Hi everyone! I know it's been a while since I posted. I'm going to try and commit to at least one chapter a month going forward and see what happens from there. As always, special shout out to LynGuerra for the continued support and inspiration. As always, I own nothing, blah, blah, blah. Please don't sue me. Remember to leave reviews. Enjoy!
Amy waited at her usual table at Ultor World Coffee for her best friend Lauren to arrive. She was easily one of the few people Amy socialized with and enjoyed her company as well as Lorena's sound advice. And while Amy might be enjoying every moment spent with Troy, she wanted advice on how to progress their relationship or whether she should even continue on. With the pressures of their jobs, the needed secrecy of their relationship, and the return of the Saints who's past with Troy was bound to collide.
"Amy! You're early as always I see."
She looked up and turned her gaze towards the five foot three Latina with a soft caramel complexion, hazel eyes, and brown shoulder length hair. In high school a group of twelve girls had been calling Amy a daughter of a slut and nothing more than garbage to the point where Amy finally punched one of them. She was getting beaten badly until Lorena jumped in to help. They both got beaten badly and suspended for two weeks from school, but they became the closet of friends. And with everything that had been going on she really needed a friend to share gossip with and well as seek consul from.
After Lauren was seated, a waiter came over with their drinks. The two women were such regular that the server behind the counter had begun working on their orders the moment Lauren had walked in. Amy had her favorite Earl Grey and croissant with fig jam and Jarlsberg cheese, while her best friend had a Brazilin coffee and an apricot scone. Amy began drinking her tea when she noticed Lauren eyeing her mischievous grin on her face.
Amy frowned "What's going on? You've got this look on your face like the cat swallowed the canary."
Lauren smiled as she took bite of her scone "Who popped your cherry?"
"What?" Amy almost dropped her tea in shock "Wh-What do you mean?"
"You're not fooling anyone chica." Her friend laughed fiendishly "The are only two possible reasons someone would be glowing as much as you are right now: they got laid or from being exposed to chemical radiation. As since you don't show signs of possessing gills or extra limbs.."
Amy didn't answer Lauren prodding, but between the redness of her cheeks and the impish smile she was trying to hide, it was pretty obvious that her best friend was spot on with her assessment.
"Lauren….You're embarrassing me." Amy whimpered softly "Besides, I don't think this is the sort of conversation we should have in public."
"Fine. Your completely right. This isn't a conversation we should be having in public." She conceded
Amy started breathing a sigh of relief "Thanks Lauren. I really glad…"
"…but we'll be finished this conversation back at my place." Lauren interrupted "Face it. You're like the sister I never had, so I'm going to pry and worry about you. Whether you like it or not."
"Wow. Going to the emotional sucker punch are we?" Amy asked defensively "That's just straight up cheating."
"Hey. Sometimes you've just got to roll with the strategy that works best." Lauren smile sheepishly "And if we're being honest, you're too much of a goody two-shoes to lie to your best friend's face."
Amy muttered grumpily under her breath as Lauren signaled their waiter and got takeout bags for their orders. Lauren would proceed to spend the next fifteen minutes of the cab ride to her apartment playfully teasing Amy with a one-sided game of Twenty-One Questions . When they finally arrived at her apartment in Sommerset, Amy's cheeks were once again bright red and Lauren could barely contain herself.
"For someone who claims to care about me, you really tease too much." Amy huffed as she took a seat on her couch unpacking their drinks and deserts "You know I'm not good at opening up about these sort of things. It's like talking about blowjobs with my parents."
"Which is why I tease you so much and try getting you to break out of that shell of yours. How am I going to toughen you up Chica?" Lauren cooed "Besides…I'm happy you finally got laid. I'm also excited that you finally worked up the nerve and made a move for Troy."
"Wha…" Amy found herself at a loss for word as she became and deeper shade of red "How…I mean…how…"
"Amy…let be honest here. You been wanted to dick inside you for as long as I can remember." Lauren explained, her laughter finally subsiding somewhat "And don't forget that I was there when you got your little tribute to Troy Bradshaw tattooed on your body. Still, I'm amazed you didn't jump into bed with him after he made you his secretary."
