‘That British man. Pope. He did this.’

‘Pope?’ Sinclair asked with surprise. ‘You mean Cooper?’

‘He said his real name was Sam Pope.’ Raul spat on the floor. ‘Fucking cockroach. He did this and attacked our men. One of them is dead.’

‘You killed him, right?’ Sykes demanded. Silence. ‘Right?’

Raul looked away, and Sykes’s eyes bulged with fury. Before he could step forward, Sinclair threw an arm across his chest, holding him back. Loitering with malicious intent, Edinson kept his eye on the situation unfolding.

‘If he had any sense, then he’d be long gone by now. No doubt the Riders want him, as well as my ex-partner. There is still a deal to be done here. So, let’s get it sorted, shall we?’

As the voice of reason, Sinclair shot a glance to Raul and then to Sykes, hopeful that his words had diffused the situation. Gritting his teeth, Sykes nodded his agreement, and Raul once again lowered the gun.

‘Where is the money?’ Raul asked.

‘It’s safe. I want to speak to Vasquez first.’

Sykes and Raul eyeballed each other once more, both of them aware that there wasn’t room for both of them in the proposed new world. Sinclair sighed.

‘Enough dick swinging. Where is Vasquez?’

‘He’s in the bar.’ Raul pointed to the exit of the forecourt. ‘He got tired of waiting and wanted a drink. He isn’t happy with you, puta.’

‘Go.’ Sinclair turned to Sykes before he could react, and the unhinged biker glared at Raul before turning on his heel and heading back to the exit and the short walk down the dusty terrain to the abandoned bar.

It was time for him to take his rightful place.

Watching from the shrubbery, Alan pulled out his phone and keyed in a message to Sam. He’d seen Vasquez enter the bar over half an hour ago. Now, with Sykes moments away from starting the deal, Alan didn’t fancy his chances of taking them all down himself.

He needed Sam back now.

Watching as Sykes pulled open the door to the bar and stepped inside, Alan kept low and made his way through the dying greenery to the back of the building.

While he was waiting for Sam to arrive, he wanted to get a better look at the situation and find out what exactly was going on.

Keeping low to the ground, Alan scurried up towards the mill, well aware that he was fast approaching a situation he had no way of coming back from.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sam rolled Alan’s car back into the same parking spot where he’d picked it up and stepped out, the humidity covering the town of Lake View in an uncomfortable blanket. The air was thick and muggy, and Sam could feel the sweat trickling down his scar covered back.

His body had been through the wars.

Explosions.

Knife wounds.

Bullet holes.