11:35AM - Joel & Demi
Lifting one shoulder up in a shrug, Demi glanced around The Bar, her eyes landing on Isaac for a moment before she brought her gaze back to Joel. “You’re right, there aren’t a lot of neutral places,” she agreed. “And Isaac has his reasons for his dislike so all I’m hoping for is tolerance of their existence.” Never once had Isaac tried to change who Demi was or her loyalties, and while his dislike used to be a stumbling block in their relationship she had long since come to realize that just as he never expected her to change, she shouldn’t expect him to.
“I imagine that Bishop and Vic made it real clear that brawling wasn’t something they’d find acceptable,” Demi commented, a fondness in her tone as she mentioned the MC’s president and vice president. “They’re working real damn hard to mend the image of Hellhounds in Austin.” Her gaze slipped down to the aforementioned pepper spray and Demi smiled slightly. “But, if for some reason someone does step out of line, it’s good to know you’ve got this covered,” a beat passed. “Did you give your officers any instructions before this thing?”
“A few,” Joel admitted. “Most of it can be summed up as ‘play nice’. It’ll make all our lives a little less stressful if we can work on some bridges.” The facts of Demi Rafferty’s arrest were known to him, so he wasn’t all that surprised at her tone of voice when she spoke about Coldiron and Scherbatsky. She’d been something to Hawkins, near as Joel had figured out, even if she had never given anything up.
Relaxing his posture, he gave her a half-smile. “Coldiron and Scherbatsky have been good about cooperating, it’s got some of my people suspicious,” he admitted to her, “but I’m not. I’ve got a little more experience with MCs than they do.” The Road Devils had been bad men, but they hadn’t ever been hell bent on leaving a trail of destruction like the Hellhounds had been under Hawkins control.
“Play nice sounds like a good enough warning to me,” Demi remarked with a laugh. She could just about imagine that Bishop and Vic said something along those same lines to their guys. Whatever had been said on both sides, so far it appeared as if it were working and in all honest that was all Demi cared about. A fight breaking out at The Bar would create damages, both physical and relational.
At first the only clue that gave Demi away and the fact that she had registered Chief Kulseth’s admission to having motorcycle club experience was the raising of one expertly manicured eyebrow. She knew he came from Vegas because he had said as much in his interview, which put it a very likely chance that he had encountered the Road Devils before. “I don’t think your men have anything to be suspicious about,” Demi began, chewing on her lip momentarily before she added. “You’re from Vegas, right?” a beat passed before she tacked on. “Any chance your MC experience comes from dealings with my daddy’s club?” the questions was asked with a tone of curiosity and nothing else.
“LA,” Joel corrected, “but I worked in Vegas.” He waited a beat or two before he answered her question. Cop instinct kicked in and he found himself trying to suss out in her features what her motive might be for asking. He didn’t find anything suspicious though, and eventually decided to take it at face value.
Pushing a hand through his hair, quirking his mouth upwards, he nodded. “I was acquainted with the Road Devils. Never did anything but support on operations, but no cop working Vice in Vegas could have claimed ignorance to Rafferty and his crew.” He wondered if it came as news that law enforcement had put men inside the Devils, he had said as much in the interview with Cherry, but he hadn’t been faced with and MC princess when he’d been talking about it.
“The Hellhounds could’ve taken a note or two out of their book,” he added dryly. Demi more than anyone in the room, aside from the MC members themselves had knowledge of how most MCs ran, and how the Hounds had taken it to an extreme. Joel respected that.