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Rick Benetti had been fucked, and not in the fun way No potential to shoot the bad guys, no uncovering a drug sotten the babysitting job instead God forbid he should get a kick-ass assignment like the other Wild Riders
One would think working undercover for the governuys Like Mac had done when he’d had to carry around a live virus fro hands Or when Diaz and Jessie had gone undercover to join a bike gang that was selling guns to survivalists Or Spence, who’d had a prient Shadoe Grayson in a strip club in New Or-leans in order to bring in a rogue federal agent orking with the Colos
Now those were the juicy cases
Hihter who thought it
Like that was a national security threat?
Fuck More likely so her nose at Daddy’s authority by joining up with the Hellraisers biker gang Though Rick had to admit, the Hellraisers weren’t exactly the soft and cuddly type of bikers He should know—he used to be one of them
And the last thing he wanted to do after being out of the club for ten years was get back in it Which hat General Grange Lee, head of the Wild Riders, told him he’d have to do
His criminal past behind him, Rick had lived a clean life for the past ten years Not by choice, initially At seventeen he’d been bad and about to get worse Until one bust and the chance of a lifetie Lee had coo to work for the United States govern the alternative of prison, Rick had taken General Lee up on his offer
Noas heading back into his old life again, insinuating hi that had caused hias? His cousin Bo
Yeah, that made sense Bo had always been a badass Kind of like hirandeur General Lee had kicked that out of Rick Made hih, that was another matter Bo hadn’t had the benefit of General Lee’s firuidance
Maybe the Hellraisers had cleaned up their act in the ten years Rick had been out of the picture But frootten from General Lee at Wild Riders headquarters, it didn’t look that way Which hy he’d been given this assign and he could get in easier Second, because Ava Vargas’s involvement with the Hellraisers could be a potential eas, not to mention a national security risk, especially since Senator Vargas was currently working on significant national antidrug legislation
Rick supposed having one’s daughter involved in a suspected drug-running biker gang would be a PR night law
Still, Rick would rather be going undercover anywhere else but back with his old gang, even if he did see the logic of why he’d been given this particular assignment
Didn’t mean he had to like it
He’d fired up his Harley and ridden froas was about to roll out, so the Hellraisers should be on the Strip Now he just had to find theain
Rick rode the Strip, ignoring the colorful, neon flashing lights of all the casinos, his focus on the bikes and riders that had poured into town for the big blast that would last a week
Soroup of friends Others were part of clubs, their jackets and vests labeled with their gang na for Rick to find the Hellraisers They were a large group and their leather vests bore the flaoosed the throttle and increased his speed to catch up, riding past the gang until he spotted his cousin at the lead, then turned his bike around Bo had pulled up at a local hangout for bikers—a bar Rick rode in and parked next to Bo
Bo gave hilance of contempt, a “don’t fuck withBo hadn’t even looked at hiiven him a quick once-over and labeled him an outsider
“Still an asshole as always, aren’t you, Bo?” Rick said as he got off his Harley
Bo’s head shot up, then recognition dawned His face split in a wide grin “Rick? Son of a bitch It is you” He grabbed Rick in a bear hug “How long has it been?”
Rick hugged him back, then separated “Ten years, man”
They headed inside the bar and ordered two beers Rick noticed only some of the Hellraisers had come in with Bo The others stayed outside Watchers, no doubt, keeping an eye out for rival gangs the Hellraisersthe Hellraisers would want is to be cornered inside the bar The ones outside would give a heads-up if Bo and others needed to make a quick exit
Bo took a long pull froaze on Rick “Last ti arrested”
Rick laughed “Sa arrested at the sa”
Bo shrugged “I did six ot three years’ probation on that one But never saw you again What the hell happened?”
“You knoell as I do that wasn’t my first arrest like it was yours”
Bo grinned “I was sneakier than you And a faster runner”
“So you say I think you threw me under the bus”
Bo laughed “So, you did time?”
“They sent me down for three years”
Bo winced “Ouch That’s rough”
“Yeah After that I took to the road Prison was da I needed some space”
“So where’ve you been?”