Wrapping my arms around his neck, I asked, “And you’re here why?” With a hint of excitement . I don’t know why I felt so excited to see him. Maybe it was because I hadn’t seen anyone for so long, or maybe it was because I just flat out missed him.

Blake grinned at me for a moment. My eyes took in his bruised skin; clearly, things weren’t going as well as I had hoped.

“I heard you were on house arrest or something. You never told me you were the sister of the Shields.” Blake raised an eyebrow as his hands wrapped around my back, while I sat on his lap.

Shrugging my shoulders, “I didn’t see how it mattered. It’s not like I am close to them or anything.” I sent Blake my innocent smile.

A hand wrapped around my forearm.

“Off now,” Cole growled, attempting to pull me off Blake.

“Back off Cole,” Blake warned. Sighing, I loosened my grip around Blake’s neck and slid off his lap.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been near him anyway. “So what are you doing here?” I asked Blake, while looking down at his feet. I couldn’t help but feel a sharp pain, feeling the love lost between us.

“Club business,” Cole growled and shot Blake a look which said ‘keep your mouth shut.’

“Fine. Whatever,” I said lightly and went to sit on the stool next to Blake, pushing my black hair to the side so I could look at him more.

“How have you been Blake?” I asked, locking my eyes with his as he turned on his stool to face me.

“No time for chit chat. Let’s get down to business. Amber stay here,” Troy shot over his shoulder while walking in the direction of another room.

“Come on Amber.” Blake stood up, grabbing my hand.

“Did you not hear her brother? She stays here,” Jax snarled, standing in front of Blake, blocking our path to the room.

“Yeah Blake, it’s cool.” I smiled up at him, but Blake was tight and I noted the rage burning in his eyes as he narrowed them at Jax.

“You want the info, you need Amber, which is why I told you to bring her,” Blake said, taking a step towards Jax. “Now move.”

Blake’s grip on my hand tightened and I gulped because I knew Blake’s temper all too well, and Jax right now was just firing him up.

“What do you need me for?” I asked Blake, trying to take his attention away from Jax. Cole and the others had already moved in the same direction as Troy.

“Just leave it Jax. Let her come,” Tyler yelled over his shoulder, while moving into the room.

I heard Jax grind his teeth before he turned his back to us and stormed off in the direction of the room. Blake pulled my hand, and we followed in.

The room was small, with a large table in the middle; chairs littered around it. The room seemed to have a permanent smoke ring above it. The boys seemed to have their own seats because they all sat at different places, as if seats had been assigned. Troy sat at the head of the table, Jax sat to his right, Cole to his left and then Adam, and Tyler sat down at the other end of the table.

I took the seat next to Cole and Blake sat next to me. Spike and Travis, two of Blake’s boys, sat across from us, next to Jax.  

“So to business,” Troy said, turning in his seat to face Blake. “You have the information?” Troy lit up a cigarette and leaned back in his chair, waiting for Blake to speak.

“You get this information and we get the business on Whitehorse Road,” Blake

“That’s the deal,” Troy said, letting out a puff of smoke.

Blake nodded his head and placed a hand on my thigh. “Amber, I need you to tell your brothers about Marty’s crew.”

Looking at Blake, I frowned, “What do they want to know?” Turning my head to look between Cole and Troy. “What is it you guys want to know?” I was still frowning at them.

“That’s not part of the deal, Blake,” Troy snarled, bringing his fist on the table. “You have to give us the information.”

Blake shrugged his shoulders. “You said you get the information, I get the business. You didn’t say who you had to get the information off. Anyway, Amber remembers more details than I do.”

A smile twitched at the corners of my mouth, as I remembered Blake’s memory. “Yeah, Blake does have a habit of forgetting things,”

Troy narrowed his eyes at Blake, “You are saying that our sister has the information that we are paying you to hand over?”

I knew pretty much everything about everyone on the streets. It wasn’t because I was in with all of them. I just remembered stuff, and I also had a lot of friends; and a lot of business connections.

“Not my fault you don’t know your own sister,” Blake said, before taking a drag of his cigarette.

“This is bullshit.” Cole muttered under his breath, and took a large gulp from his open beer.

“You know it is still early in the morning right?” I said under my breath to him, eyeing the beer he was downing. Cole shot me a look saying ‘who gives a shit.’ Shrugging my shoulders, I added “Only thinking of your liver.”

“So, Amber, what is it you know about Marty’s crew?” Troy asked, stubbing his cigarette and narrowing his eyes at me.

“What doesn’t she know is more like it.” Spike muttered to Travis, as they both shared a dark chuckle with each other.

Rolling my eyes, I started. “Thirty four members, last time I checked. Mainly into drug rings, cooking and selling. Marty works out of three factories and four houses… ”

“They only work from houses. We know they don’t have any factories,” Cole piped in, adding a scoff at the end, as if I knew nothing.

Narrowing my eyes at him and turning in my seat, I continued, “They have three factories, all on Flinders Road. I can give you the addresses if you want, but that isn’t their main trade anymore.” I shot Cole a look.

“What’s their main trade?” Troy asked, ignoring Cole’s and my standoff.

Arching both eyebrows at him, I added, “Last time I checked, they were moving into running guns.” Picking up the cigarette from Blake’s fingers, I sucked on it lightly.

Leaning back in my chair, I continued, “They’re aiming at taking the trade from the bikers. Like you guys.” You think, or you know?” Jax shot at me from across the table. Dropping my eyes from Troy’s and looking Jax dead in the eye, I said, “I know.”

I jumped in my seat when Cole brought his fist down on the table. “Bloody snakes in the grass. We take them out now!” He was fuming next to me.

“You need to calm down Cole,” I scoffed, and put the cigarette out.

“I want the addresses for the factories and the confirmed addresses for the houses.” Troy shot at Blake, “Then the deal’s done.”

“The addresses weren’t part of the deal.” Blake

Letting out a sharp sigh, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and bringing up Marty’s information, I slid the phone to Troy.

“Amber!” Blake growled under his breath at me.

Turning in my seat and facing him directly, I said, “What Blake? You used me so you could get more business on the streets.” I rose from my seat, pushing his hand off my thigh in the process, “and, at the end of the day, they’re still my brothers.”

Pushing the chair back and walking towards the door, I turned around, “Give that back to me when you’re done.” I pointed at Troy and the phone, while opening the door with my other hand.

“Amber. I—” off.

“Yeah, I know you’re sorry. Bye Blake.”

I closed the door behind me and headed towards the bar. Slumping in a stool, I reached over and pulled out a bottle of vodka from behind the bar. I suppose somewhere in the world it was after midday.