“Why me?”
He arches an eyebrow. “Because you are goddamn near perfect for what we need.”
“Well, that’s something I’ve never been called before.”
“You grew up within this culture, Skye. This world, you’re more than familiar with it. You know what to do, how to fit in; you know how it works. And you being British, that’s a bonus. Means you can home straight in on the relatively new Mrs. Slayer. Izzi being British too, and from the same neck of the woods as you, you can use that to gain some kind of foothold, some English solidarity. Make her your friend. That in turn can get you closer to Mack… you need to get them to trust you, Skye. Do you understand? And you need to be able to do that real quick. We want these people off the streets, and you can help us do that.”
“At what cost to me, though, huh? Do you know how dangerous this could be, for me? If anyone found out what I was doing?”
“We know how dangerous this could be…”
“So, what happens afterwards? When it’s all over? What happens to me?”
“Witness protection.”
I stare at him, saying nothing for a second or two because I need to take this all in. “That means leaving everything behind…”
“You’ll get a new identity, new social security number, a whole new life, Skye. But, yes, everything you knew before, that’ll be gone. You choose not to help us, however, and all you’re gonna get is a criminal record and a couple of years behind bars.”
“Wow. Those options, huh?” I drop my gaze and close my eyes, and I take a long, deep breath before I look back up, but his eyes are still fixed on me. “I’m not just an informant, really, then. Am I?”
“No. The minute you agree to enter the WITSEC program you become a Federal Witness.”
“You really want these guys, don’t you?”
“Yes. We do. And we could just put an agent in undercover, get one of our own to do this job. We could do that. But putting someone like you in there…”
“Someone like me?”
His eyes stay fixed on mine. His expression doesn’t waver, he’s practically emotionless. “Someone who knows how their world works, Skye.”
“My father’s club wasn’t like theirs, Agent Franks. We weren’t one percenters.”
“Your father wasn’t a saint, either.”
I laugh, I can’t help it. “Yeah. You really have done your research, huh?”
“We need you, Skye.” He leans forward and steeples his fingers on the tabletop, his eyes still boring deep into mine. “And I’m not sure you’ve got much of a choice here, to be honest. You either help us bring these people down, or you go down.”
I hold his gaze and stop myself from swallowing hard, that could make me appear nervous, and I don’t want this man to see any sign of weakness in me. “I’ll be putting myself in real danger. I mean, I’ll be nothing but a club girl, and a new one at that…”
“We won’t let anything happen to you, I promise you that. And I think you can handle this. I think you can do this. Because, if you don’t think you can…?”
He’s right.
I’ve got no fucking choice at all.
Chapter Two
Theo
“Hey. New boy. You got any more updates on your brother? Only, I ain’t a fan of waiting too long to get something like this moving. Makes everyone nervous, delays of this kind.”
Cole Rockwell’s low, southern drawl causes me to look up. And he’s way too far up in my face, got no respect for people’s personal space, that man. Cole Rockwell, president of the Black Dogs MC; the Soldiers’ closest allies. The two clubs do a lot of business together, they work well as a team, I’ve learned that much in my relatively short time as a Soldier. And working with the Black Dogs, it means double the contacts and twice the intel both clubs need to hit bigger and better but, yeah, personally, I’m not a fan of Cole’s. I mean, he’s an intelligent guy, a damn good businessman, and I know one of them when I see one. But there’s just something about him that doesn’t sit right with me. And maybe it’s because I haven’t lived my entire life within this world, I’ve been outside of its confines far longer than I’ve spent within them, so maybe that’s why I can see things those who are too close to this life can’t. Or maybe I’m just a wary kind of guy. I’ve spent a lot of time being wary lately, and it’s a hard habit to shake. And a man like Cole, it’s hard not to judge him by the way he looks, because I believe his appearance belies who he really is. Short black hair that looks like it’s been cut in the dark and hasn’t been washed in weeks; an alarmingly neat goatee beard and dark eyes that have the ability to stare right into your very soul – and not in a good way – means he can come across as everything from sly to creepy to not always playing with a full deck, so to speak. But he isn’t stupid. He’s so far from that. He is, in fact, a man to be feared, so I’ve been told. He’s killed, he’s tortured, and he isn’t averse to using whatever means he needs to in order to get what he wants. So he’s someone to keep very much on side.
“As soon as I know anything concrete, you and Mack’ll be the first to know.”
He leans back against the wall and lights up a cigarette, drawing deep before he speaks again. “Your brother, he sure got himself into one hell of a mess, huh?”
“He’s innocent.”
“Oh, we all know he’s innocent, son. We all know whose fault it is he’s behind bars in the first place; that we all now gotta sort your shit out.” He takes a long draw on his cigarette, blowing a stream of thick smoke high up into the sky. “But he’s blood, right? And blood sticks together.” He takes another draw, this time blowing smoke down at the ground. “Mind you, that all depends on the kinda blood you related to.” He raises his gaze and looks straight at me. “I done this kinda thing before, did your president tell you that?”
