws? How can you be okay with this?”

Rafe squeezes my shoulder as he searches for the words. “As a cop, I’m not okay with what they’ve done. As a man who loves his woman, I admire them.”

“You admire them?” I ask, stunned. “How is that possible?”

“I became a cop because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help protect the innocent. There are instances where I’m able to do that, but there are many more where the innocent are not only left unprotected, but they end up paying a bigger price than the guilty.

Before I met Viper and got involved with the Demon Dawgs, I thought the Demon Dawgs were the most significant criminal element in the city.

I watched them and hoped to find evidence against them, but I never caught them breaking the law.

Instead, I saw them helping people. They built that casino and provided people with well-paying jobs that offered more benefits than they could find anywhere else.

They donate their time and money to help those in need.

I didn’t believe for a minute that they’re law-abiding, but I saw that they were more than just criminals. ”

“Which makes it okay to overlook what’s happening right now?”

“You don’t have to overlook it if you can’t.

When I helped Viper clear herself of a murder charge, I chose to look the other way when they used less-than-legal means to prove her innocence.

Her life meant more to me than the law. Laws change.

The police and the courts can’t, or don’t, always do what’s best for the victims. Sometimes it protects the criminals.

To me, overlooking the fact that they kidnapped and likely tortured Walt is no different than the PA offering a deal in exchange for information.

I’ve come to terms with what the Demon Dawgs do because I know they’d never harm an innocent person.

They’ll do what it takes to protect the innocent and save lives.

I think Bianca’s life is more important than a strict adherence to the law.

But if you think the law is more important than the lives of those women Walt has kidnapped, then you should go and report what’s happening here. I won’t stop you.”

His words leave me reeling. I turn and pace away from Rafe.

Does he think I would do that? Turn him in along with the Demon Dawgs?

I open my mouth to ask him, but then shut it again.

What can I do about the situation? As a cop, I should be calling this in and reporting the crimes they’ve all but admitted to committing.

But what happens to Bianca and the other women if I do that?

Who will rescue them? I could contact someone on the force, but they wouldn’t be able to move on the compound without more evidence.

I don’t have proof that they have Bianca and the others.

It could take them hours, if not days, to mount a rescue mission, and who knows what horrors Bianca would be dealing with during that time?

Hell, for all I know, Bianca is the last girl they need before they start shipping out the women to a new location.

At that point, she’d be lost to us forever.

I can’t let Bianca suffer because of my decision.

Turning back to face Rafe, I realize that we’re no longer alone in the parking lot.

The Demon Dawgs are mounting their bikes.

I search for Rattler, but don’t see him.

That’s when I realize he’s already left.

He’s putting himself in harm’s way to create a distraction.

The thought of Rattler getting hurt guts me.

Anger shoots through me, and I realize I’m ready to kill anyone who hurts him or Bianca. Damn the law. I need them in my life.

“We should get going,” I say to Rafe. “We have a compound to infiltrate and women to rescue.”

Rafe grins and slaps me on the shoulder.

“Let’s go.” Instead of climbing on the back of Viper’s bike, Rafe joins me in the SUV.

Smooth sits behind the wheel while Gears sits in the passenger seat.

Rafe and I climb in the back. I notice two other SUVs file in behind us as we follow Puma and the rest of the club through the gate.

“What’s the plan once we rescue the women?” I ask Rafe.

“We’ll take them to the hospital and leave them there for the cops to process,” he says. “The cops can take their statements. We’ll deal with the fallout. Puma already has a lawyer who knows everything. Puma and I have a few ideas on how to keep the Demon Dawgs out of trouble.”

I nod at his statement and realize that I don’t feel the expected qualms over his meaning.

I should feel guilty that Rafe is planning to lie to protect the club, but after my first bout of misguided loyalty, I realize I no longer feel guilty about it.

Protecting the club, and especially Rattler, is now more critical.

I just hope I get a chance to apologize to Rattler.

We approach the compound from the west. Smooth and Gears hand us each a pair of earpieces so we can hear the action.

When Taylor announces that the external guards are down, we exit the vehicle and make our way to the ridge overlooking the compound.

I take the binoculars that Gears hands me.

Down below, I see a car approaching the gate.

The gate opens quickly to allow the car entrance.

Rattler drives up to the primary home and exits the vehicle.

I hold my breath as the door to the house opens and Wade steps out.

He approaches the car and fist bumps Rattler.

They speak for a few minutes as the men patrolling the grounds circle the duo.

Wade nods and rubs his chin before calling out.

We can’t hear the words, but this is where we expect to see men flood out of the buildings.

However, instead of a mob, a single man steps outside.

I see Rattler tense. Shifting the binoculars toward the man who joined Wade, all the breath exits my body. The man next to Wade is his son, Walt.

Fuck!