Destroyer took his shirt back and pulled it over his head, settling it back over his broad chest easily. “Yeah, I know.”
Maestro took up the explanation. “The skulls lying on the ground are for missions for our country or pedophiles we’ve taken out. If you prefer, the kills for pedophiles can go under the tree, if you’ve got the room. Reaper and Savage pretty much have completely filled that space.”
Savage handed Destroyer his cut and all of them watched him put it on.
“You belong with Torpedo Ink, Destroyer,” Storm said. “It takes time getting used to having people at your back. Or getting into your business. But you belong. Those scars on your chest and back say so.”
Lana nodded. “I don’t know how Czar knows you so well, but if he’s willing to fight for you, and all of us are, you have to be willing to fight to belong.”
“Did you really think we were going to let some bastards come into our territory and hurt any of our people? Especially the old ones?” Savage asked.
Destroyer gave him a faint imitation of a smile. “You all talk too much.”
Player burst out laughing. The rest of the club members followed suit. “Gotta agree with you there, brother. Not only do they talk too much, they aren’t paying attention to the important things in life. We came here to figure out how to get my woman back for me. I don’t hear any suggestions.”
“I gave you a suggestion,” Alena disagreed. “It was a very good one too. You were there when we fought the Swords. You know what the Drake women can do. They’re all gifted. Heck, all the women Blythe claims as sisters are gifted. She is. We are. Hannah is no different. I’m telling you, if you’re serious about wanting to get Zyah back, go to her shop and at least look around. See if she has something that might work for you.”
Preacher gave Alena a mock scowl. “Are we talking some love potion? I can whip him up something. I’m the chemist in the family.”
Lana threw her arms into the air. “Here we go again. Player, if you listen to them, you are so going to lose that woman.”
“I say he just goes in and apologizes to her like a man,” Master declared. “Straight up. Tell her he was seventy-two hours without sleep and was delirious and out of his fuckin’ mind. He’s sorry and wants another chance. Women throw themselves at him. He’s got charm, and he can grovel if he has to.”
The others nodded their agreement.
“Did any of you bother to read the report Code printed out for us?” Lana demanded.
Player had. Every single word over and over. He had the damn thing memorized. He’d asked Code to keep digging. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Zyah.
“Code filled us in on the pertinent stuff,” Ice pointed out.
Lana exchanged an eye roll with Alena. “Here’s why Zyah’s going to shut Player down fast,” Lana said. “She isn’t someone who hooks up ever. There’s no evidence of it. Code couldn’t find it, and he looked. She travels all the time, and she doesn’t go clubbing. She doesn’t invite men to her hotel room. She was in an exclusive relationship, and she didn’t move in with the man or have him move in with her. That right there should tell you something about her.”
Yeah. Player already got that part. He knew he’d screwed up royally. The rest of the club didn’t want to get it. They were hoping it would be easy for him, but he knew better. The moment he remembered the look on her face when he handed her the money, he knew he was in trouble. It hadn’t registered that morning, but it was in his memory bank. He had that image etched into his brain. He’d hurt her. Crushed her. Shattered her.
“So, she meets our brother and falls for him like a ton of bricks. He gets all down and dirty with her and she’s thinking one thing and he’s thinking something altogether different,” Maestro said. “Or thinking with something altogether different.”
Player sighed. He hadn’t been thinking at all. His brain had short-circuited. “Shut the fuck up,” he said, just because it was expected. “I was half out of it.”
“Maybe,” Keys said, “but your dick was working fine.”
Another round of laughter went up at his expense. He couldn’t deny what they were saying. His dick had worked. All on its own. Just thinking about her made him ache. Unfortunately, Lana was right. He was going to apologize, because he owed Zyah an apology, and maybe the universe was going to be benevolent to him and give him a pass, but he doubted it. He wasn’t going to be that lucky. Not that she wouldn’t be gracious. She’d be kind and give him some bullshit saccharine-sweet lie about how she hadn’t given it a thought and not to worry. And she’d dismiss him.