Page 18 of Conan
“I’m not sure how long we’ll be, but we’re moving forward with your ex co-workers,” I provide. Telling her in not so many words that those ghosts will soon be laid to rest.
“Yeah?” she asks, pulling back from me and keeping her eyes glued to mine.
“Yeah. That’s what today’s church is about, Demi.”
“Thank you,” she whispers. “On not only my behalf, but for all women. If they got away with doing what they did to me, they’ll try to implement that plan again and their next victim may not be as lucky as I was.”
“How’s that, Demi?”
“I’m well known because of my old pastime activities. If I had suddenly gone missing, it would’ve been shouted from the rooftops and an inquiry would take place. Not everyone has that, Conan. I may not have had many friends back then, but I was respected in the underworld and everyone knew I’d never miss a scheduled fight unless I was in a bad way. Those men and women I fought alongside would've moved Heaven and Hell to locate me and they wouldn’t have been nice about how they went to get those answers.”
“Conan, move it,” Kodiak orders.
“Coming, pres. Give me a second. I’m gaining more information on our targets.”
“See you at church,” he tells me as he moves out of the kitchen, which is now empty, outside of Luna.
Normally, I’d demand she leave too, but she helps Demi stay emotionally and mentally intact so I let her stick around for that purpose if nothing else. Plus, Demi is more vocal when she’s around, so that’s a plus.
“I wish I had more time to spend with you since you’re in a sharing mood, baby. But I really have to go. Can we take this up later?”
“Yes. I don’t mean to keep things from you, Conan. But there’s so much that I sometimes forget you don’t know everything,” she justifies.
I’m not always great at using my words, especially when there’s a topic that fires me up, so instead of saying anything I peck the crown of her head with my lips and squeeze her hips.
“No apologies, Demi. You tell me what feels right when the time is right, okay?”
“Okay,” she mimics. “Tonight, I’ll give you the cliff notes version of my life.”
“As long as you’re prepared to expand on those things if I have questions, that works for me,” I convey. “Gotta go, baby.”
“I’ll be here with Luna if you need me,” she clarifies.
“I have both of our work laptops in Kodiak’s office. We’ll be in there working if that need arises,” Luna informs me.
“Thank you, sister,” I say, leaning over and squeezing her shoulder. “No more baking, got it?”
“Got it,” they simultaneously say. Both of them have mirthful amusement twirling in their eyes.
“Be good,” I issue the command as I leave them to themselves. There’s never a dull moment when it comes to my woman and sister. I can hear their giggles follow me down the hallway which has me smirking.
When I waltz into church, everyone is already in their seats, and once I plop my ass into mine, Kodiak bangs the gavel and our meeting officially begins.
CHAPTER
EIGHT
CONAN
Now that theburning down of the clubhouse crisis has been averted and the kitchen is airing out, we all take our seats around the table and can officially begin church. The very moment Kodiak bangs that gavel on the sound block, the room goes silent as we sit in anticipation.
Mainly me.
“Demi’s antagonist and rapists from her old employment, Joey, David, Liam, and Niles, are taking part in a work retreat taking place in Tyler, not too far from here, in a little over a week’s time. From Auto’s extensive research, the company rented them a car for traveling. Not sure why they aren’t flying in on a plane, but we need to either catch them on their way in, or get them as they leave,” Kodiak announces.
“They’ll be missed if they don’t make it and check in,” Regulator speculates. “My suggestion would be to grab them as they head out, we’ll have more time with them if they aren’t missed right away.”
As much as I don’t want to, I agree with him. So I utter my words out loud, “Regulator’s right. How long does this retreat last for?”
