Niro (Henchmen MC Next Generation 1)

Judging by Val's fat feet, he was going to be a pretty big guy.

And if A had ten of those pretty big guys, yeah, I could see them being a pretty good first line of defense in protecting whatever sort of criminal empire he had going.

If they didn't work, there were always the guns.

"Do they need to come in for vaccinations?" I asked, pretending like I was just asking casual questions as I checked Val's teeth, but the words of the Henchmen were playing in my head over and over.

They hadn't thought I'd heard them, of course. But I had. And the comments stung.

About how I wasn't "one of them."

How I wasn't someone who thought to gather whatever information they could in whatever situation they found themselves in. No matter how scared they were.

I didn't want to be a biker.

I didn't even want to be cynical enough to view every new person in town like a possible bad guy, some threat to the club that my loved ones had fought so hard to keep going.

But that said, I did want them to know I could handle their life. Namely, I wanted Niro to think that. I liked that he saw me as sweet and soft because I liked being those things. Still, he needed to know that I could act when I needed to, that I could think past my fear, that I could bring them all useful information if I found myself in another dangerous situation.

"They got vaccinated back in our old town," A supplied, smoothly catching the chart as I nearly knocked it off the table. I wasn't sure if having lightning-fast reflexes was something the Henchmen would want to know about, but I noted it regardless. Along with the tattoos and scars I had somehow missed the last time.

There was a bold "AC" tattooed over the top of one of his hands, a skull on the other.

And there was a ring on the ring finger of his left hand. Silver or white gold with a rectangular top encrusted in diamonds with one ruby teardrop in the center.

Again, maybe it was nothing, just an eccentric taste in jewelry, but it could have meant something too.

So in case I got to walk away from this, it was all information I could share with the Henchmen.

Maybe it wouldn't lead anywhere, but at least they would know I tried, that I had kept my cool and been aware enough to try to get some information back to them.

"If you want, we can contact the old vet and have the records sent over. If you plan on bringing the whole pack here for their care," I added, squeezing the puppy's rump skin playfully a few times before injecting his rabies shot, getting only a small whimper.

"Maybe. We'll see how it all shakes out, Doc," A said, shrugging.

"Can I give him a treat?" I asked, reaching for the glass jar.

"Sure."

"Are you, ah, liking Navesink Bank?" I asked, breaking up the chewy treat for Val.

"I'm thinking it will do," he agreed, confirming my fears.

There had been some whisperings about the cartel just passing through, just taking out local competition, but maybe settling somewhere else in New Jersey.

For some reason, I hadn't ever bought into the theory.

And A was confirming it.

That couldn't mean anything good, right?

I mean, they'd shot one of the Vultures.

They'd kidnapped me.

They'd shot other men that day too.

Three different organizations impacted by one move they made.

What could that mean for the future?

"There are some really nice areas around here too," I told him, getting the puppy another treat. Stalling. "I actually really liked it in New York State too."

"You hear this, Marco?" A asked, tsking his tongue. "Sounds like lil' mama don't want us in this nice little town of hers."

"I didn't say that!" I insisted, voice squeaky. "I just... there are a lot of people here. A lot of established, um, businesses. It seems strange to want to stay here."

"Way I hear it, things have been quiet around here as of late," A said.

"If you call kidnapping and torture and shootouts and more kidnappings quiet, I guess," I agreed, shrugging.

"From where I'm from, lil' mama, that's a quiet Tuesday night," he told me, voice low, a little colder, darker than I'd heard it before. But it was gone as soon as it started as a big grin broke across his face. "What's not to love about Navesink Bank? Close to the beach, to the city, got all kinds of restaurants and bars. Lots of locals to get to know. And if they don't like us here, lil' mama, we will just have to deal with that, won't we?" he asked, that coldness slipping into his voice again. "So, we good?" he asked, reaching to grab Val.

"I, ah, yeah, we're good. He would need to come in about three months from now to be neutered."