Alec Moore rubbed his temples with slow, circular movements that were supposed to soothe his headache but really didn’t. He was tired, worried, and incredibly cranky. The others were steering clear of him today, and he didn’t blame them. In fact, he was very grateful; the last thing he wanted at the moment was to deal with people. Any people. He wished he could hole up somewhere and not emerge for a while.
The twins had kept him up all night. He didn’t know how Linda did it. She said they were quieter during the day, but Alec had not had the chance to see them on their best behavior yet. He had been so busy with the club lately that he was barely spending any time at home, which was another reason he was fiercely mad at his best friend. Lind’s absence was taking a toll on the Diamondbacks. They all used to rely on him, and his not being around threw them. It threw Alec, too. He missed being able to count on his best friend, and he also missed the Viper. Handling club business without his second in command was proving to be a very tough task.
But there really seemed to be no other option. Lind’s behavior had gotten so intolerable that he had been forced to kick him out of his room at the club’s headquarters and send him to fuck his whores and drink himself into a stupor elsewhere. He did appear from time to time, but it was always a short visit and he was never the Lind they all knew. The others were getting more and more restless, and Alec wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to play for time and stop them from voting Lind out of the club.
There was a knock at the door and Alec suppressed a groan. He wished he could pretend he wasn’t in, but everyone had seen him come in earlier that afternoon.
“Come in,” he called out in spite of his strongest wishes.
Lucas poked his head in. “Are you busy, boss?”
Alec shook his head and motioned for the youngest member of their gang to walk in.
Lucas stepped into the small office and closed the door behind him. Twenty-four years old, he was taller than most of the men in the club. He was a fidgety kind of lad, due more to an excess of energy than to any nervousness. During an operation, Lucas had proven to possess nerves of steel. He was one of the very few members of the MC that Alec trusted with his life. The kid had potential, and Alec had all intentions to make sure he would climb the ladder.
“What is it, Lucas?” he asked.
Without waiting for an invitation, Lucas settled himself on the chair on the other side of the table that Alec used as his desk.
“I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.”
Shocker, Alec thought bitterly. He was beginning to think there were no other kind of news in the world.
“What?” he asked again.
“I’ve got some insights from the Cobra,” Lucas began, lighting himself a cigarette in the process. “Apparently Gary Merchant is out for revenge.”
Alec frowned. “Revenge on whom? And for what?”
“Lind,” Lucas said, entirely unsurprisingly. “And that girl, the one who used to work there. He blames them for what happened to him.”
“Shit.” Alec blew out a long breath.
He had not seen this coming, but in retrospect he probably should have. Some of his guys had gotten ahead of themselves after the attack on them at the Cobra, back when they all still thought Gary Merchant was behind it. Long story short, the nightclub had been ransacked and shots had been fired, one of which hit Merchant in the lower back, condemning him to a wheelchair. Alec had taken care of the hotheads, but apparently Merchant was not satisfied. He should have known that something like that would fill a man with anger and resentment until his hate exploded.
“What do we know?”
Lucas shrugged. “Not much yet,” he admitted. “Just that Merchant is putting things in motion. I think we should keep a close watch on Lind.”
“On the girl, too.”
Lucas stared at him in surprise.
“What?” Alec all but barked.
“Nothing,” Lucas said quickly.
Alec knew exactly what. There was a time when he wouldn’t have bothered to put an outsider under the club’s protection. But that was before the birth of his children. Their arrival had softened his nature, and he was still trying to decide whether that was a good thing.
“Get the others and update them,” he ordered. “Get on it with Lind. I’ll handle the girl.”
Lucas nodded and stood to take his leave.
“And Lucas?” Alec called out when the kid was at the door. Lucas turned around. “Good job.”
Lucas gave him a huge, pleased grin and walked out of the room.
Alec sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. He allowed himself a few moments to gather his thoughts, then he grabbed the phone and dialed the number.
She picked up on the third ring.
“Hello?” She sounded tentative, on guard. Could Merchant have made some sort of move already?
“Hello, Eve,” Alec said smoothly.
There was a pause. “Who is this?”
“It’s Alec. Alec Moore.”
Another pause. “The leader of the Diamondbacks?”
“That’s the one.”
“How the hell did you get this number? I’ve changed it after…well, you know.”
Oh, Alec knew. After all, it had been him that they were shooting at.
“You were on my payroll for a while, sweetheart,” he said. “I keep track.”
“I want you to leave me alone.” Eve’s voice was stronger now, angrier.
Alec smiled. He liked fierce women. “It’s not my intention to harm you or stalk you,” he said.
“Then, what do you want?” she demanded. “Is this about Lind?”
Alec refrained from rolling his eyes. Clearly, her mind was on Lind as much as Lind’s was on hers. He wondered if he was doing the right thing, bringing her where Lind was. The two of them being in close proximity might not be the brightest idea. But what other option did he have? Sure, he could just leave her to fend for herself, but then Lind would never forgive him.
