Heart of Steel

by Cathleen Cole

  Now he leveled a grim look at her. The other men at the table were looking at her in the same manner, even Rat. “We don’t need to. He does.” Axel nodded toward me and I gave him an appreciative look. It wouldn’t matter how many times I explained this to Remi. She would understand it faster getting it straight from the guys. “You belong to him,” Axel hurried on when Remi stiffened and opened her mouth like she was going to argue, “And he belongs to you.” That settled her down. “He belongs to us, so you belong to us. It’s really that simple. We protect our own.”

  “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Cade said when Remi looked toward him. Everyone at the table nodded. “Every man in this club will tell you the same.”

  Remi took a shaky breath then smiled at us. “I appreciate that. With Uncle Caleb going to jail I’m getting really short on family unless you count my worthless mother. And trust me, I don’t. All I’ve had for the last year has been him and the girls.”

  “Now you have us,” Gunnar said with a smile and Remi returned it. Silence fell in the kitchen for a few beats and I could tell Remi was at a loss of what else to say so I took over.

  “So, how are we going to figure out who Caleb was working with?” I looked between Cade and Rat.

  “I could try talking to him?” Remi offered.

  Cade shook his head but smiled at her. “I don’t think he’ll tell you anything.”

  “Plus, if you tip him off, he could bolt before the FBI has a chance to arrest him,” Riggs added.

  “I’ll keep digging around. But I’m actually hoping the FBI will be able to find out more than I can. Then I can just hack their server and see what they know,” Rat said matter of factly.

  Remi’s mouth fell open. “You can hack into the government’s computers?”

  Rat laughed, “Yeah, it’s no problem.”

  “Well, suddenly I don’t feel bad about you getting into Mackenzie’s information then,” she grumbled.

  “That can’t be our only plan,” I muttered and frowned at Cade. He just shrugged.

  “What else can we do? Riggs’s is right. If we talk to Caleb, he’ll run. No one from the Lycans will talk to us if they even know who Caleb is working with. Blaze is probably the only one who has that information and he’s not going to say anything.”

  “What about Rhonda?” Everyone looked over at Remi in surprise. “Do you think Blaze would have told her about any of it? Plus, my uncle said that she got into someone’s car the day of the shootout. Blaze was still in the warehouse with us. She may know what’s going on.”

  We all thought about that for a minute. “Maybe,” Cade said hesitantly, “but even if she does, would she tell us anything?”

  Remi shook her head, “No, but she might tell me.”

  “Rem. I don’t know if she would. By your own admission, she’s been a shitty mother,” I started but Remi cut me off.

  “Oh, trust me, I’m under no delusions that she would help out of concern for me. But maybe we can make it seem like Uncle Caleb is selling them out? She and Blaze? And if nothing else, I can just pay her off. Money talks with Rhonda.”

  At that point, I wished I had a camera. Every set of eyebrows at the table was up and some mouths were open. It was a damn good idea. I, however, didn’t like it. “Not happening.” Everyone looked at me. I saw understanding in all the men’s stares, but Remi looked furious. “They fucking kidnapped you, Remi. I’m not letting you meet with her.”

  She threw up her hands and made a sound of disgust. “First, you don’t get to tell me what I can or cannot do, Logan.” Snorts of laughter followed that. I was going to kill that damn FBI Agent for telling her my name. “Second, it’s a good plan.” She looked around the table for back up but everyone except for Cade was busy looking somewhere else. They were smart enough not to get in the middle of it.

  “She’s got a point, Steel.”

  I glared at him before looking back at her. “No.”

  Remi laughed incredulously. “No? Seriously, no?!” She stood up so fast the stool she was sitting on shot out and hit the counter behind us. “Thanks again for your help guys.” She smiled at each of them then all but bared her teeth at me and stormed out the door.

  Sighing I stood up. I was trying to ignore all the chuckling that was happening at my expense. “She’s right, Steel.” I looked over at Cade. “It’s a good plan. I know you don’t like it, but I don’t like waiting to see if the FBI finds anything out. They’re useless. I’d rather go on the offensive.” I held his gaze for a moment before I followed Remi out, without another word.

