Chapter 16

16

NEVADA

The boys never found out anything we didn't already know, and Riot and Halo spent hours staking out the shipping yard without noticing any suspicious activity. That doesn't mean it's not going on, but it could also mean that they're clever at hiding it. Whatever ‘it' might be. It could also be completely legitimate. We have a shipping container business in New Orleans, it isn't like it's uncommon.

Kyle said the paperwork for the junkyard was listed as a sister company to another business downtown; a club. Brew thinks it's a front for embezzling money, and I wouldn't put it past any slick asshole to have a front as a distraction, finding these bastards is an entirely different matter altogether. I'm fairly sure Dave and Meg are just the lowlifes that work there and have absolutely no standing in the business whatsoever. However, low-lifes also know other low-lifes, and you just never know when they'll get together.

In the meantime, we reconvene and arrange to have dinner at a local restaurant while we wait for the club to open. After Haze does some research, he also tells us some of the members of Ridgehaven Hellions often hang out there when they're in town, which may not be good for us.

I don't know Bane or any of his men personally, but the more I sit with it, the more I think it'd be a good idea if the Hellions were involved. If they're such good buddies then he might've been able to help. Then again, poking around in Mississippi so close to their club also might be seen as a threat.

"Never know what we're gonna find," Haze says across the table. "But from what Kyle told us, this club is well known for sellin' drugs and organizin' prostitution on the side."

"Not to mention close to Hellions' territory," Brew puts in. "But they have more beef with another rival club here in Jackson; the Skeletons, and both clubs keep each other occupied enough so we should fly under the radar."

I rang Cash earlier to fill him and Ryder in on what we'd learned so far. He didn't like the idea of us going in the club, and though he didn't say it, I think he regrets not sending more men with us.

Speaking of which, I lower my voice to Star, "This team you spoke of yesterday? I don't see any of them."

Her eyes meet mine. "Some of them were indisposed."

"Meanin' you were just gonna lie and come on over here yourself, right?"

"No. I have friends who help out when they can, but they have day jobs. Kyle and Halo both work for me, so it makes sense they can take off at a moment's notice."

"Your so-called friends in low places don't seem to know too much," I tease. "You talkin' the talk?"

She looks at me levelly, one side of her mouth turning up. "You just figurin' that out?"

"No ma'am, I guess not."

"You packin'?" Brew gives me a chin lift.

I nod, and I've no doubt Star is. This club doesn't appear to be the sort to care about metal detectors and disarming patrons, so that'll be to our advantage.

Kyle texts Star to say he found out the owner of the club has dealings with the Skeletons MC, and he's likely in their pockets like a lot of the underworld businesses in this city. While the mob isn't prevalent around these parts, gang activity most definitely is. Kyle is a loner, so eating with us wasn't expected.

Star reads out the text. "His name is Monty Jefferson, owns another bar, office buildings, along with a laundromat and a shitty motel on the outskirts of town. He's prominent around the city and he's on the FBI Task Force watch list for gang related dealings."

"Citizen of the year," Riot mutters. "Doesn't say much for the company he keeps."

"It also tells us that if anyone's gonna know about trafficking around here, it's gonna be him," I agree.

"So, where do we find this motherfucker?" Haze looks ready to rumble as he impatiently moves from one leg to the other.

"Kyle says he has a room at the club, but he's always heavily guarded," Star tells us, looking down at her phone. "And I doubt he's gonna be tellin' us shit about his underworld dealings."

"Unless he thinks we're here doin' business?" I shrug. The Nomad brothers both look at me simultaneously. "I mean, it could work."

"You could be right." Brew scratches his chin. "We sniff around askin' for some cheap whores, all we need is one of ‘em to open their mouths if their bosses won't talk. Pillow talk is universal, after all."

I feel Star grip my knee from under the table. I of all people know how badly she wants this, and we're getting one step closer.

"Then again, the whores could've been told not to tell anyone anythin'." Haze isn't so convinced as he winces at the idea. "Fear of punishment and beatings could deter them from tellin' us shit, that's if they do know anythin'."

It feels unlikely any girl from the most recent trafficking ring would be working in a club in Mississippi, but then again, a lot of the time the girls are split up and go to different states. As well as out of the country. I don't even want to think about that option.

"Girls who are forced to work in those situations will do anythin' for money, or an escape," Riot adds. "But there's also a chance they are just sex workers who aren't bein' forced to do anythin'."

"What about checking out the other businesses, see where some of the staff are living? One of the biggest red flags are lots of people living in cramped conditions, usually with their employer on-site," Halo says out of nowhere. For most of the conversation she's been pretty quiet, but I've no doubt she's been taking it all in. "I know this is crazy, but I could pretend to be looking for work?"

Star's hand on my knee balls into a fist. "No," she says. "Absolutely out of the question."

"Why?" she shoots back. "Nothing's going to happen to me, I have the NOLA Rebels to protect me."

"It's not safe for one," Star bites back. "Plus we're not at that point where we have to put another person in danger."

