“Rooster’s been digging into Shadow. He hadn’t brought it to the table yet because he didn’t have solid proof, but given what we were voting on, he told us he suspected Shadow was the one who shot you.”

“Fuck!” He squeezes his eyes shut.

“Something coming back to you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. What’d he say?”

“He came clean, brother.” I tip my chin in his direction. “About the shooting.”

Sway struggles to sit up. “He shot me?”

“Afraid so. Thought you weren’t doing enough to stand up to National and take over more territory.”

“Oh, fuck that. I should’ve sent him to take over New Jersey and let them kill him.”

“How’d you ever let him slip under the radar?”

“I had my doubts. Told you that before. I was trying to keep him close. Until I had something more solid to go on.” He touches his head. “Maybe too close.”

“Well, it’s done.”

“I hope you made it hurt.”

I tilt my head not really answering. “I want Rooster as VP. Going to put it up for a vote today.”

“I support that.”

I wasn’t really asking for Sway’s opinion or advice, but it’s good to know he agrees.

The door swings open and a fuckin’ ghost walks in.

“Sway?” she rasps. Her soft amber eyes meet mine and she shrinks back against the door.

This calmer, less made-up version of Tawny is fuckin’ eerie. Without the teased hair, pounds of makeup, tight clothes, and sky-high heels, she looks about twenty years younger than I remember.

“Z,” she finally says in the same dramatic, breathy voice I recognize. “You’re here with him. Good.”

“Where’ve you been?” I growl.

“Where I told her to be,” Sway says.

“What?” My jaw drops. I wasted a lot of time searching for her ass. “How?”

“It’s an agreement we made a long time ago. Anyone ever tried to take me out, she was supposed to go somewhere safe and wait for me to contact her.”

My eyes are so fucking wide, I probably look like a damn cartoon. “Jesus Christ, Tawny. I thought you mighta done it for a while.” Fuck, I’ll admit it to her face. She’ll probably take it as a compliment.

“Nah.” She runs the back of her hand over Sway’s bristly cheek and stares down at him with an affection I haven’t seen on her face in fifteen or more years. “I wouldn’t risk ruining this handsome mug. I’d shoot him in the dick, for sure.”

I can’t help it. After every crazy absurd thing in the last twenty-four hours, I sit back and laugh until my stomach hurts.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Z