  Chapter 55

  Remi

  Once I made it out to the parking lot, I realized I had ridden here with Steel on his bike. I hesitated for a moment before I began walking across the club lot and toward the road. My anger was riding so high I’d rather walk all the way back to the city than go back inside and ask for a ride.

  My thoughts were ping-ponging around in my head. Uncle Caleb had been stealing from dad! He was still stealing from me. He was putting the business in jeopardy by transporting drugs. Drugs that were making kids sick, no less.

  Obviously, I knew drugs were dangerous, to begin with, but to knowingly sell them when they were laced with other potentially fatal substances was just disgusting. It was so hard for me to imagine my uncle mixed up in all of this. Then I remembered the look in his eyes this morning. I recalled his actions at the warehouse. Something tells me I’ve never known the real Uncle Caleb. The thought saddened me. I wondered if dad had ever really known what his brother was like?

  My thoughts shifted and relief poured through me. I was so thankful that I’d be off the hook for the stolen vehicle parts. A little piece of me felt guilty, placing the blame on Uncle Caleb, but then I remembered everything he’d been doing behind my back and it went away.

  I don’t care if Steel doesn’t want me to do it. I’m going to speak with Rhonda. I need to find out who is involved in all of this. Anyone who was involved from Mackenzie’s was going to be fired if they didn’t get put into prison.

  “Remi!”

  I didn’t bother to turn around when Steel called my name. I walked faster down the road. He doesn’t get to tell me what to do.

  Strong hands gripped my shoulders and spun me around. For such a big man he moved quietly. I shoved his chest, for all the good it did. He didn’t move an inch.

  “Leave me alone, Steel.”

  “Where are you going?” He sounded amused.

  “Home.”

  Now he was grinning at me. It made me want to punch him in that pretty face. I tried to jerk out of his grip, but he tightened it then pulled me into a hug. “Look, I’m sorry.” That had me stilling. “I just hate the idea of putting you into a dangerous situation the day after you nearly got killed.”

  “I don’t think they were planning on killing me.”

  He gave me an exasperated look. “Maybe not at first but eventually it would have come around to that, Remi.”

  I just looped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck. “That doesn’t change the fact that we need to find out what’s going on. We need to make sure we get rid of everyone trying to take me out. And anyone trying to take out the club too,” I said. I kissed the spot where his shoulder and neck met, and he sighed.

  “Fine. But we’re taking safety precautions.”

  I didn’t know what he meant by that, but I looked at him and nodded in agreement. I could feel the smug smile on my face but couldn’t wipe it off. He let out a frustrated grunt when he saw it. “Can we go back inside now?”

  I eyed him suspiciously. I wouldn’t put it past him to lull me into a false sense of security to get me back inside then try to cut me out of the plan all over again.

  “We have to come up with an idea about how to get Rhonda to talk to you, don’t we?” he asked in resignation. I happily agreed and walked with him back to the clubhouse.

  Chapter 56

  Remi

  Internally I groa
ned and muttered curses as I watched Rhonda plop a huge, bedazzled purse down in the seat next to me. The bustling coffee shop was the perfect spot to meet my skeezy mother. The guys and I had finally gotten Steel to agree to let me meet with her as long as it was in a public place and as long as I had a few of the club members that Rhonda was unlikely to recognize there to help in case anything happened. I tried not to snicker when I saw Drew in the corner in a hat and sunglasses. He was trying to be inconspicuous but the fact that these guys were all huge and gorgeous made them stand out.

  “Good girl, you got the coffee I ordered.” Rhonda slid into the seat across from me once she’d situated her huge bag. I gritted my teeth, biting back my scathing response instead, I smiled at her. I’d returned to my dad’s house and tried to find the crumpled paper that had Rhonda’s number on it, but it was nowhere to be found. Luckily, Rat had been able to track down her number so that I could get into contact with her.