“He told me you had contacts that could prove useful. That’s why he wanted to bring you in on this.”
“Well, he got that right. I’m the man who’s gonna get you on a plane that’s gonna take you and your brother outta this country and into one that don’t have no obligation to send you back, should they ever realize who you are.” He takes one last draw and throws his cigarette to the ground. “And that’s where another of my contacts comes in. ‘Cause we don’t want no one finding out who you are. Do we?”
I narrow my eyes as I look at Cole. And Dom’s right. I haven’t warmed to this man. I find it hard to entirely trust him, there’s just something about him that unsettles me, it doesn’t feel right, when I’m around him. But maybe that’s just me. Maybe that’s because I don’t belong here, on this side of the line. And Cole, he knows what I was before. He knows that, although once a corporate lawyer rather than a criminal one, I’m used to dealing with men who didn’t always do good things. But nothing as bad as what these men have done. And maybe that’s why I sometimes feel like Cole is deliberately trying to unnerve me.
“We gonna get you both new identities, son. You and your brother. We gonna make sure you get those new lives you need. And Mack – he said he owes your brother. Is that right?”
I just look at him, offering up no answer because he knows as much as he needs to know. And my silence is met with a cold edged chuckle, which isn’t a pleasant sound. It has undertones of something darker, something slightly sinister.
“Y’know, you had me fooled, kid. In the beginning. When you first turned up here, ain’t no one coulda guessed you used to spend your days in a good old white collar world. For a former lawyer you sure make one pretty good biker, so I gotta give you kudos for that, son. And you threw it all away to spring your brother free from a prison van, huh?”
“I didn’t throw anything away. I’d already lost it, and you know that, Cole. You know why I’m here, why I need to do this.”
“To avenge your own guilt. Yeah, we all got that, kiddo.”
I look down at the ground and breathe in deep because I really don’t want to go over it all. I’m done with that, it happen
ed. My fault. One stupid mistake, one horrifying lapse of judgment, and I can’t change it, but I can change what happens to Dom.
“Must’ve been one hell of a tough time for you and your girl. The aftermath and all. She know what you’re doing here? She know you ain’t ever coming back to her?”
My eyes meet his, and it’s all I can do to stop myself from lashing out, but we’re on his turf here. We’re at the Black Dogs clubhouse for one of the regular joint churches Mack and Cole have been calling ever since both clubs took on this job. To help me help Dom. So I’ve just got to rein it in, stay calm and not let this prick push me too far, because that’s what he’s trying to do. I’ve got to try hard to remain this person I need to be, so I can help my brother.
“Things not go so well there, huh? With your girl?”
I stay silent. That aspect of my past, it’s got nothing to do with Cole; with anyone. And knowing he isn’t going to get anything else out of me he laughs, flips another cigarette between his teeth and walks into the clubhouse. I lean back against the wall and take another deep breath. There are days when I still don’t know if I can do this, if I can play this part and pull it off. But then I think about what I did, what Dom’s going through, because of me…
“You all right?”
I look up to see Mack approach, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, dark glasses covering his eyes even though the sun’s almost down now. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Mack shrugs and takes a drag on his cigarette. “Just checking. Sometimes you look a little lost, is all, and I need to know you’re on your game, Theo. Or this ain’t gonna work.”
I can’t let Mack see any hint of weakness or nerves, that’s only going to make him think I’m not up to this. And I am up to this. I’ve had to get my head around a lot of shit in a very short space of time, but I’m a fast learner. I just got to quit with the over thinking.
“I told you, I’m fine.”
Mack stares at me for a beat or two, and I hold that stare, I have to show him, make him believe I’m dealing with this. “Good.” He briefly drops his gaze and runs a hand along the back of his neck before he looks back up, sliding his dark glasses up onto his head. But he doesn’t say anything else. And I’ve already worked out that Mack isn’t big on conversation, and sometimes that bothers me. It makes me think he still has doubts about me, about my commitment to this club, when he has no need to worry. Yeah, all right, I’m here because I have to be, because I need Mack’s help, no other reason. I certainly wouldn’t have come here out of choice. But in saying that, this place has also given me a new sense of purpose, and that’s something I badly needed, after everything that’s happened. “You’re doing OK, Theo. Y’hear me?”
I throw him a small smile, just to let him know I’m grateful, for everything. I walked into this town with no clue what I was doing, and Mack, he gave me hope that there was some kind of future out there. Just not the one I thought I’d be facing.
“Mack, I… are you sure you can trust Cole?”
I’m not sure I meant to say that out loud, but I’ve been thinking it almost constantly, ever since I got here. Ever since I met Cole Rockwell. And I guess I needed to get the question out, for my own peace of mind.