"Honestly speaking. it wasn't for a lack of wanting to." Amy admitted "Besides….with the whore genetics I inherited from my mother, it's a miracle I don't automatically drop to my kness at sucking his cock every time Troy enters the room."
"You need to stop doing this to yourself Amy. It's not a healthy mindset to have and you're worrying me." Lauren took a seat on her couch and motioned her friend to sit beside her "I know your mother's done things in the past that constantly looms over you like a perpetual storm cloud. I feel same way about my mother's own misdeeds which still bother me as well. Just remember that whatever your mother has done in her past isn't your fault. And it certainly doesn't make you guilty by association."
Amy shook her head "Society would say much different about me and proclaim that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"And if you were truly a whore trying to fuck everyone, then society's perception of you would matter." Lauren replied coyly as she took another sip of her coffee "But since the only person you're fucking is Troy, why give a fuck about what anyone else thinks."
Think over Lauren's words made sense to Amy, finally calming some of the anxiety that had trouble Amy.
"So…are you going to tell me how you two lovebirds finally hooked up? Don't spare any details!" Lauren mischievously as she finished her coffee.
Amy took a deep breath and began recounting the tale of how she went from delivery documents to Troy's house and how that led to her confessing to him. And then how she went from show Troy her tramp-stamp to ending up in bed with him. By the time Amy finished recounting her romantic encounter she was cheeks were so red from blushing that she almost looked like a tomato.
"So…that what happened." She finished quietly "I guess what everyone said is true. I really am a whore…just like mother."
"Amy, you really need to work on your self-confidence." Lauren sighed "Where's the bold take-no-prisoners Amy that got that tramp-stamp? Hell, where's the badass Amy that showed her boss that tramp stamp and turned him into her personal sex slave?"
"Troy's not my sex slave!" Amy replied meekly
"You know what I mean girl." Lauren teased "Besides, we both know that if you called him saying 'Troy I'm so horny and wet, please come over and shove your big night-stick up my pussy'…he'd probably be at the front door before you hung up."
"Lauren!" Amy moaned "Could you stop teasing me for a moment and be serious?"
"Probably not." Lauren admitted "But for you, I'll make an attempt."
"Thanks Laura." Amy took a deep breath "Part of me is worries that maybe the only he slept with me is because it was a matter of convenience."
"What makes you believe that?" Lauren asked with a concerned expression on her face "Did he say that to you? If he did, I'll slice off his fucking cock myself and feed it to him."
"No! Goodness no! It's wasn't anything like that." She reassured "It just that since he's chief of police, he probably hasn't been dating much. And picking up prostitutes is probably is a viable option when everyone in the city knows you face on sight. Then one night secretary show up on your front door basically asking him to become his personal cum dumpster, I'm sure he."
SMACK!
The moment so quick that Amy didn't even see a blur when Lauren hand connected with her face, knocking her glasses to the ground. She quickly retrieved her glasses and placed them back on. She turned to Lauren, ready to unleash her anger after being slapped, but was stopped in her tracks when she noticed the running down the woman's face.
"Amy…..I sorry…It just breaks my heart when you talk about yourself like that." Lauren said quietly "Our mothers did what they felt was necessary to survive. But that doesn't mean you and me…"
Lauren's words were interrupted by Amy suddenly hugging her friend. Tears now streaming from her eyes as the two embraced.
"I'm so sorry I made you so upset." Amy apologize "Anytime something relates to sex, something in my mind instantly tells me that I'm less than garbage."
"Don't worry about it, I deal with the same voice too." Lauren pulled back from Amy "Sorry I slapped you."
Amy shook her head "Don't worry about it. If you compare it to the number off times you should've slapp the sense into me, you still come out owing me a few more backhands across the face. Sorry about making you slap the sense into me though. Just understand that you might need to repeat the action for me."
