Another long pause. Rhett didn’t try to fill it. But then his mother surprised him.
“Oh, my goodness, we’re going to be grandparents!” Her squeal nearly deafened Rhett. He leaned the phone away as she screamed words Rhett couldn’t understand.
“Madeline,” his father said calmly.
“I can’t help it, Derek,” she exclaimed. “Rhett, this is so very exciting. I never thought you’d have children.”
He and she both. “It was a surprise, but a good one.” And he was beginning to realize just how good after this morning.
“Are you two serious?” his father asked.
A valid question since Rhett had never mentioned Kinsley at any of the times his mother had asked if he was dating. “More serious than I’ve been with anyone.” Which was the stone-cold truth. He’d never slept with a woman more than once, but Kinsley…yeah, this was different. “We’re…figuring how all this is going to work.”
“Sounds like a good way forward,” Dad said.
“Can I call her?” Mom asked.
That request was not unexpected. She knew Kinsley very well. They’d all grown up around each other. “Are you going to harass her, obsess over this, or in any way drive her nuts?”
“Rhett West, of course I won’t,” his mother rebuked him.
“Then I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.”
“Okay, well, let me call her then. Bye, honey. We’re so excited for you. Love you, and Happy Birthday.”
The phone line went dead. Rhett laughed and shook his head. His mother was a force, much like Kinsley. Truth was, she wanted details. Details she knew Rhett wouldn’t have. He placed his cell back on his desk and sighed. That went better than he thought it would. Rhett smiled at the joy in his mother’s voice. He didn’t know this kind of life. One he began wanting to hold on to.
A knock on his door erased his smile. Asher opened the door and said, “You can’t hide in here until your birthday is over.”
“Watch me,” Rhett countered.
Asher gave a dry laugh then dropped down into the client chair. “I hate to do this on your birthday, but I don’t have good news.”
“It’s fine.” Rhett waved him on. “Out with it.”
Asher’s expression turned grave. “The Wild Dogs are terrorizing towns up and down the East Coast.”
Rhett nodded, having found those same conclusions himself when he scoured the Internet and reached out to other police forces throughout day. “Let me guess, similar incidents are happening elsewhere?”
“Yes. The gang is taking over night clubs, strip bars, and everything in between, and the outcomes are not good.”
“Meaning?”
“Fires. Murders. Intimidation. Whenever they acquire a property, another similar property suddenly goes out of business. Either by fire, or because the owners walk away. These bikers make the Red Dragons look like a bunch of preschoolers.”
“Any arrests ever made?”
“When there are arrests, someone steps up and claims the crime, but the person who does is typically either a first-time offender or has crimes as a juvenile that get overlooked during prosecution.”
“This is not what we want.” Rhett scrubbed at his face, almost wishing they were dealing with King. At least they knew how King worked. Rhett had no idea who he was up against, and he didn’t like it, not with Kinsley involved. “Kinsley told me last night that she’s closing the bar until we get this squared a
way. That should give us time to get this solved without placing her in further danger.”
Asher inclined his head. “That’s really for the best. The game has changed now. These aren’t some punks. These bikers use lethal force to ensure their competition is taken out.”
Rhett leaned back against his chair, stretching. “Did you get any good leads on them?”
“That’s the part that’s concerning,” Asher said, rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re clever, clean, and smart. They don’t leave evidence. Police reports all point to them, but there’s just not enough evidence to ever indict them.”