Half an hour later, we were back at the clubhouse and in Shep’s office, searching for anything we could find on Maddox and his partner. I hadn’t even had a chance to check up on Devin. But I’d managed to get a call into her and placed the order for her roses. It wasn’t much, but for the time being, it was the best I could do.
I was about to go back into Shep’s office when Preacher came charging down the hall. “You seen the fucking news?”
“No. Why?”
Instead of answering, he pulled out his phone and turned it so I could see the screen. The video was already playing, and my throat tightened when I spotted the reporter standing in front of the Vault.
Her voice was void of expression as she announced, “Sources say local authorities are investigating Satan’s Fury Motorcycle Club and their strip club, the Vault, for possible ties to sex trafficking. While no arrests have been made, officials claim they are exploring whether the club will be allowed to continue operations during the ongoing investigation.”
“Goddamnit. When did this run?”
“No idea. Goose just sent it to me,” Preacher said, slipping the phone back into his cut. “You got any idea how bad this shit is? This could fucking ruin us!”
“Only if we let it.”
“And how are we supposed to stop it. You know how this shit goes. We’re guilty until proven innocent.” His eyes grew intense. “You brought this guy to our back door, brother. Deal with him and deal with him now.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Maddox was after me for many reasons, and Devin was surely at the top of his list. Didn’t matter. I was going to do whatever I had to do to shut him down.
“We’re working on it.”
“Bury him, brother. Don’t care how you do it. Just get it done.” He clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder before turning away. “Let me know when you boys figure it out. I’m gonna make some calls and try to do some damage control.”
I gave him a nod, then watched him head back down the hall and into his office. I stood there for a moment, stewing over that fucking news report, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Devin had seen it. If she hadn’t, it was only a matter of time before she or one of the kids came across it.
Damn.
Everything around me seemed to be unraveling.
I was struggling to keep it together as I made my way back into Shep’s office. Memphis and Grim were talking with Shep, but they could tell something was wrong and went silent when they saw me walking towards them. I filled them all in on the news report, and as expected, they were just as pissed as I was. “Well, now we know what he meant by fucking around your backyard. Damn.”
“Yeah, and I got a feeling he’s just getting started with this shit.”
“I think you might be right.” Memphis crossed his arms. “What did Pop have to say about it?”
“Said to take care of it, and that’s what we’re gonna do.” I looked over to Shep as I said, “We gotta shut this motherfucker down, and we need to shut him down now.”
“Working on it.”
Shep turned back to his computer and started hammering away while Memphis and Grim peered over his shoulder, studying every file that popped up. I walked over and was tryingto make sense of what I was seeing on the screen when Shep announced, “I think I got him.”
“Is he dirty?”
“Can’t be for sure just yet, but it’s definitely looking that way.” Shep motioned his hand towards the screen. “These are his bank statements from the last six months. He’s been making large deposits of cash on random Fridays, and they don’t match up with his pay schedule.”
Grim leaned in. “How large are these deposits?”
“Three to five grand at a time.” Shep clicked over to a spreadsheet. “It’s consistent. Always cash and always right after certain raids or sting operations.”
“And let me guess, Maddox was the lead detective on those raids.”
“You got it.” Shep clicked to another screen. “And he’s got a Venmo under an alias. MaddMox 29. It’s directly tied to Brooklyn Henderson. It’s got rental payments, utilities, and even furniture deliveries on here. Two years’ worth.”
“So, he’s using his dirty money to pay for his side piece all while acting like he’s fucking father of the year.” I felt a muscle twitch in my jaw. “What a fucking asshole.”
“Yeah, but there’s more.” Shep’s jaw tightened. “Look at this.”
