Chapter Four

Clive wasn’t the type to hide behind any man and he wasn’t going to start just because he had a burly mate who looked bigger and younger than he did. Rubbing his hand over his swollen lips he strained his ears to hear what was going on beyond the door. He could hear a deep voice, Trent most likely, but he couldn’t pick up what was being said. The other voice was higher pitched, louder and easier to hear. Fucking Bobby.

“I’ve got dirt on that skanky officer and I have a right to see the boss. Let me pass.”

“Dirt?” Clive mouthed to Roy who had a furrow between his eyes.

“There ain’t nothing in my life I wouldn’t share with you, my mate,” Roy whispered. “I don’t know what that young pup thinks he knows, but we’d better let him in and find out before his gossip spreads.”

“I should have drummed him out of the club when I realized it was him who led the attacks on Marly,” Clive muttered, throwing open the door. All he could see was Trent’s back as the man guarded the door, but as Trent moved aside, he could see Bobby’s malicious grin. The hairs on the back of Clive’s neck stood up.

“Thank you, Trent, I’ll take care of Bobby. Why don’t you go back to Marly? It’s getting dark and the fireworks will be starting soon.”

“See,” Bobby taunted Trent. “I told you he’d see me.”

“Seeing you was the last thing I wanted this evening.” Clive cuffed the man around the head as he sauntered into the office, causing him to stumble. “Everything all good, Trent?” Trent hadn’t moved.

“If this ass says he has dirt on the officer, I want to hear it too. It could be a security issue.” The arms crossing his chest let Clive know Trent wasn’t budging. They’d been friends for ten years and Trent had always had his back. Now a fellow shifter was being threatened by someone neither one of them liked or trusted. Clive nodded and ushered him inside.

Roy had taken the seat by the side of the desk, his ankle resting on his knee, only a faint pink rash around his mouth giving any indication of the passion they’d shared just moments before. Clive rubbed a hand across his stubble. He might have to shave more often if his mate had sensitive skin. He got a warm glow inside just thinking the word mate. It was typical Bobby would have to come along and stuff things up.

“What’s all this about, Bobby?” Clive brushed past his mate and sat in his chair. Bobby shifted about from one foot to the other. He was a big lad, close to six foot. But where Clive trained every day to stay in shape, Bobby was overly fond of his beer and it showed in his podgy face and the belly straining his stained t-shirt. His black hair was in need of a cut and fell across his eyes giving him a shifty appearance. From memory, Clive knew Bobby was in his early twenties and had only been admitted to the club because his father was a close friend of the past president.

“I’m not talking while he’s here. He’ll have me arrested on trumped up charges and I won’t see the light of day again. I know what these guys are like.” Bobby flicked a thumb in Roy’s direction.

Clive’s rock hard cock and seething lust for the man sitting next to him didn’t leave him with a lot of patience. “Any man has a right to face his accusers, Bobby, and Roy’s a friend of mine. Talk.”

“Friend?” Bobby’s mouth dropped open revealing yellowing teeth. “He’s a cop, we’re bikers. We don’t have cops as friends. It’s bad enough you let that investment dude and his partner hang around here, but a cop’s going too far.”

“You seem to have a lot of opinions on who I can and cannot consider a friend,” Clive dropped his voice deliberately. “One would almost think you’re bucking for my job.”

“Not me, no.” Bobby shook his head vigorously, but Roy tensed, and Trent snarled. Clive guessed he was lying, but he could worry about that another time. The process for being made President included a club wide vote and Clive knew Bobby was barely tolerated by most members.

“I want to hear this dirt you’ve got on Roy, seeing as you think it’s all so goddamned important. Everyone else is outside boozing it up, eating up a storm and fondling the ladies. Roy’s only been here half an hour and yet you’ve got dirt on him, already. Who have you been talking to?”

“I care about this club.” Bobby’s bottom lip stuck out. “Not all of us are into booze and women.”

“Something’s set off that lump in your pants, kid,” Roy said casually. “If it isn’t the women outside, I’d suspect you had a gun in your pocket.”

“I’m not carrying and even if I was, there’d be nothing you can do about it.” Bobby was being deliberately offensive and that made Clive’s hackles go up even further. And Roy was right. Clive could see that as plain as day. Bobby was definitely sporting a hard-on. Maybe he had a daddy complex, in which case Clive’s gaydar was off the blink, although it was more likely he was attracted to Roy or Trent.

“What’s going on, Bobby and why did you need to see me so fucking urgently? The fireworks are being set off any minute and I’m expected to be there.”