  Her eyes looked hollowed in and they darted nervously around the shop. I hoped whoever else Steel had watching us wasn’t sitting too closely. I knew he was somewhere nearby too, but he wouldn’t get spotted. He was too careful for that. “Thanks for meeting me, Rhonda.”

  She stopped perusing the room and her gaze snapped to mine. “You said you had a deal for me?”

  I picked up my cup of coffee and slowly took a small sip. I willed my hands not to shake. This wasn’t something I was used to, being an actor, not when so much was on the line. The nerves had my stomach clenching and palms sweating. I set my cup down and put my hands on my thighs under the table. I wiped them on my jeans once Rhonda couldn’t see them anymore. “I do. Well, the club does.”

  Rhonda’s eyes narrowed then she laughed mockingly. “You expect me to believe you speak for the Vikings?”

  “Normally? No. But in this case, they thought you’d be more willing to work with me than anyone else. I will happily tell Cade that you weren’t interested in his deal though.” I started to stand up, as though I was going to leave. “I thought he was being far too lenient on you anyway…”

  Rhonda’s hand shot out and clamped around my forearm, nails digging into my skin, as she hissed at me, “Sit down. I’ll listen to what you have to say.” She looked around nervously again.

  Cocking my head as I sank back into my seat, I studied her. She looked desperate. “It’s simple. You give us all of the information you have on the drugs the Lycans are dealing. How they’re getting them. Who they’re working with. Any future plans they have for dealing in Viking territory. And we want to know who you left with that day at the warehouse.”

  Rhonda’s eyes widened for a moment before her face relaxed. I kept mine impassive. I knew this wouldn’t be easy. My mother wasn’t stupid. If she was, she wouldn’t have managed to align herself with people like Blaze and whoever else they were working with. She was shrewd, manipulative, and cunning. “That’s a lot to ask. What would be in it for me?”

  I unzipped my jacket and pulled a large manilla envelope out of it. I passed it to her so she could read the printout. “Five hundred thousand dollars.” It was every penny I had in savings. “It will be transferred directly to you.” There was more if I dipped into the Mackenzie accounts, but I wasn’t willing to do that for Rhonda. I’d give her only what I had. It would have been a bit more, but I’d paid back both Bridget and Ana’s dads already.

  Rhonda tossed the envelope back at me and scoffed. “That’s not very much money for what you’re asking me to do.” My eyebrows shot up.

  “It’s half a million dollars, Rhonda.” My voice was as dry as the stare I gave her. “It’s also the only offer you’re going to get.” When she smirked at me, I reached over and pulled a laptop out of a bag on the seat next to me. She watched curiously as I tapped on the keys then set the machine on the table between us and swung it so we could both watch the live feed that Rat so generously put up onto the screen.

  I watched Rhonda’s face lose color out of the corner of my eye and my lips twitched. Biting back the smile I studied the Lycan’s clubhouse property. There were police cars everywhere out front, flashing lights bouncing off the pavement and they already had a bunch of the members lined up on the ground, face down, hands on their heads. Local police and FBI milled around, some searching the bikers, others clearing vehicles and buildings on the property, and while the live feed was much clearer than I had expected it to be when we’d discussed the plan a few days ago, it wasn’t clear enough to see if Blaze was in the group being arrested. The guys figured he wouldn’t be.

  They said Blaze and a few of his core group would have been paying off the local cops and probably took off before the raid happened. They wouldn’t have been able to warn all of their guys though, without looking suspicious. I shut the laptop lid with a snap, making Rhonda jump slightly. We locked eyes and I could tell I’d unnerved her.

  “We both know the Lycans aren’t done. But it’s going to take time for them to regroup. They’re also going to be looking for whoever turned them over to the cops.” I pursed my lips and trailed off. I didn’t mention that law enforcement was there looking for stolen car parts and connections to the case that Mackenzie’s was involved in. I purposely let her believe it was about the drugs.

  “Well, it wasn’t me!” Rhonda sounded downright offended at first. Then I saw doubt creep over her features.

