A couple hours later I was heading downstairs for church. Leaning on Hailey again, my leg throbbing with every step.
Sweatpants. Fuckin sweatpants. In the chapel. It was all kinds of wrong, but I wasn’t about to deal with rebandaging my leg after the shower.
Besides, the damn things were comfortable, even if they made me feel like I was playing house instead of running with an
- MC.
The chapel was already full when I hobbled in. Everyone was there – Jake at the head of the table, my old man to his left. Even Viktor was there.
I slid into my chair, ignoring the sideways glances at my pants.
“Alright,” Jake said, calling the session to order. “As we know, last night didn’t go exactly as planned.” He looked to me. “Logan, how’s the leg?”
“Fine,” I muttered. Jake nodded.
“The Russian shipment wasn’t what we expected,” he continued. I actually wish it would’ve been meth. Instead, we got weapons. Loads of ‘em. Military–grade… rifles, explosives, body armor. High–end shit.”
I knew what it meant. These Russians weren’t just some rogue faction. They had connections… business partners in high places. This wasn’t a turf war, it was a full–scale invasion.
Jake held up a hand, silencing the mumbles. “Yeah. We’re dealin‘ with some heavy shit here, and we need to tread carefully. Viktor, thanks for joining us. What’s your read on this?”
Viktor’s jaw flexed, and he leaned back in his chair. “They are preparing for something big. We can be sure that this shipment is only the beginning. If you do not act, they will take control of Riverstone. And once they do, there will be no taking it back.”
Jake nodded. His gaze swept the room. “It’s only a matter of time before they figure out who took their guns. They’re gonna come for us. Which is why we need to hit ‘em hard before they do.”
He turned to Viktor again. “Do you know who’s in charge?”
Viktor sighed. “His name is Anatoly. He is notorious in the Russian community, but he is a ghost. A phantom. I have been having trouble finding any other information on him. Even a last name.”
Jesus. If even Viktor couldn’t nail the guy down… did we stand a chance?
River piped up. “Could you get us a meeting? Try to negotiate some kind of deal? Buy us time?”
Viktor’s eyes went dark. He shook his head slowly. “Meeting with him would be… risky. He does not negotiate. He conquers. Any attempt to parley may be seen as weakness. Weakness will be exploited.”
“Even if we give him back his guns?” River asked.
“Fuck no,” I spat. “He’s never gettin‘ that shit back.”
“We wouldn’t tell him we have the guns,” Jake cut in. “A meeting would be risky, but anything’s risky at this point.” He leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table. “We’ll put it to a vote. All in favor of trying to get a meeting with Anatoly, raise your hands.”
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8%0
$55 voucher
I glanced around the table. A few hands went up, but most stayed down. River shot me a look from across the table, and I shook my head. Meeting with the Russians wasn’t the answer. Vitor was right they’d see it as a sign of weakness. “Alright.” Jake said. “Meeting’s off the table. What else we got?”
I shifted in my seat. My leg was throbbing. The pain was a good reminder of how close we came to disaster last night. But it also fueled my determination.
These guys weren’t just a threat, they were a ticking time bomb. We needed to diffuse them before they blew.
I cleared my throat. “We should go back down to the docks,” I muttered. “Hide out. I bet they have guys there right now, tryin‘ to figure out where their shit went. We bring one of ‘em back here alive… for questioning.”
Jake’s eyes locked on mine and I could see the wheels turning in his head. “That could work,” he said slowly. “But it’s risky.”
“I’ll take point,” I offered, ignoring the twinge in my leg. I needed some time away from here. From Hailey. To clear my head. “I got nothing better to do.”
There were a few chuckles around the table, but Jake stayed serious. “You’re off the field until that leg heals, Logan. No arguments.”
I clenched my jaw, but I didn’t argue. He was right – I wasn’t gonna be much use in a fight right now. But sitting around waiting wasn’t an option either.
“I’ll take point,” Talon said. “I’ll take a few guys, scope it out. If there are no Russians there, at least my old pal Benny will be. He can probably give us some intel on their shipment schedule.”
God damn. Benny was still alive? He was ancient when I was a kid. An old dock worker. Couldn’t do much anymore, so he spent his days drinking by the water. Just watching the ships come and go.
Jake nodded. “Good call. Take River, Link, and Dex. Talk to Benny, see what he can dig up. Everyone else, keep your eyes and ears open. And no heavy drinkin‘ today. We need to stay ahead of these bastards.”
He slammed the gavel down, and the room started to clear out. I sat in my chair, contemplating. The shit with the Russians. The shit with Hailey.
My old man came up behind me and grabbed both my shoulders. “You okay, son?”
I shrugged his hands off. “Yeah, I’m fine. Leg’s pissin‘ me off.”
Talon leaned against the table next to me. Crossed his arms. I knew he could see right through the bullshit. “You’re lyin‘. What’s really eating at you?”
I looked around the chapel. Everyone had cleared out, leaving just me and him. I sighed, running a hand down my face. “It’s… Hailey. I don’t know what the hell I’m doin‘, Pop. She’s here, and she’s staying, and I… don’t know how to be what she needs.”
Talon grunted, nodding like he expected the answer. “You think I knew how to be what your mom needed at first? Hell no. I was a dumbass kid, too. With a chip on my shoulder and nothin but trouble in my veins.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You calling me a dumbass?”
He chuckled. “Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. No, I’m saying you’re not alone in feelin‘ like you’re in over your head. Hailey doesn’t need you to be perfect. She just needs you to show up. Every damn day. Even when it’s hard.”
I stared at the table in front of me. “What if I screw it up?”
“You will,” he said. “And then you’ll fix it. That’s what we do, son. We hurt the people we love sometimes. Ain’t no way around it, especially livin‘ the way we do. But if she’s worth it and she is – you’ll keep trying. It’s all you can do.”
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I nodded, slow. He wasn’t exactly handing me a roadmap, but it elped. A little. “What if I get her killed?”
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He patted my shoulder again. “You won’t. That girl can handle her own. Just remember… be her weapon, not her shield.”
I exhaled hard, nodding again.
“And Logan,” he added, heading for the door. “Check the back of the closet, up there in the bedroom. My old cane should be in there. Pulled me through when I got shot in the leg, before you were born.”
I smirked. “Thanks, Pop.”
曲
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