"No problem Amy." She giggled "Just remember that Troy loves you and wouldn't do anything to hurt to hurt you."
"I know Lauren." Amy hugged her again "I know"
Amy wanted to mentioned Troy's concern for her safety but decided against it. She already had Troy worried about them staying together and didn't need her best friend losing sleep over the idea that she might end up as well for being in love with the #1 enemy of the Third Street Saints.
Troy sat behind his desk with Chang and Deeks positioned in seats on the other side. After learning that Perkins was not only gone from his desk but missing, he scrambled officers Gates and Harthone to round up any available officers and begin searching for him. Further complicating matters was the fact police logs show that he checked out the case files on all three major gangs and those were missing as well. It was bad enough that rookie cops might've gone native and started targeting gangbangers, but a veteran cop such as Perkins being involved in such schemes didn't likely. All of this tied back to him sending those officers to infiltrate the Saints. And Paranoia be damned if Troy didn't agree with Harthone that the recent influx of dead cops weren't in some way tied to the Archangel and her crew.
"It seems that we have quite the situation brewing Chief Bradshaw." Deeks remarked as he looked over the personal files for Douglas, Williams, Perkins, and Brooks that he requested "We have four officers that seemed to have gone dark with two turning up dead and the other two unaccounted for. Not to mentioned the missing criminal files containing sensitive information about various Stilwater gangs. Some of which would comprise valuable informants if the information ever became public. What reason could Perkins have had to remove all these files from the prescient?"
Troy shook his head "None that come to mind. Perkins and Detective Brooks were working the prison break and the murder of Warden Richard O' Riley. While the prime suspects of the both incidents are considered to the former leader of the Third Street Saints, we were investigating all angles to make sure none of the existing criminal elements participated in either crime."
"Were you able to draw any definitive conclusions?" Chang asked
"None yet. But based on the method used to break the former Saints gang members out of jail, I'm about 90 percent sure the Saints were involved."
Deeks raised an eyebrow at the statement "You sound very confident of this. Is there a particular reason why you believe that former members of the gang are involved? We haven't heard anytime from the Archangel, Gat, or Commando Cassie since their respective prison breaks."
Troy took a deep breath and handed Deeks two case files from his desk "Take a look at these. Then you'll understand where my 'confidence' in there being Saints involvement comes from."
Deeks began looking through the first case files. The report detailed the events of a break-in at the Stilwater Police station located in the barrio district. Looking over the photos of the holes blown in the retaining wall of the evidence room, he started to connect the dots.
"I remember this incident. A lot of people lost their jobs over the theft." Deeks looked up at Troy "I'm assuming the Saints used this same method to break the former members out of D-block?"
Troy nodded "Correct. When the Saints approached Manuel Orejuela about doing business together. He agreed on the condition the gang could retrieve his confiscated cocaine from the police lock up."
"At which time you suggested blowing a hole in the wall to minimize the chances of officers getting hurt." Chang concluded "I'm assuming there was a alternative plan to this?"
"To called what Gat was concocting a 'plan' would be a bit of stretch." Troy sighed as Deeks returned the first file and began skimming through the second "His version of getting Orejuela's merchandise back involved RPG rockets and a lot of dead bodies. And since Julius didn't have any better options, I have every reason to believe that he was ready to unleash Gat upon a prescient filled with unsuspecting officers. That is until in suggested simply blowing holes in the side of the building."
"While I don't approve of giving gangbangers tips on how to break into police stations, I understand the situation you were in." Deeks started starching the back of his neck nervously and he closed the second case file "You probably saved a lot of lives with that plan. And I don't just mean the Saints…there would have been a lot of casualties on both sides once the smoke cleared."
"Not to mention that you weren't in a position tell Julius not to do this." Added Chang "Still, I would think that he wouldn't want drugs flooding Stilwater. Didn't he originally form the Saints to protect the people of the Row?"
"Gangbangers tell themselves and the people following them whatever they want." Deeks remarked "I'm sure he already had some sort of spin ready. Didn't he Chief Bradshaw?"