  “Will Blaze believe that?” I asked innocently. I looked down at my coffee cup as I picked it up and took another drink. Hers sat, untouched. When I looked back up Rhonda was worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. It sickened me to think of paying this woman more money. But, if it gave us the information we needed and got her out of my life permanently, I’d happily do it.

  “Look, Rhonda. There are a few conditions I’m putting on this money, as well. On top of what the club wants.” Her face clouded over with suspicion. I continued on before she could say anything. “If you take it, you’ll never get another cent from me. If you contact me, I’ll turn you over to the cops immediately. You’ll leave Austin, and you won’t come back.” She started to speak, and I held up a hand, cutting her off. “You’ll leave, I don’t care where you go, but you won’t come back here.”

  Her expression turned mutinous, but I didn’t break eye contact with her. “And if I won’t agree to your terms?” She all but spat at me.

  “Then you can take your chances with Blaze and his bosses. I’m sure they’ll be very understanding that it wasn’t you who snitched to the cops about their drugs.” I studied my nails, letting a bored expression flit across my face. That did the trick. Rhonda’s face went bright red with rage before it leached of all color and stayed a bone white. She licked her lips and eyed my jacket where I’d placed the envelope.

  “But if I tell your club what they want to know they’ll let me leave?”

  “Yes, if you tell us what you know, leave town, and never contact me again, I’ll give you the money and you can disappear.” I knew the minute she made up her mind, but I calmly waited until she agreed before pulling out my phone and sending a text.

  “What now?” Rhonda asked nervously when I put my phone back into my pocket. I gave her a genuine smile and she blinked slowly at me in shock.

  “Now, I’m finished with you, Rhonda.” I stood up when I saw Cade walk through the door of the coffee shop. I paused next to her chair and looked down at her. I could forgive her for the things she’d done to me and I might have felt sorry for her as she sat there looking nervous and scared, except then I remembered all the things she’d done to my dad. I hardened my heart and walked away without another word or backward glance. I stopped next to Cade. “Have Rat send the money once you get the information you need.”

  Cade looked at me in surprise. “You don’t want to wait until she is out of town to send it?”

  “No, she’ll need it right away to start over somewhere else.”

  He nodded and stared at me thoughtfully. “I’ll have a couple of guys follow her home and escort her o
ut of town to make sure she doesn’t get lost along the way.”

  I gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Cade.”

  “No, thank you. I know that wasn’t easy. Offering to meet with her and to pay her off… We definitely owe you.”

  I cocked a brow at him. “It’s what you do for family, right?”

  “Right,” he chuckled. “Well, you have somewhere else to be. Better go or you’ll miss the show.” With that, I hurried out of the coffee shop to find Steel and Gunnar.

  Chapter 57

  Remi

  Everything was quiet when Gunnar, Steel, and I pulled into Mackenzie’s parking lot. It was the end of the day and most of the employees had left for the day. Walking through the front door I waved at Janet, who was manning the front desk. She looked at us in surprise.

  “Hi, Remi. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.” She gave me a warm smile. I’d always loved Janet. I was so happy to find out that the betrayal at my company was limited to my uncle, two truck drivers, and my accountant. No one else had known what Uncle Caleb had been up to.

  Speak of the devil. Uncle Caleb walked into the front from the hallway and I pasted what I hoped passed for a genuine smile on my face. “Uncle Caleb.” Now I was trying not to wince because my voice had come out far too high pitched and happy. Steel gave me a strange look. I ignored him and focused on my uncle, who seemed as surprised as Janet to see me.

  “Remi.” He gave the guys a dark look then turned back to me. “I wasn’t expecting you.” He gave me a smile I presumed was as fake as my own. I could only imagine how stiff and awkward we both looked. I snuck a peek at Janet and the confusion on her face confirmed that we weren’t fooling anyone.

  Luckily for me, Agent Flynn saved the day. That was probably the only time I would be happy to see her. She strolled through the front door casually with Agent Ramirez trailing behind her. Now, Uncle Caleb was looking between me and Flynn distrustfully.