Jade looks at me, a slow, resolute nod settling over her features. "We're not sitting in the corner."
"No," I say as the heavy chain-link gate creaks open. "We're definitely not."
I pull the SUV into the gravel yard behind the garage. The compound is already humming with tense, muted activity. Two prospects in heavy coats are sweeping debris near the back dumpsters, their movements quick and jumpy.
Up on the back porch of the clubhouse, Rook stands under the wooden overhang watching us, a mug of coffee in his hand, his gun on the table within reach.
I park the SUV right beside the garage entrance and cut the engine.
"Ready?" I ask, turning to Jade.
Jade takes a deep breath, smoothing down the lapels of her jacket, her chin lifted high. "Ready. Time to open the bar, do my job, and ke