“It’s not about Lind, per se,” Alec said. “It’s about you.”
There was a moment’s hesitation from the other end of the line. “What about me?” Her confusion was so palpable Alec could almost touch it.
He took a deep breath, already regretting his actions. “You’re in danger.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your friend, Gary Merchant,” Alec clarified. “Apparently, he’s out for blood. Yours, specifically.”
“Why would Gary be after me? I’ve never done him any harm.”
“Apparently, he got into his head that if you and Lind had figured out earlier that he had nothing to do with the Cartel shooting at us, he wouldn’t be in a wheelchair.”
“A wheelchair? What the hell are you on about? What happened?”
Clearly, she had no idea of what went down. Perfect. Alec rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefinger.
“Never mind,” he said. “I’ll fill you in once you’re here.”
“Excuse me?” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are. I’ll send someone over to your place to pick you up. You’ll stay with us until this blows over and the danger is passed.”
“I’ve heard that before…”
“Listen,” Alec snapped, “Lind would have my hide if anything happened to you—”
“Lind doesn’t give a fuck about what happens to me.”
Alec froze. He had not expected that. “What are you talking about? Of course he does.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Eve said. “I called him earlier today. He hung up on me.”
Fuck. How could Lind not even get this one right? He sighed heavily. “It’s not his fault,” he began. The hell it isn’t. “Lind is…uh…well, he’s not exactly himself right now.”
“He was drunk.”
The pure disgust in her voice almost had him laugh.
“How do you think we handle our issues, princess? With a massage and a trip to the sauna?” he teased. “Listen, sweetheart, I really don’t have time for this. I’ll send two men over to your place in one hour. You either go with them, or you let Merchant put a bullet in your pretty head. Your choice.”
That said, he hung up. He scowled fiercely, as if she were right there and he could glare holes into her. How dare she refuse his help? How dare she question him?
He had one more phone call to make. He took a deep breath, summoning all his patience, and hit speed dial. He was almost ready to give up when Lind finally picked up.
“What?” he barked, his voice rough and raspy.
Alan clenched his jaw in anger and then willed himself to speak calmly. “Get your ass over to the headquarters. Now.” Well, at least he tried to sound calm.
“No, thanks.”
“Lind!” Alec roared into the phone. “This concerns you directly.”
“Are you guys finally voting me out?”
“I wish,” Alec said. “Really, I do. I’m fed up with your attitude. But unfortunately that will have to wait. Someone’s looking for you.”
“Who? Eve?”
Alec frowned. What the hell had happened during that phone call, he wondered? “No,” he said. “Merchant.”
“Merchant? Gary Merchant?”
“Yes.”
“What does he want?”
“Your head on a plate, from what I’ve been told,” Alec said. “Along with Eve’s.”
There was a brief pause. “Why Eve?” Lind growled. He sounded almost sober for the first time in a long time.
“He blames the two of you for what happened to him.”
“How was it our fault?”
“I guess he thinks you should’ve figured out sooner that he was not involved with the Cartel,” Alec said. It really didn’t take a genius to figure out the motifs behind Merchant’s anger. “Now seriously, get your ass over here. We’d best keep an eye on the both of you.”
Lind hesitated. “Eve, too?”
“Yes. I’m sending two of our guys to pick her up. She’ll be a lot safer here.”
“You’re bringing her to the club’s headquarters?”
“Do you know of any safer place?” Alec retorted.
“I guess not,” Lind said after a moment. “But in that case, I’m not coming.”
Alec remained speechless for a few moments, completely taken aback. He had not been expecting that. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I can’t see her, Alec,” Lind said, his voice actually shaking.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Alec exploded. “Are you kidding me?”
“I’ll be fine,” Lind said. “You know I can take care of myself.”
“Actually, over the past few months you’ve demonstrated quite the opposite.”
“Whatever. I’m not coming.”
“Fine,” Alec snapped. “Then stay there and get yourself killed, see if I give a fuck.”
He hung up, temper flaring. He got up off the chair and walked in long strides to the front of the office, wrenching the door open.
“LUCAS!” he barked. “Get in here!”
The kid hurried over in an instant. “What is it?”
Alec ushered him in and closed the door behind them.
“We have a problem,” he said. “Lind is being an ass.”
“Surprise, surprise,” Lucas said. Then, he realized what he had just said and paled. “I mean…uh…”
“Relax, he deserves it,” Alec reassured. “He won’t come willingly, so I need you to grab a couple of guys and go fetch him and bring him here.”
Lucas swallowed visibly, but he didn’t complain. “Will do,” he said readily.
Alec nodded and opened the door again to let him out. He watched him go and deliver the news to the others, who groaned as one man. Alec couldn’t blame the men’s reluctance. Even in a stupor, Lind was still the Viper, and a pissed off snake was something no one ever looked forward to.