Troy nodded "That's exactly how it played out with Julius. He made the argument that if the Saints didn't partner with the Colombians, then some other gang might. And the Saints 'controlling' the distribution, we could keep it from devastating Stilwater's poorer neighborhoods which would most likely to suffer the most from narcotics."
Deeks brow narrowed "Did he really believe that nonsense."
"Sadly…..I think he did. There were other people in the gang such Dex that were focused primarily on the profits that would come in." Troy sighed "I'm sure in his mind he saw Orejuela's death being the equivalent of flushing money down the drain."
"Why would Julius keep someone like that around?" Chang asked "Doesn't sound as though Dex could be trusted."
Troy smiled grimly "The same reason he recruited Me and Gat. We served key roles that proved invaluable for him. In Johnny Gat, he had a violent killing machine that could go toe-to-toe with some of the most dangerous bangers in Stilwater. With me, a cool-headed individual operating with subtly in situations where you need a rapier rather than a club. Though it might be more accurate to say a single bullet rather than an RPG as things pertained to Johnny Gat and myself."
"And what was Dexter Jackson for the Saints?" Deeks asked "What key role did he oversee for Julius?"
"He was the master strategist." Troy explained "He was the youngest of the Saints lieutenants, yet always seemed ten steps ahead of everyone in the gang. And that includes Julius and the Archangel. Dex would construct plans that allows both me and Gat to work simultaneously in sync with each other without changing how we approached certain situations."
"Such as stealing drugs from a police station using stealth while having other members of the gang draw SPD away from the police station." Chang concluded "If what you're saying is true, then the Saints are stronger then ever, already heavily armed, and have the numbers to directly challenge any of the other gangs."
"Which makes it even more vital that we obtain an update from Detectives Perkins and Brooks." Deeks interjected as he check his watch "Shouldn't these officers have checked in with you by now?"
Troy was about to answer when suddenly Deeks' cellphone when off. "Sorry about that. I've got a meeting in an hour and should be getting back to the office. My assistant's probably calling to find out where I am." Deeks explained while getting up from his seat "Please contact me once you've heard back from your officers. We're missing something crucial here, and there's this unsettling feeling that I have that our problems are just beginning."
"Of course. This has been a very difficult time for us, however I can guarantee the SPD's full support in this matter." Troy reassured him "Once the detectives report in, I'll be in touch to update you on the situation. I want to figure out what happened to these officers that they round up in such a situation."
"Thanks. Good to know we're all on the same page." Deeks stood up "If I come across anything during my own investigation, I'll be sure to pass it along as well."
As he reaches the door he gives he turns back one last time to Troy "Also keep me posted of the search for Maero as well. From all accounts, it sounds like it's a case of self-defense despite him being a gangbanger. However, he might be able to shed some light on what the hell is going on."
Troy nodded "No problem. I'll keep you posted."
The moment Deeks left his office, Troy felt the tension he was feeling start to ease. But seeing the anxious expression on Chang's face told him that he wasn't about to have a moment of peace.
"What the hell is going on?" Chang asked tensely "I understand that the undercover operation was strictly 'need to know personnel only', but when two of officers assigned turn up dead and Internal Affairs becomes involved….then it becomes a situation of 'they need to know'. Why the hell didn't you tell Deeks the truth?"
Troy sighed "Right now, I have a sort list of people I trust with sensitive information and Deeks isn't one of them. And seeing as how this situation already went from bad to worse…..I'm still trying to get a picture of what could have happened."
Chang's eye her nervously "Does this supposed 'short list' include me?"
"Of course it does." Troy shifted uneasily in his chair "Other than Mayor Hughes, there are only three people who knew that officers were being sent undercover to infiltrate the Thrid Street Saints…and two of them are currently sitting in this room."
