Consumed (Blood Ties Book 9)

“We don’t know who we can trust with this.” Benjamin Rossi lifted his piercing stare to mine as we sat in his black Escalade staring at the LionsDenz Motorcycle Clubhouse in the distance. “The others are so goddamn focused on finding Hale, they haven’t even thought about what will happen if he slips away from them.”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

I glanced over to where the clubhouse sat waiting. The lights were on and music blared, reaching us through the windows. “We have to think bigger.”

“Exactly, we play the long game and we cover all bases.”

Benjamin was a master at the long game. After all, that’s why we were here. Tobias and Nick might’ve taken out Amo and several leaders of the Death Valley Motor Cycle chapters, but others had gone to ground, men who did Hale’s dirty work. That’s exactly what Ben had been banking on.

A fight broke out in the club, two men going at each other as they fell out the front door and spilled into the yard. I watched them through the chain link fence as others came out, urging them on. But it was a movement in the dark that caught my eye as a shadow slipped along outside the fence and headed our way.

Alastair Alman. The name Ben had given me rolled through my mind. “You sure you can trust the guy?”

Ben focused on him as he cut across the street and headed our way. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

The Stidda Mafia leader shifted in his seat, his hand inching lower beside the seat as he reached over with his other hand and pressed the button to lower the window.

My damn pulse was pounding as the towering, tatted-up guy leaned into the window, eyeing Ben, then me. “Gentlemen.”

“Get in.” Ben gave a jerk of his head before the guy pulled away and stepped to the back door.

The window whirred, closing as Benjamin’s guy climbed into the back and closed the door. The engine started, deep and snarling. The lights remained off as Ben turned the wheel, turning us around. As we circled, I lifted my gaze to the two bikers brawling in the yard. They were still at it. One was on top of the other, driving his fists down over and over again.

The barbaric nature of humans consumed me at that moment. We were beasts. All of us. Monsters living in a monstrous world. My chest ached, throbbing as Ryth’s face filled me. I was a monster…for her.

The harsh silence lingered as we headed to wherever Ben had chosen for this meet. My focus narrowed on the guy in the back seat, a man Ben said could be trusted. But I hadn’t stayed alive this long putting my faith in another.

Only family…

Always family.

My betraying father rose inside my mind. Except for him. That fucker can stay dead.

“You gonna like what I have to tell you,” the asshole in the back muttered.

I turned my head, inhaled, and winced. “Christ, you fucking stink.”

The asshole never flinched, just met my stare with a glinting glare. “When you lie with pigs, brother, when you lie with pigs.”

I scowled. There was something about the asshole, something I didn’t like. Ben hit the turn signal and spun the wheel, swinging us into a side street before he braked and pulled hard into an alleyway. I jerked forward until the seatbelt bit, cutting hard across my chest.

Fuck!

Ben killed the engine and climbed out, leaving me to follow. I scanned the alley, trying to get my bearings. We were in some part of Chinatown. A part of the city I wasn’t familiar with. So how the hell did Rossi know where to go?

Keys rattled as the back door of the four-wheel drive closed behind me. Ben unlocked a door and pushed it wide before glancing my way. In the murky light, I caught the jerk of his head. “Inside, both of you.”

I trusted him, so I stepped inside.

“There’s a light switch on your left.”

I reached out but hit a wall, then fumbled until I found the switch. A click and a dull yellow light filled the space, which was nearly empty. An old table in the middle of the room, apparently for us, and a few chairs that’d been pulled out around it. I moved in and the biker followed, then we waited for Ben to lock the door before he turned around.

“I told you to trust me, Mr. Rossi.” The guy started. “Because I found what you’re looking for. There’s talk…talk of a Mr. H who’s making plans to get out of the country.”

Ben never flinched, just murmured. “Go on.”

“The information wasn’t shared with us, but there was one thing that was…it’s a name, Ignatius Bremmer.”

Ignatius Bremmer? Who the fuck was he?

“He’s the man we’re to protect. A lawyer who works for Hale.”

“Why?” Ben asked. “Why you? Why would Hale go to a goddamn MC club like the Lions for that?”

Alastair fixed his gaze on the Mafia leader. “Because there’s more of our kind than there is of yours,” he said carefully. It came across as a threat. But, more than that…it came across as the truth.

“We shadow that guy, make sure he gets from point A to B with no trouble.”

“To do what?”

Alastair gave a shrug. “Meetings with other assholes in suits.”

“And you’re sure that man will give me the information I’m looking for?”

The guy ran his grease-stained fingers through even greasier hair. “Yeah, I am.”

Ben just gave a nod and exhaled slowly. “Okay. I believe you. Give me his name.”

“Like I said, Ignatius Bremmer, he lives in Sureside, number 119, but he spends most of his time in his office in the city. We have men sitting on it twenty-four-seven, but lucky for you, I’m going to be one of those men.”

Ben lifted his gaze. “When?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Just you?”

Alastair opened his arms, showing off his massive frame. “Just me.”

Only then did Ben look my way. His dark eyes shone. That alone worried me.

“Tomorrow then.”

Alastair grinned, showing yellow teeth. I winced and looked away. My damn pulse was pounding. This was really happening.

“Good job, Alistair. I appreciate your loyalty.”

“I knew when you contacted me about the Lions it’d pay off.” He sneered.

So that’s it? He was a plant? I gave a chuff and turned back. Now it made sense why Ben would believe this guy. He’d had a man on the inside all this time. This was his man.

Ben stepped away and headed for the door. “I’ll drive you back.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He shook his head. “I’m good to make my own way, Mr. Rossi. I was plannin’ on gettin’ out of that place for tonight anyway. Let them assholes fight over a fucking woman, see if I care.”

Ben gave a nod, then headed for the door again.

“Keep in touch,” Ben said, shaking the biker’s hand.

“Will do, Mr. Rossi. It’s been a pleasure.”

“Grab the light, Caleb.”

I did, flicking it off and casting us into utter darkness.

One careful glance my way and Alastair turned around and left, headed back along the alleyway alongside the Escalade, and disappeared. We stood in silence in the doorway watching him leave.

“This could be a set-up.” I said quietly.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

The thought of only the two of us going in didn’t sit well. “Do we bring in the others?”

“Yes. We all have a part to play in all this. But not that psycho. Get his brother, the mute. That way London can take care of Vivienne. God knows he needs it.”

“And The Priest?”

Ben met my stare. “Yes…especially the Priest.”

My stomach tightened as I gave a slow nod. “Consider it done.”