I glance at her, uncertain where this is going. “More what?”
“More everything.” Naomi’s eyes are bright now, animated. “More powerful. More respected. More… feared.”
I chuckle, though it feels forced. “Why would we want that?”
“Think about it,” she says, spinning her chair to face me fully. “We’re stuck in this tiny town, running the same businesses we’ve been running for decades. We’ve got what, maybe fifty members? Other clubs have hundreds, even thousands.”
“And ten times the heat,” I counter. “More members means more chances for someone to fuck up, bring the law down on all our heads.”
She waves this away as if it’s nothing. “That’s just poor management. With the right leadership, the right strategy—“ She cuts herself off, then continues more carefully. “I’m just saying, there could be so much more money in expanding our territory, our operations. And respect. Wouldn’t it be something if the Devil’s Rejects were the club that others feared crossing? If we were the biggest, baddest club in the state?”
I lean back, studying her. This isn’t idle talk. She’s been thinking about this, planning it even.
“Sounds like a lot of trouble for not much benefit,” I say finally. “We start expanding our territory too much, we’ll end up bumping into Drago’s Inferno, and only an idiot picks a fight with them.”
The Drago’s Inferno MC out of Billings has a reputation that keeps even the most ambitious clubs in check. They are large and have connections that run deep in both legitimate circlesand the criminal underworld. Most of their reputation comes from their previous prez, who wouldn’t hesitate to destroy anyone who even looked at him or his club the wrong way. Their new prez is said to be fairer, but still absolutely merciless when crossed.
“That’s just it,” Naomi leans forward, her voice dropping despite us being alone. “What if we were the club that others feared crossing? Even the Inferno.”
I stare at her, trying to determine if she’s serious. The look in her eyes tells me she is.
“You’re talking about going to war with the biggest MC in the state,” I say slowly. “That’s not ambition, Tech. That’s suicide. We barely survived going up against Demon’s club.”
“Demon,” she scoffs. “He’s not so tough now, is he? We sent him into hiding; we destroyed his club. And we could do it to the Inferno too. We build up our strength first, form the right alliances. We could do it, Viper. You and me. We could take the Rejects to the next level.”
There’s something in the way she says “you and me” that sets off warning bells. I’ve known Naomi since she was a kid; we both grew up in the club together. She’s always had an edge to her, always been hungry for more. But this is different. This is dangerous.
“The Rejects are fine as they are,” I say firmly. “I’ve got my brothers, I’ve got my wife. I don’t need more territory or more power or whatever the hell it is you’re chasing.”
Naomi’s expression flickers for a minute before she smiles again. “Ah, the plant lady.” She says, leaning back in her chair again. “How is she, by the way? I’m feeling a bit grumpy with her; she got me in trouble.”
“Her name is Kayla,” I tell her, my jaw tightening a bit at her tone. “And you got yourself into trouble, Tech. You know you’re supposed to stick close right now.”
Naomi chuckles at that. “You know I hate being told what to do.”
Before I can respond, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and glance at the screen. It’s a reminder I set for myself. I need to be home in thirty minutes if I want to have time to shower and change before my date with Kayla.
“I’ve gotta go,” I say, closing the laptop and standing. “We can talk about this another time.”
Naomi stays seated, looking up at me with that same unreadable expression. “Sure,” she says, her voice light. “You know I was just talking crazy, Viper. I know it would never work. Just pipe dreams.”
Something about her too easy acceptance makes me nervous. Naomi Wallace doesn’t give up on anything she wants, not without a fight. The fact that she’s backing down so quickly tells me this conversation isn’t really over.
As I head for the door, I can feel her eyes on me. When I glance back, she’s still sitting there, watching me go, a small smile playing on her lips.
I kick my bike to life, the familiar rumble vibrating through me as I pull out of the lot. I need to get home to my wife, try to repair some of the damage I’ve done these past few days. But Naomi’s words keep echoing in my head.
We could do it, Viper. You and me.
I twist the throttle, pushing the bike faster, as if I could outrun the unease I’m feeling. Whatever game Naomi is playing, I want no part of it.
5
Chapter 5
Kayla
It’s just dinner, I remind myself. It’s just a date. An evening where we both put on nice clothes and go to a restaurant and talk to each other about whatever it is that normal couples talk about. People do this all the time. Of course, those people probably don’t have to psych themselves up that the evening won’t be a total disaster while putting on their mascara. But here we are.