6 Chapter 6

Saturday morning.

"Our informant just got off duty," Jared relayed to Vince as they walked across the construction site together. Construction was one of Vince’s legitimate businesses, creating the opportunity for his offices to remain mobile.

Jared was on the phone with the corrections officer they’d bribed into giving Enrico the message. It’d been a risky move to involve one of the prison guards, something they’d hoped to avoid. In the end they'd had no choice, they had to have a backup. Despite their bullying tactics, the nurse just wasn't coming through for them.

Jared and Vince had poured through their intel on individual guards and found one with a couple of weaknesses. Some serious gambling debts and steep alimony payments. Unable to make ends meet, he’d nearly tripped over himself to accept their bribe.

Jared grunted into the phone, speaking rarely, just listening to their corrections ‘friend.’ Vince didn’t like the man and how easily he’d fallen in line. No loyalty. It meant he may become a loose end that needed trimming.

Later.

For now, they would await word on the prison. His gut clenched in anticipation and fear. Jenna was inside the prison today. She started work right at noon. The thought of her in the prison while shit was going down distracted him, made him uneasy. As the nurse on duty, she’d have to deal with any inmates that were hurt. Vince needed someone to get hurt. Bad. Which meant she’d be called to the scene, a yard full of inmates.

Fuck.

It was the only part of the plan he was having trouble dealing with. But everything had to appear normal. She had to be there, in her usual place. No suspicion could fall on her when Buffalo died. Once business was taken care of and he could collect the woman, he’d never allow her to step foot in that shithole again. How an angel like Jenna Campbell ended up with a job like that was beyond him. She probably needed the money for her custody battle. He figured that was how she ended up in the falling down shack she called a house. She’d sold everything to continue paying lawyers.

Jared ended his call and put his phone in his pocket. They climbed the metal stairs to Vince’s trailer and went inside. Dumping their hard hats, they sat on opposite sides of the desk.

"The message was sent," Jared said with some satisfaction.

Vince nodded, his eyes sharp. "The nurse?" he asked.

The look on Jared’s face clearly told Vince the other man was hoping he’d forgotten about the red-headed bundle of sexy. As if that would happen. He grunted, shifted in his chair and shrugged. "She failed."

Vince flashed him a grin. "Cheer up, J. We’re about to go to war with the Ghosts. You’re the one who’s been restless lately, wanting to blow off a little steam. Didn’t you tell me last week you’ve been craving some blood? Here you go, heads on a platter. Enjoy!"

Jared shook his head, his eyes flashing. "You’re a sadistic fucker, you know that? I want every last Ghost to die for what they did to us, but I don’t want Jenna to get hurt. She was nice to me and she has a daughter."

"Nice? Did you just say the word ‘nice’? Jesus fuck, man, you are a pussy whipped motherfucker," Vince guffawed, ignoring Jared as he stood and stomped toward the door. "Don’t forget to take your hat with you. I don’t need those safety and regulatory fuckers sniffing around my shit."

Jared bent to scoop his hat off the couch by the door before leaving.

"Another thing," Vince drawled.

Jared looked back, jamming an orange safety hat over his thick sandy blond hair and glaring at his best friend.

"I need some extra security on my home. I’ll need it in place within the next few hours. Shift some of our more trusted guys around so they’re on the house and hire new for the work yards until you can find people you trust."

Jared frowned and nodded. "You need to keep someone in or someone out?" Though they were business associates, they were also friends. He wanted to know if Vince was expecting trouble so they could kill it together, like in the old days.

"Both," Vince said with a grin of anticipation. "I'm going to bring home a new acquisition and we're about to piss off our biker friends. Don't want them thinking they can bring a war to my doorstep."