“I’m not going to talk while he’s here, and you can’t make me.” Bobby’s bottom lip stuck out and Clive half expected him to stamp his foot. “This is confidential stuff.” He tapped the side of his nose. “Only for MC members.”

Clive’s fists clenched, and he stood and pounded them on his desk causing Bobby to jump. “You know what I think, Bobby? I don’t think you’ve got any dirt on my friend at all. I think you’re fucking nosy and wanted to know what was going on in here and lied so you could worm your way into my office. You know what else I think, Bobby?”

A sheen of sweat coated Bobby’s face as he shook his head.

“I think you’ve had enough partying for the night. In fact, I’m going to insist Trent escorts you to one of the back rooms, one with a lock on it and I’m going to insist you stay there until I see fit to let you out, just like I would for anyone who’s had too much to drink. You get me?” Clive was walking a thin freaking line. He had no doubts Roy was a good officer but there were some rules in his MC that came close to skirting the law on human rights.

“But I have got information, boss. Good stuff too. You can’t lock me up for that.”

“Then spill it.” Clive gestured out his window. “Over a dozen men and women worked their asses off for today’s celebration. All I’ve seen you do is gossip with fucking prospects who’ve got as much chance of fighting their way into this club as fly to the moon. I reward honesty, loyalty, hard work, and fucking integrity. If you can’t show any then I’m figuring you’re too drunk to know what’s coming out of your mouth and you can fucking sit in a locked room until you sober up.”

“He’s dirty,” Bobby yelled, pointing a finger at Roy who was looking completely bored. “He’s a dirty cop who takes bribes and steals drugs from dealers. He got transferred from his last post because the chief there couldn’t hide it anymore. He’s infiltrating this club, so he can push drugs on us too. Then they’ll bring us all down. We don’t do that shit.”

“You’re right about us not doing drugs at least.” Clive didn’t dare look at Roy. His mate must be seething. “Where did you come by this information so fucking quickly.”

“I’m not telling. You can’t make me reveal my confidential sources.”

“Trent, secure him. Make sure he has a beer, a plate of food and a blanket, but I don’t want anyone letting him out until I say so.”

“What the fuck? I told you what I know.”

“Yeah, you did, but you’ve been given shit information and there’s only one place that information could have come from. I’ll bet you your tatty bike, you’ve been talking to the guys over at the Black Skulls. Gonna take the bet?”

“There’s nothing wrong with talking to them. They want a merger.” Bobby stared at the ground. “A couple of my friends there say that the president lost his fucking balls when a twink like Marly could take him down. They’re looking out for us.”

Fuck, this is worse than I thought.

“And how much of our dealings are you telling them?”

“Nothing much.” Bobby looked up. “Just talking us up and making the club look good. We’re more successful than them, our bonuses are good, and some of those guys want in on it. I haven’t told them anything confidential.”

Trent growled again. Another lie. Clive ran his hand over his hair. Shit, this was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. Mate or not, there were some things Clive wasn’t ready to share with Roy. He owed his club his loyalty and he wouldn’t break that on the back of one cock-raising kiss. But Bobby was lying through his yellowing teeth and with Roy sitting there, there wasn’t much Clive could legally do about it without putting his mate’s loyalty to his job on the line.

“Get him out,” he said to Trent. “I don’t want him spreading this shit to anyone not when the members are drunk and having a good time. I want everyone with clear heads when they vote on Bobby’s position in the club.”

“Me? What did I do? I’m trying to bring you in more business here,” Bobby protested as Trent grabbed his arm.

“Do you want me to spell it out for you?” Clive was at the end of his patience. “You’re trading club secrets with the Black Skulls. Spilling shit about our business to our rivals. Don’t you understand what you’ve done?”

“But…”

“No more!” Clive roared. “Get him out of here before my new friend ends up having to arrest me, because so help me, Bobby, right now I’m prepared to swing for you for what you’ve done to this club, you bastard.”

The door slammed on Bobby’s protesting figure and Clive slumped back in his chair. When he’d got his breathing under control he looked over at his mate who hadn’t moved.

“I’m real sorry you had to hear all that. Are you okay?”

“Do you know how hot you look when you’ve got your dominant vibe on?” Roy cupped the bulge in his pants. “How long are those fireworks going to be going off for? Because I’ve got a rocket of my own primed to go off any minute.”

Unable to believe Roy managed to say that with a straight face Clive leaned back in his chair and laughed out loud.