"Not at that point?" Halo leans over and takes the hand Star has on the table and squeezes it. "Honey, we're way beyond that point."

"That isn't what I meant."

"I'm just saying it's an option. I could be a decoy."

"I could be the decoy. You don't need to endanger yourself."

"But it's better if I do it because you need to be in the thick of it doing what you do best," Halo says, like it's obvious. Like she's already decided. "And that's finding the bad guys."

Star is adamant. "I won't put you in danger."

Riot steels his jaw. "She wouldn't be in any, like she said, we'll be right there. She's not goin' anywhere with anyone, she'd just be askin' around."

"I definitely don't like the idea," Star maintains. She checks her watch. "And it's time to go."

I roll my lips as Halo still watches her friend tentatively from across the table. It's selfless; offering to put yourself in danger for the sakes of helping out another person. And it isn't like we'd be letting Halo actually go through with it.

"You said you'd do whatever's necessary," I remind Star as she slides out of the booth.

She shakes her head. "Not that."

"All she'd be doin' is askin' if there's any work around."

"And if there is? Do we stay here until she starts her first shift? Wait until some piece of shit asshole wants a piece of her too?" She's angry now, and I know it's just because she cares about her friend.

I hold her by the elbow. "Stop." She turns and I see the fear in her eyes even though she thinks she's good at hiding it. She's terrified. The others are behind us but we step out of the restaurant first. "I know this is hard to hear, baby, but we have to look at it from all angles."

She takes a deep breath, shrugging out of my grip. "I know that. I'm not stupid."

"Halo only offered, it's likely it won't even come to that."

She runs both her hands through her hair. "Let's just get to the club."

We make our way there in relative silence, Halo rides with us, while Brew, Haze and Riot ride in their truck.

I don't like seeing fear in Star's eyes, but we're getting closer to the truth. I feel it in my bones.

There's no huge line out front, but the bar is pumping with loud music and dancers.

It looks fairly seedy, but the band playing isn't all that bad. I can only imagine the deals that go on in here.

I head up to the bar, Star by my side, and order our drinks. The club is dark inside, lights flash on a dance floor where people grind into each other to the beat of the music. It's so loud it practically rattles your bones. When the bartender comes back with six beers, I hand her the cash and say, "Lookin' for a man called Jefferson, you know him?" I slide another twenty into her hand.

The bartender, if you can call her that, wears a top that barely covers her breasts and a tiny skirt. She looks around, then tucks the note into her barely-there bra. "He only comes in once a week, he has a private area upstairs."

I glance behind us to see the sectioned off area and almost snort. Like some seedy VIP area guarded with a burly looking security guy. I turn back to the chick. "What night is he in?"

She gives me a ‘wouldn't you like to know' look and I pull out another bill. I hold it in my fingers, unwilling to give it over. She gets my drift and says, "Tomorrow. Ten pm."

I smile, handing the note over. She smiles back. "Appreciate it."

Before I turn back to Star, the bartender hollers, "I get off at one." Her eyes trail down to my chest and lower.

I sling my arm around my girl. "Sorry, sweetheart, I'm already taken."

I turn, Brew and Haze behind with Riot and Halo close by. The boys are checking things out discreetly like they do. They'll be checking the amount of security and will probably try to get into the VIP area.

I reiterate that Jefferson won't be in until tomorrow as we hand around the beers.

There are semi-naked women dancing on poles and in cages. It's not technically a strip club, but I'll bet anything goes in this club. As I glance around, I notice men looking at Star and a few ogling Halo. I tighten my grip around Star's neck, not afraid to get into it if anyone even dares fucking approach. Looking is one thing, and even that makes me mad, but if anyone touches her…

"Are you okay?" I hear Star's voice in my ear.

I glance down at her. "Men are starin' at you."

"You gonna defend my honor?"

I lean down and plant a kiss on her lips. She stills for a moment and that only encourages me to push the limits. Even though everyone is around and Halo can see, I don't give a fuck. Star is mine and I want every fucking man in this room to know it.

When I pull back I move my mouth to her ear. "I'd love to fuck you in a dark corner somewhere here with other men knowin' what we're doin' and wishin' it were them."

I feel her chest hitch and I know she'd probably be up for it. To fuck in this club? Yeah, I'd be down for that, as long as nobody caught an eyeful of her body, because then I'd have to borrow one of her blades to cut their eyes out of their heads.

I smirk when her lips part but no words come out. I take a pull on my beer, smirking at her expression showing shock mixed with desire. She's thinking about it. Something about the beat and the tempo in this place, knowing that nobody here knows us makes me hard. She makes me hard.

I glance up at Haze. "You boys wanna circle around? Meet back here in fifteen?"

They nod.

"Am I going undercover?" Halo sings. "Or is that Plan B?"

I snicker at her words, as does Riot. She's pretty funny.

Before Star can tell her it's not gonna happen, I say, "Not tonight, princess. But we'll let you know if you're needed as a decoy."

She beams like I just reminded her it's Christmas morning.