"And the third person?" Chang asked
"Detective Perkins was assigned to the case as with the duty of acting as a handler for the three undercover officers." Troy explained "With two rookie officers not known by criminal as law enforcement and another officer with previous undercover work in another city, they were the best canidates available. The plan was to have them infiltrate the gang before they closed ranks and started getting picky about their recruits. Between The Archangel being on life support the past couple of years and Johnny Gat being on death row, Mayor Huges figured they be more desperate to recruit new members. Especially after their recent escapes and having no gang or hideout that they could run to."
"Cleary that wasn't the cas doube. They probably had new members already lining up to join their gang. Which means that theory of them having another crew gathered is seeming more likely. Especially since they still had what was left of the original gang locked up. There's no way just two people would have been able to break out everyone in D-block. Even if we are talking about Johnny Gat and Archangel." Chang pointed out "That also means that they were being cautious about their recruiting for quite some time. It still doesn't explain why Douglas and Williams were trying to take out Maero while in police uniform. Could it have been part of their gang initiation?"
Troy shook his head "I highly doubt that she would send potential recruits on what would essentially amount to be a suicide mission. Even if they hadn't been killed, they wouldn't have gotten very far. There're only three streets leading in and out from that neighborhood. All of which had police blockades within minutes of the shooting being phoned in."
Brooks raised an eyebrow "With all due respect, why was the response so fast? Ezpata isn't exactly to sort of place the police respond to quickly."
"You're right. Which is why when I became Chief of police, I petitioned to have additional police stations setup in some areas to counter-attack that issue and overall belief. He explained "I didn't get every location I wanted, but those that were setup have seen varying improvement."
Chang frowned "Okay, then that means that Williams and Douglas would have both known about this information but been aware that their odds of surviving and escaping would have been almost non-exsistant. And you're sure this wasn't some sort of test to prove their worth to the Saints?"
"We can't rule anything out, however I reasons to believe otherwise. First, the Third Street Saints have always been loyal to each other. Where most other gangs will talk about family and loyalty, this gang will actually to hell and back for its members. And since Julius Little was never willing to use people in the gang as disposable soldiers, then I see a very low likelihood that the Archangel would."
"And what make you so sure of that?" Chang asked defiantly "Gang leaders always prostrate and give off a 'fearless leader' vibe when they want to make themselves seem like heroic anti-heroes fighting 'the man' or 'the government'. Or whatever the latest anti-establishment buzzword these idiots want to use. What makes her so different from the other gang leaders, both past and present?"
"She has a devotion to the gang that could almost been described as being cult-like." Troy leaned back in his chair "When the Vice Kings got the drop on her and Gat, they managed to capture him. He got shot in the leg distracting Big Tony, she threw herself out a window three stories up and landed badly on top of car. Broke six ribs, yet had the strength and willpower to run all the way back to row and tell everyone. Then, despite having several broken ribs, she tracked down where they were holding Gat in a matter of hours, then recused him singlehandedly and killed Big Tony in the process."
"I….I never heard about that." Chang remarked "But wouldn't it have made more sense to get help from other members of the gang? Why try doing it alone?"
"Julius yelled at her about doing that exact same thing. They way she explained it later that she was going to call in the crew and wait. But overheard the VK talking about killing Gat right then and there. She didn't want risk him dying while she waited. So after texting Dex and me her location, she moved in on her own. I guess her thinking was that if she died, at least we would know where to go." Troy explained "There was also another time when the Carnales tried stirring up trouble by shooting up the Row. One of their members tried shooting some kids leaving school who couldn't have been more than fourteen of fifteen years old just because they lived in the same neighborhood as the Saints. These kids weren't even wearing purple. They simply had the misfortune of living in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time."
Chang leaned in a little closer "They were going to kill a group grade-schoolers over something so trivial as where they lived?"
"Most gangbangers aren't usually the brightest of individuals. But group of Carneles shooter were morons even by gangbanger standards." Troy agreed "Luckily for these kid, The Archangel saw what was about to happen. Just as they were about to open fire, she managed to put herself between the children and the Carneles. Took over 50 rounds to chest, arms, and shoulders. Not a single bullet touched to kids because of her."
