Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69993 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69993 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“Shit,” Ace growls and stalks over to Gia, dropping down in the chair to her left. “What good news are you bringing this time?”
Gia held up both hands. “Hey, I don’t even want to fuckin’ be here, but Preacher insisted.”
“Why,” Ace asks and turns his attention to me, sitting to Gia’s right. “What’s going on?”
“Gia was doing some digging on the dark web, and she found something. It’s serious.”
“How serious?” Wild Man is standing behind Ace, a scowl on his face.
“Should we get Shades in on this?” Coop asks from his spot beside Wild Man.
“Just tell me what the fuck it is,” Ace growls.
Gia jumps at his tone, her hands gripping the table so hard her knuckles turn white. “I don’t work for you, so watch how the fuck you talk to me.”
Ace nods, but he doesn’t apologize. “What did you find?”
Gia sighs and looks to me first, giving me a glimpse of just how nervous she actually is. I give her a reassuring nod, and she lets out another deep breath. “I found something last night.”
“You were looking into us?”
“No. I was trying to do something nice, and I stumbled upon this information.” She glares at Ace and Coop and turns a pleading look to Wild Man. “You do business on the dark web, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. I found all kinds of shit. Firearms, designer shit, other weapons. Drugs. Illegal grow ops. Plenty of stuff that’s there for anyone on the dark web to see.”
“Yeah, and?” Coop leans across the table, brows furrowing with anger. “You gonna go to the cops?”
Gia laughs. “Yeah,” she snorts. “I do that and end up in the desert between here and Vegas. I might be young, but I’m not dumb. Guys like you always have a few cops in your pocket.”
She throws her hands up in defeat.
“Fuck it,” she says, disgust turning her face dark, and I’m afraid she’s going to walk out.
I give her a reassuring smile, and she relaxes, says, “You want to know what I found that Preacher is too afraid to mention out loud? Trafficking. I found out that you so-called good guy bikers are selling people. Fucking people. Men and women, boys and girls, to the highest fucking bidder. That’s what I found.”
She turns to me with an angry, almost hurt expression. “Happy?”
“That’s a goddamn lie,” Coop roars, drawing the attention of Kelsey and Letty, who know better than to involve themselves in club business unless asked.
“You’re a fucking liar,” he says, pointing a finger at her.
Gia folds her arms in the face of his anger, but that pulse in her throat is beating like crazy. She’s scared.
“I don’t care enough about you all to lie.”
That’s also a lie. She’s terrified right now, and I know what I have to do. “Coop, back off.”
“Me, back off? Clearly, she’s got you pussy whipped enough to believe this bullshit. You know we don’t deal in people, man. She’s just trying to divide the club.”
“For what purpose,” she shouts back. “Believe me or not, I don’t give a flying fuck. Check it out for yourself.” She pushes her laptop across the table with a smug smile as Coop slides it toward Wild Man.
“Why should we believe you, Gia?” Ace’s gaze never wavers, and neither does Gia’s.
“You shouldn’t. Same way I don’t believe that your MC doesn’t sell people on the black market. What I do believe is that Preacher didn’t know about it, and that’s what matters to me.”
She turns her attention to Wild Man. “What you all should be asking yourselves is if you’re really not into that shit, who is in a position to make it look like you are? And why?”
“Bullshit,” Coop growls just as Ace’s phone starts to ring.
“Yeah?” His brows furrow, and he stands. “Charlie, good to hear from you. What’s up?” Ace stands and glares back at the table. “I gotta take this. Take a break, and when we get back, make sure Shades is here.”
He walks away, and we all stay right where we are for a long minute in tense silence.
“This is fucking bullshit,” Coop growls and pushes away from the table.
Wild Man goes next, leaving just me and Gia.
“That went well,” she deadpans. “All things considered.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Gia
I watch Preacher walk away from the table without a word. His body is coiled tight with anger, possibly also disappointment. He really believed his biker brothers would take my word, and while that’s sweet and not at all what I know of men, it’s also incredibly naïve. It’s a lucrative hustle, which is exactly why gangs, motorcycle clubs, mafias, and the like take that risk.
Why wouldn’t the Reckless Souls?
Preacher is angry as he approaches Coop at the bar with a heavy hand on his shoulder. “What the fuck is your problem, man?”