While I'd love to take Star down into the very back corner of the room and slide into her hot little pussy, I know that with the boys around, and Halo, that won't be happening. Still, the fantasy of us doing it out in public and being seen has me leaking from my tip. I down the rest of my beer, my eyes sliding over Star's shoulder as a man has his eyes fixated on my girl's ass.

Star follows my glare and turns back to me, tugging me by the lapels of my jacket. "Eyes on me, Pretty Boy. We're outnumbered in this club if you start shit."

"He has his eyes all over your ass," I grit.

She leans up to my ear. "But it's you I want in my ass."

I groan, gripping the back of her neck, pulling her flush up against me so she can feel my erection. "Not gonna make it out of this club until I fuck you."

She seems to find this amusing. "Keep it in your pants, big boy. We're supposed to be looking inconspicuous."

We cling to one another and I noticed the neediness in the way she grips onto me and I'm so fucking tempted to drag her to the nearest bathroom stall. The only thing that stops me is the unsanitary idea of banging her somewhere where other people have been. My lips press against hers. "Fine. But when we get back to the motel, you're mine."

Our tongues meet and she throws her arms around me as I reach down and fondle her ass with my free hand. That's for anyone watching.

"Get a room," Riot yells, but he's more interested in keeping Halo glued to his side than with what we're doing.

"We should go," she says when we break apart. "The guy's back tomorrow so it'll give us more time to be prepared."

The more prepared we are, the better, but we still have to find a way to talk to Jefferson about doing some business, and I haven't quite figured that one out yet.

I look over her shoulder to Riot. "Need to do a lap, look around, then we'll head for the exit."

He gives me a nod.

I dump my empty bottle and link my fingers through hers as we make our way through the club. My eyes are everywhere and I can see there are more sections curtained off, and through the sheer fabric it looks like girls are giving lap dances. Like I said, this isn't a strip club per say, but there is no doubt it's the place to be in downtown Jackson. Here I was thinking Mississippi was full of hicks.

We pass by Brew and Haze coming down from the VIP area and I smirk to myself. So they got up there. I can't wait to hear their findings.

There's a stage and a set of doors off the left that read ‘staff only.'

I take a mental note of everything, including the exits and when we meet out front, Brew and Haze said they bribed the security to get upstairs and it's one huge mezzanine area where Jefferson does most of his business. Tomorrow, that's where we need to be.

"The security guy said he's on tomorrow night," Haze says. "Slipped him some extra cash and he told us to be there at eleven. There's some meeting goin' on with some dealers, when we said we were interested and Jefferson knows us, he said he'll make it happen."

"The fuck?" Riot balks. "How the fuck do you guys do it?"

Brew shrugs. "We don't come to play."

"Unless he's full of shit," I say. "Guess we know where we're gonna be tomorrow night."

"Know a couple of guys," Haze adds. "Can name drop to get him to believe that we're looking for a new dealer to supply to NOLA. Won't be too unconvincin' especially now that the Caruso's reign bein' over is well known."

It could work. Then again, these guys are dangerous, but so are we.

"I'd feel a lot better if Tag and fuckin' Harlem were here," I mutter. "Just an extra set of eyes and ears and muscle."

"Cash will sort it out," Riot agrees. "It's only a three hour trip. If things go south then there's only the five of us."

"What are we, chopped liver?" Star cocks a brow. "I can fight, and I can shoot, and I can cut. You're not just going in there tomorrow and leaving the little women at home. Not happening."

Brew rolls his eyes while Haze chuckles. "Wouldn't dream of it."

I want to concentrate, really I do, but I can't stop thinking about those men looking at my girl. Wanting a piece of what's mine. And she is mine . We may not be able to put a label on what we are right now, but if she thinks that another man is ever gonna have her, she can think again.

"Say goodnight to your friends," I mutter so only she can hear me.

She swallows hard, ignoring me, and when she says she's going to ride with Halo, Halo shoots her a look. That only makes me want to fall about laughing. It's pretty obvious Halo has other plans that include Riot.

She falters for a second, then, probably realizing she's breaking girl-code, she sighs and lets me steer her to my truck.

"See you back at the ranch," I holler, though I've no intention of seeing any of them until tomorrow, and I've every intention of pinning my girl to the bed so I can ravage her sweet pussy. "Get in the truck," I say to Star.

She pulls out of my grip and I get an eye full of her sweet ass as she attempts to strut away from me. I come up behind her and open the passenger door, but before she can climb in, my mouth is at her neck. "You should get a spankin' for behavin' like that."

"Why?" she tosses back. "Not used to a woman having a mind of her own?"

I chuckle. "Fine. You can spank me back when I'm done." I pull the handle on the door and, after giving me one last belligerent look, she climbs into the truck.

There's a lot of tension going on tonight with everything we've learned so far, and we both need to let off some steam. I close the door and jog around to the driver's seat.

Driving my girl home feels like the best feeling in the world. For tonight, I want to do more than make her forget. I want to make sure she remembers. What it feels like to be with me.

How good we can be together. And how she's the most important thing in the world to me. If I can't make her see, I'll certainly make her feel.