"How on earth did Anrchangel mange to survive?" She asked in disbelief "You hear stories about people dying after being on the wrong end of a stray bullet. How did she get hit that many times and survive?"
"Some other members of the gang saw what happened and rushed her to a hospital." Troy eyes narrowed "The bullets somehow didn't hit any vital organs or veins but did result in a massive loss of blood. Within a week she was out on the streets again like it didn't even happen. A few days after that, the Carnales who shot at those kids all turned up dead."
"Okay. So she's psychotic but loyal." Chang acknowledged "So where does that leave those three officers, one of whom is still missing?"
"I don't have the faintest idea as to what might have brought them there." Troy admitted "But since they were trying to infiltrate the Saints, it means that they either turned tail and decided to go vigilante cop, or thes officers were ordered by the Saints to carry out this hit on Maero."
"The car that officer Douglas was in had documents for targeting all the leadership of the Stilwater gangs. This also included the Saints." Chang pointed out "The other gang leaders tend to avoid moving around publicly. And with the Third Street Saints still moving about quietly. That leaves Maero as the only viable target that they would be able to move in on. They might have tried to assassinate him first due to his being a target of opportunity and not because someone sent them."
Troy nodded, although he still wasn't convinced "I guess that a possibility that has to be considered as well."
"Well I think I've taken enough of your time." Chang stood up "I'll be in touch should I require anything. And should you need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask."
As Chang closed the door behind her, Troy finally felt all the tension leave his body. Either the Saints were getting smarter or his officers had gone off mission and try to become killers. And in that moment, Troy was completely at a loss on which scenario would be worse.
Rodney stood in Mei room waiting for her. Gat had passed along that she wanted to speak with him about a few things. He was so nervous it might be something about his sister that he almost jumped out of his skin when the boss entered the room. She was wearing her purple and plaid miniskirt with a purple dress shirt with the top button open. Apparently, she had bought several of the same outfit from brown baggers, so it was sort of running joke as her, Gat, and the other lieutenants always seem to be wearing the same outfits most of the time.
"Rodney! Just the homie I wanted to see. Wanna beer?" She asked as she walked over to the mini-fridge next to her bed.
"Sure!" He replied "I'll take a Guinness if you got one."
Mei tossed him a Guinness and motioned for him to take a seat at the circular table in the room, which he did. Mei then proceed to take a seat next to him.
"First, let me once again say it good having you and the OG Saints back" Mei started "While nothing can bring back the others we lost five years ago. I'm relieved that I was able to make amends to you and the others locked up."
Rodney waved her off "That's the risk we take Boss. Not to mentioned that was more to do with fucking Troy than with you. But I know you didn't call me up here to apologize for shit that's not your fault. What's on your mind?"
Mei took a large swig of Guinness before putting the bottle down "We've acquired a large 10-floor parking garage for the gang in the factory district. It's also possesses two additional sub-basement floors on top of that. You're the best wheelman we have and bit of a gearhead as well, so I want you to oversee the setup of this location. I want one of the sub-floors converted into a mechanic shop to modify the cars we bring there while the other sub-floor we'll use to test driving the cars. You'll also be oversee teaching the crew your evasive driving skills as well. The other floors will serve as regular parking for the modified cars."
"That sounds cool Boss. Thanks!" Rodney beam with pride "But why go through such an elaborate setup? Why not just use a regular RimJobs Autoshop? It would probably be cheaper and faster."
"But it wouldn't be safer. Besides, I don't want to run the risk one day that some bodyshop owner gives somebody up to cops and sets up a sting operation in their shop. We'll most likely setup a few other locations like this once we have more cash coming in." Mei explained "Most importantly, we'll use these locations to install modifications that aren't exactly street legal like armor plating, stash compartments, etc. Also, I want you to source these cars from junkyards only, nothing that's got and owner. And before you ask, killing someone and taking their ride counts as 'having an owner'. I don't want to attract attention to us, and there's still plenty of people watching for shades of purple. Also, we can't chance stealing something that has a tracker and bringing the cops down on us."
