“Why the fuck would a prospect risk that?” Grunt barks.
“We can give him something he wants. He gets through this, and he gets patched in—guaranteed.”
“I don’t like it,” Ford complains. While he’s looking at me, his stare is far away. He’s anticipating all the things that could go wrong and that list is longer than any good outcome by a mile.
“Streak hasn’t been with us long enough for any of them to make a connection. It could work,” Grunt says, sounding less and less skeptical. At least I’m winning one of them over.
“Fuck,” Ford hisses, meaning he can’t find a good reason not to agree. “We do this and if you even think you’ve been discovered, you get the fuck out. No hesitation, King.”
“I know how to watch my ass. I’m not some wet behind the ears prospect.”
Ford frowns, glaring at me for a long, tense moment before nodding in agreement.
“It’s settled then,” I tell them, smiling ruefully. “That means this plan starts now and stays in this damn room and this roomonly. No one outside the three of us can know.”
“We will need to tell Thomas,” Ford argues.
“No.” I shake my head. “The less that know, the better.”
Ford scowls. “You don’t trust him?”
“It’s not that. I want my position secure and people seeing Thomas pissed will cement that. I’ll tell him once I know the Runners believe I’m legit.”
My heart races with excitement as Ford and Grunt nod in agreement. This is it. Now all we have to do is get the ball rolling. The sooner we can take down the enemy, the better.
Chapter4
King
One Month Later
I’m kicking my own ass as I sit down at the table in William’s Diner. I breathe in the scent of the room, the aroma of home cooked food instantly stirring a hunger inside of me. Sadly, another hunger is the real reason I’m here.
Nurse Shelby Rush.
The woman has been haunting me. I want to see her again. No. That’s not right at all. I need to see her. She’s stayed on my mind this entire time. It’s as if the promise of her has taken root inside of me and I can’t fucking shake her. I came on strong when it came to her, but I forced myself to back away. We sent the prospect in to try and infiltrate the Ridge Runners. It took some time, but he secured his spot just this last week. That means I need to start working on things from my end.
Knowing the danger that lays ahead, I didn’t want to be seen with Shelby. If anyone thought she was special to me, they might try to use her to get to me. I don’t want her to become collateral damage. The thought of not having a small taste of her before I go under to find out what has given the BMR’s a hard-on for Ford, doesn’t sit right with me. I can be careful. Spend a little time with her under the radar. Fuck, I know I’m cocky in front of Grunt and Ford, but that doesn’t change the fact that I might not make it out of this alive. I’m not stupid enough to not know that there are risks involved with this plan. That’s why I’m here. I can’t deny myself this one pleasure. One taste of a woman who promises to be the sweetest pussy I’ve had can’t be a bad thing. Everything I’m doing is against my better judgment, but I’m here anyway.
Because I can’t stay away.
I don’t want to.
Looking around the restaurant, I know things aren’t going to work out in my favor. Billie is here, and that beautiful redhead that’s been starring in my dreams is nowhere to be found. Disappointment settles in my gut so heavy that it fucking rocks me. Fucking hell, how did this woman get under my skin so deeply? I try to push thoughts of her away as her grandmother comes over to take my order.
“Look what the cat drug in,” she says, plopping the daily special in front of me.
I shake my head, giving half a smile. I don’t know why, but I really like this old woman. She doesn’t gloss over shit and is who she is. I respect her. She’s also sharp as a tack, despite her age. Billie doesn’t need a notepad to take anyone’s order. I’ve seen her take ten orders at once and not get a damn thing wrong.
“Thanks,” I answer, my voice coming out sounding rusty and graveled even to my own ears.
“I like to see a man with a good appetite.” She plants her hands on her hips, waiting for me to decide so she can take my order.
“I’ve been busy. I was here a while back though, and you weren’t,” I comment, handing the menu back to her. Like everyone else, I already know what I want. I usually order the same thing every single time I’m here—that is unless Billie is trying out a new recipe and pushing it on her specials. Then, I go with what she suggests. You don’t refuse her, or she might tell you to get out. That’s just the way she is. The woman definitely has a temper that can’t be rivaled.
“I never take time off,” Billie says, shaking her head. Even though she’s fully in the conversation with me, I can tell she has her eyes and ears on everyone else around us at the same time. Your cup never empties here, at least not for long.
“It was about a month ago,” I tell her, leaning back in my seat, draping my arm across the back of the seat.