Chapter 16

ASHTON

Picardo and his men got everything they needed faster than even I expected. I told him I had some shit to take care of with Rose and he didn’t think much of it. When I got back to the garage, he was already working on a tuneup for a long line of rides. There was no shortage of work for us.

Work was always a distraction for me. Club business. Women. Any sort of drama, I could push it out of my head as long as I had my tools in my hand. Grant had his head down like he didn’t have a care in the world.

“That was quick,” he said, not looking at me. “You handle your shit with her?”

“You might say that.”

“Probably just wanted a quickie. You know a girl is special when she makes you drop what you’re doing so you could dick her down. Rose seems like that kinda girl.”

“Yeah…”

I went over it in my head. I knew Grant better than anybody. The man was practically my brother. But there was no telling what he’d say when I told him. There was no point in being a bitch about it though. I could keep the truth from everybody, including everybody else in the MC. Not him though. He had to know.

“You just gonna stand there or you gonna get back to work? Maybe Rose worked you out a little more than you expected…” He straightened up, a smile on his face. The longer I stared at him, the more his smile began to disappear until he had a blank expression. “You all right, brother?”

“…Nah,” I sighed. “I’m not all right. Shit’s serious.”

“No shit. You’re not the type to fuck around. With this Picardo business, I don’t blame you for being on your toes. But you gotta tell me what’s up.”

“I know. You gotta promise me something though.”

“You know it.”

“This stays between you and me. This doesn’t get out. Not even to the MC.”

Grant narrowed his eyes. I didn’t ask him to keep secrets from the club very often. Shit, I couldn’t remember the last time I did. Just from the look on his face, I knew I was getting deeper into this shit.

He sighed and wiped the grease from his hands. He turned toward the workbench, his head down with a soft smile on his lips.

“I remember when I first got into this,” he said. “Always heard those fucking panheads going up and down the streets. Back when I was younger, shit was annoying. I’d just be outside, messing around and playing like any little kid then boom! Some asshole and the rest of his club would come zooming down the street. My fucking heart would leap into my throat. Got startled like any kid would. You ever go through some shit like that, Ash?”

“I think we all did. It’s something everybody had to get used to in this town.”

“That’s right. We all got used to it. Got so damn used to it, I got anxious when I didn’t hear it. Got fascinated with bikes. Started pulling ‘em apart and examining them. It wasn’t until you taught me how to do it though. You were always better at this than me. No Ash means there’s no Smoke.”

I shrugged in confusion at Grant suddenly reminiscing. “I already know all this. Why are you telling me—”

“We patched in together. Jordan and everybody else trusts us. No secrets. No agendas. We put ourselves out there. That’s the kind of trust we put in each other. Thicker than water. Thicker than blood. Now you’re telling me you got something I can’t tell nobody. From that damn look on your face, I know you ain’t about to tell me about your secret crush.”

“No,” I sighed again. “But it’s got something to do with her.”

“Of course. It’s always about a woman…” He finished wiping his hands off then turned around, leaning back against the workbench. The garages next to us were busy. The traffic on the road was steady. But Grant and I were practically alone. Anything I had to say was between me and him. “What’s up with Rose?”

I coughed to clear my throat. “It’s her brother.”

He stared at me. I waited for a response but it didn’t come. He just kept fucking staring at me. “Who is her brother—”

“The man who pulled the hit on Picardo. It’s him.”

He squinted at me in disbelief. “Are you sure—”

“I remember his voice when he was barking at you. His lip is busted because you slugged him. But his eyes… I remember his eyes. He’s got his fucking sister’s eyes. I thought I was crazy because they felt so damn familiar. Now I know why.”

“Shit…” He clenched his jaw and looked away from me. “If Picardo finds out you’re fucking the sister of a man who hit him—”

“I know.”

“Do you?” Grant walked up to me, staring me right in the eye. He was doing everything he could to hold back. “The man didn’t even need a whole day and he already caught four bodies. You’re telling me Rose’s brother is the fifth. A man like that won’t hesitate to add another one to the pile. He won’t give a shit what patch you’re wearing or how much muscle you’ve got from the MC. You can’t cross the cartel and expect to just walk away—”

“You think I don’t know that? Picardo’s already paid a visit to Rose and her parents. He’ll do everything he can to get his hands on her brother. Anybody associated with him is dead.”

“You know what this means for the MC—”

“It doesn’t mean anything. They don’t know. Picardo questions ‘em, they won’t have a clue. And that’ll be the truth.”

“I’ll know the truth.”

Grant didn’t move but I could see how much he was holding back.

“Fuck,” I muttered. “This pisses me off. You don’t know what this feels like. I told Rose everything would be all right but I don’t know what to fucking do.”

“There’s only one thing you can do. You know what that is.”

“Rose never talks much about her brother. Didn’t even know he existed. But from what I can tell, the two of them are close. She’s not about to let this go.”

“Where is she right now?”

“She’s… She’s trying to handle this herself.”

“Probably for the best. Picardo’s got business with both of you and doesn’t even realize you’re connected.”

I leaned up against the workbench with Grant right next to me. The two of us stared out into the street.

“He’s dead,” Grant said. “The longer her brother is in Ivory, the better chance Picardo is gonna get his hands on him. There’s no way out of it. Now there’s just a matter of making sure Picardo doesn’t know that we know. Otherwise, he’ll think we’re in on it.”

Grant told me the shit I didn’t wanna hear. It was the hard truth though. I closed my eyes, thinking of a way out, when the stupidest idea in the world came to me.

“Maybe there’s another way,” I said.

“Ain’t no other way. Picardo got ripped off. He’s gonna want a body.”

“I know what they say about him. I know the kind of reputation the cartel has to keep. But maybe he can be reasoned with.”

“Shit!” Grant burst into laughter and shook his head. “You really think you can negotiate with the head of the fucking Picardo cartel?”

“I’m not about to let Rose march her brother to his execution, even if that’s what the bastard has coming to him.”

“Ash—”

“Come on, Smoke. I gotta do this. I can’t do this alone though.”

I looked into his eyes. I couldn’t remember a time when I had to plead with the man. Hell, I couldn’t blame him if he walked away.

He looked to the side and sighed a deep breath. “No Ash means there’s no Smoke… Rose is really special to you, huh?”

“She’s not special to me. She’s special period. If there’s a chance, I gotta try.”

“I just wanted to be a mechanic. How come we’re always getting into some shit?”

“We’re not just any mechanics. We’re the best mechanics in Ivory.”

“Set up a meeting with Picardo. Just one more thing… You sure Rose is in a safe spot right now?”

“There’s no spot in Ivory safe for her. Not while Picardo wants her brother’s head on a stick. The only way she’ll ever be safe is if we handle this.”

“Hopefully she’s got a better idea than you.”