"No problem. I've got a bunch of contacts that I can source for most, if not all the parts will need." Rodney smiled deviously "And the best part is that I never mentioned them to Troy. The way he used ask about my parts suppliers made me think he was going to round up some of the crew and steal all their shit. Now I know he was going have them thrown in cells right next to me."
"That also means that some of your old contacts are probably going to be extra cautious about doing business with you." Mei warned as she finished her Guinness "Get busted for doing business with a gangbanger is one thing, but getting busted associating with an escaped criminal is going to come with more heftier jail sentence. So they're going to be somewhat anxious and possibly want a larger payout for parts."
"That's to be expected. However, some of the guys I dealt with don't or won't care." Rodney assured "Although there are a few contacts that I'll probably hold off on approaching until we're more…established in Stilwater again and the idea of doing business with us doesn't seem as detrimental to their health as they assumed."
"Good to hear you're ready to jump into this project with both feet." Mei got to retrieve another beer "Which leads me to another piece of business."
Rodney started drinking his Guinness once more "Sure Boss. And what would that be?"
"The fact that you keep trying to get Becky removed from the Saints." She replied bluntly
Rodney almost choked on his beer upon hearing these words. He had voiced he worries to some of the crew including Gat regarding her being part of the Saints, but didn't think anyone would relay it to the Boss herself.
"Um….how did you hear about that?" He asked nervously
"Rodney. It's not exactly a closely guarded secret that you don't want her in the Saints." Mei replied with the same blunt tone "And between the members of the gang you've told, not wanting her out on missions, and calling her while she's on jobs for the gang…..it would literally be easier to make a list of people who don't know you want her out of the gang."
"Ok…I see…." Rodney shifted uneasily in his seat "Did she happen to come to you and complain."
Mei shook her head "No. But a lot of the crew and some of the lieutenants came to me in confidence and voiced their concerns. Remember, while new and old Saints are both seen as equals. The new guys are still going to take a page from the OG Saints. How do you think it looks that you have a constant issue with your sister being in the gang? What are the new guys going to think about Shaundi, Alice, Ghost, and even me if you're voicing concerns about when being in the gang."
"I know. And I'm not trying to a chauvinistic pig in any way." Rodney Assured "Hell, I'm one of the dudes who canonized you…and got their asses kicked for their troubles by you."
"You were the only person to land a hit on me." Mei giggled "Those were good times."
"They truly were." Rodney smiled "But my sister's not you or Brooks, or Lily, or even Alice. I promised my Dad before he passed that I would look out for her."
"And you've done a remarkable job of that." Mei held his hand gently "But there's a difference between protecting and making someone feel weak."
Rodney hung his head "I know. It's just weird for me to have her here."
"Well she's isn't going anything homie, so you're going to have to learn to adjust." Mei replied "Also, for this project, I'm assigning Becky to act as your go-between for the part purchases since aren't going to be able to run the risk o meeting with you in person. Ghost and Monster will be assisting as well. Ghost grew up around cars and is a skilled gearhead. Monster also have experience with body repair work. They can also assist you in giving Becky cover for the meetings with your contacts. Also, Pierce has a supplier who's willing to part with what they claim is a cargo container filled with high-performance engines."
Rodney's eyes narrowed "Sounds like a fucking trap to me."
Mei nodded "I agree with you completely. I felt nervous enough doing that deal with Samson and we've know him for years."
"So why take the risk?" Rodney asked "Even if my contacts don't pan out, I'm sure we can find others."
"Even with your contacts, its still to risky dealing with just the people we know. Especially since we don't know who Troy might try to put pressure on for them to set us up. Remember this: While we like this place, its still too dangerous having the entire gang in one place. It would literally be the reverse of when we broke the crew out of D-block. At least until we have more numbers and firepower."
"Ok. I'll talk to Pierce and work out the details." Rodney stood up "I'll catch you later Boss."
As he exited the room, Mei smiled to herself. She admired his protectiveness of his sister. But if her assumptions were correct, she was looking at another Badass like herself or Cassie in the making.
