Red darkened Schwartz’s cheeks, and his blue eyes practically shot sparks. Looked like the guy was about three seconds from losing his shit, and wouldn’t LJ love the fuck outta that? Twenty witnesses were all able to vouch that the deputy made the first move. Damn, it’d be fucking sweet. But instead, Schwartz shook off his pissed off expression and half of his mouth curved up into a shitty grin. “Got a call in about some concerning things going on out here.”
“Concerning things?” LJ asked with a grunt. “Oh boy, Dicky. You’ve really got me shaking now.”
“Operating without proper permits, not adhering to safety protocols,” Schwartz said as he pointed to LJ’s bare head.
LJ couldn’t help but laugh. “First off, I’m well out of the bounds of the work zone. And second, who the fuck calls the cops over a hard hat issue? Nice try, Dicky. What else you got?”
“Hiring undocumented workers.”
Well shit. That one could shut down work for days. All of the men working for Rocket had their papers in order but hauling them all in to verify would eat up precious time he didn’t have to spare.
“Seriously? What the fuck does the local sheriff’s office care about the citizenship of my employees? You ain’t ICE, Dicky. What’s the matter? You bored? Need some action? Donut shop not carrying your favorite flavor today?”
Gary coughed in a failed attempt to disguise a laugh. When Schwartz’s gaze shifted to the electrician, Gary said. “Seriously, deputy, none of the things you mentioned are police matters. Besides, I’ve worked with LJ for years and he runs a tight fucking ship. Can’t say I’ve ever seen so much as a loose board to trip over.”
Standing behind their superior like well-trained dogs, the rest of the officers shifted as though uneasy with the direction of this conversation. They should be uncomfortable. Most likely, they were led to believe this little power play was a legit matter instead of a bullshit call. Some kind of weird show of strength that made no sense. And it needed to end. LJ had places to be.
“How about this?” he said. “I’ll have Rocket give Sheriff Coleman a call.” They can work out whatever shit needs to be addressed. Sound good?” Coleman wouldn’t risk the bank he made off the MC over a few imaginary safety violations or unjustified concerns over the citizens of Rocket’s company. Schwartz was already on thin ice with his boss if rumors were to be believed. The unspoken threat to Schwartz’s job had LJ flying high for about two seconds. Until a genuine smile curled Schwartz’s lips and he rocked back on his heels.
“You know what? You do that, Jack. You go right ahead and do that.” Then the arrogant bastard laughed as he spun on his heel and started for his cruiser. “Have a feeling I’ll be seeing you around soon, Jack.”
“What the hell was that load of horseshit?” Gary asked as the two men watched the officers drive off.
“Fuck if I know,” LJ said. He rubbed a hand across his bald head. “But I don’t have time to deal with it now. I’ll bring it up to Rocket and Cop at church tonight. I need to roll.”
“All right man. Have a good one.” Gary stuck his hand out, and LJ gave it a quick shake before sliding into his truck.
After powering through a challenging fourteen-hour day, LJ dragged his exhausted and grimy ass through the clubhouse and into the chapel. Tonight was his first official church since patching in and, damn, did it feel good to finally be included in the closed-door meetings.
Just as he stepped into the chapel, Maverick’s furious voice rang out. “It’s complete and utter bullshit, Copper.”
LJ blinked as the room fell silent. A few of the guys were still filtering in, but everyone stopped and stared at Maverick. Ninety-nine-point nine percent of the time, Maverick was a laid-back jokester. Every other word out of the man’s mouth was rife with innuendo and snark. To hear him pissed as fuck was unusual, to say the least.
“What’s up with him?” LJ whispered to Rocket as he slipped into a seat on his boss’s right.
Without taking his gaze off the scene unfolding, Rocket shook his head. “Not sure. Mav followed Copper in here, ranting and raving. Don’t know what happened but the guy is fucked off.”
Huh.
“I hear you, Mav,” Copper said. “Settle down, and we’ll discuss it.” He glanced around the room. “Everyone in?”
“We’re all here,” Viper, the club’s VP said from Copper’s right.
“All right, Mav start it off.” Copper waved toward his road captain while taking his seat.
After cracking his knuckles, Maverick blew out a breath. “Got pulled over by that fucking cocksucker, Schwartz, on my way over here.”
Zach’s brows drew down. “Which one is he?” Z was the club’s enforcer, and not at all a fan of the local authorities.