“Son, I get that you’re wary. Believe me, I’ve had my fair share of mistrust issues these past few years, ain’t gonna lie about that. But you don’t worry about Cole, all right? He ain’t gonna give you no trouble. The only person you need to trust right now is me. You got that?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I got it.” And I do trust Mack. Even though he’s only helping me because he owes Dom, there’s still something about the guy that tells me he’s a man of his word, even to an outsider like me who could bring him all kinds of trouble he doesn’t need. But I also get that he likes to take a risk, that he gets off on that, maybe they all do, and maybe that’s another reason why they’re helping me. I still don’t fully understand these men; this life. But I’m trying.
“I gotta get back in there.” Mack’s voice drags me into the here and now. “Need to catch a quick word with Cole before I head home. Izzi’s gonna break my balls if I’m too late getting back, and yeah, even men like me have to bow down to domesticity sometimes.” He sighs, drops his cigarette onto the concrete and walks into the clubhouse. I stay outside, I need the air. It’s cramped and crowded in there, too loud and claustrophobic. I’m not used to the endless partying and nights of no sleep, just drinking and fucking and, yeah. I’m not used to it.
I look up and scan the compound. It’s busy out here, too, but at least out here I can get some air, I can hear myself think. And right now, I got a hell of a lot to think about.
Gabriel
“How old were you, when you came over to the States?”
“We making small talk now?”
She was hard work all the way from New York to New Mexico, and now we’re here, things haven’t really changed. But she gets why she’s doing this, she understands, why she’s chosen to do it. She may come across as tough, but I don’t think she wants to test just how tough she is from behind bars.
“I’m trying to make conversation, Skye, that’s all. If we’re gonna be working together, let’s at least try and make this relationship semi-friendly.”
She throws me a look and I get up and walk over to the window.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” I ask, even though I think she is. She may have been a pain in the ass during our journey here, but I managed to learn a lot about this woman in that time. She’s not scared of much, and she doesn’t back down from shit without a fight. She seems tough, on the outside, but that could just be a front, of course. I guess I’ll find that out, in time. Maybe. I’m going to be her controller. She’ll see more of me than anyone else, and it’s a job I could’ve delegated to another agent, after all, I’m in charge of this operation; this team. I don’t need to do this. But I think she needs careful handling.
“You don’t think I can do this?”
There it is again. That defensive shield she also likes to whack up around herself. Something else I’ve noticed about her.
I slowly turn around and lock eyes with her. “I didn’t say that, Skye.”
“I can do this.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Her expression hardens but her eyes stay fixed on mine. I think we have a slight battle of wills going on here, but she’ll soon learn I’m not here to fight her. I’m here to work with her, keep her safe; protect her, while she helps us bring these bastards down.
“You gotta remember to act normal around these guys. You got that? And you gotta be careful.”
“I know what I’m doing, Agent Franks. OK? It’s not like I’m unfamiliar with this life, remember?”
I smile slightly, and I’m not sure she appreciated that. But underneath that hard-faced front there’s a beautiful woman, and that can only help my cause. Those men are gonna be on her like flies round shit. The minute she sets foot inside that clubhouse they’re not gonna want her to leave, and do I feel guilty about that? About the fact I might as well be throwing her into a pack of wild animals? No. She can handle this. She needs to, for both our sakes. “Call me Gabriel.”
“Why?”
I laugh, and briefly bow my head. “Because it’s my name.” I look back up and she’s staring at me with wide, gray-flecked eyes, but that hard-edged expression, that’s still there.
“OK, Gabriel. I moved here, to the U.S., when I was sixteen, but again I’m telling you shit you probably already know.”
I lean back against the window ledge and cross my arms. “Believe it or not, Skye, I don’t know every last detail about you.”
“Don’t you?”
“No. I don’t.”
“I thought you lot would’ve dug up all kinds of crap.”
“Like I said before, you’re not stupid. There wasn’t a lot of crap to dig up on you. You just got unlucky.”
She bows her head and clasps her han
ds between her knees, but it’s a vulnerable stance that lasts less than a heartbeat before she raises her gaze and that hardness is back, clouding her undeniably pretty features. “All I did was end it, finish a relationship. There was nobody else involved, I wasn’t cheating on him, I just fell out of love. But his fragile fucking ego couldn’t deal with that. He thought I deserved the shit he threw my way.”
“He couldn’t have you, but he didn’t want anyone else to have you either. I get that. Thing is though, Skye, he also didn’t want to hurt you. Physically, I mean. Because he could’ve done, couldn’t he?”
She narrows her eyes but she doesn’t shift her gaze. “You saying I got off lightly?”
“That’s not what I’m saying, no.”
“Sounds like it is.”
I’m the one to break the stare, dropping my head for a beat or two. “Look, Skye, we’re in this together now, all right?”
“You’re not the one who has to go in there and make out like some low down biker whore.”
“I’m not asking you to do that…”
“But it’s a possibility. That’s why women – some women – hang around those places, surely you’re all intelligent enough to know that?”
I drop my gaze again, because she’s right. We do know that.
“You want me to get close to those guys? That isn’t going to happen if I act like an ice queen. And you know that. Gabriel.”
Bound (Soldiers of Darkness MC Book 3) Page 2
