Page 401 of Devil’s Disciples

“Alessandra ‘Ally’ Ferretti.” Tito held his phone in the air. “She’s on Lime Rock Park’s web page. You’ll Love this Baker. Said she set the record in a 1997 Porsche Turbo S.”

Baker was a Porsche fan, and had one that he raced, too.

“That’s a damned fine car,” Baker said. “It’s funny. That car set records in 1997, and it’s still faster than ninety-nine percent of what’s produced today. A dyno-tune on it will make it faster than anything on the road.” He shifted his eyes from Tito to me. “Do you think she can be trusted?”

“If she’s related to Franky ‘Fingers’ Ferretti, you know she can be trusted,” Tito said.

“Who the fuck’s Franky ‘Fingers’ Ferretti?” Baker asked.

I wondered the same thing.

Tito looked up from his phone. “Famous safe cracker. Did it for years. Suspected on multiple crimes, never charged, never convicted. Held the world record for cracking safes. He was smooth. Worked the east coast from the early eighties, up until the day he died, I guess. Some say he cracked thousands of safes.”

Baker looked at me. “Was her father a safe cracker?”

I nodded “Sure was. He taught her.”

“Just found his obituary,” Tito said. “Yep. That’s her. She’s listed as his only child.”

“Daughter of a famous safe cracker, huh?” Baker asked. “How do you know this chick?”

“Met her at that diner. She’s the girl that looks like Ghost’s fiancé.”

“You fucking her?” Baker asked.

“For the sake of this conversation, I don’t know that it matters much.”

“The hell it doesn’t,” he argued. “I don’t think having your love interest around is what’s best for this club.”

I knew damned good and well that I was falling in love with Ally. How I felt about her, however, wasn’t anyone’s business but mine. Admitting it to the club wasn’t going to do anything but harm the possibility of her being widely accepted by the others.

“I’m not saying I haven’t poked my dick in her.” I stood and looked at each of the men. “But she’s not my ‘love interest’. For the record, Baker, because of your ‘love interest’, we were chipping concrete off a cop’s dead body and tossing the pieces in a kiln owned by another club. Was that in the club’s best interest? Fuck no. Did ya hear anyone bitching about it?” I crossed my arms. “You sure as fuck didn’t.”

“Point taken.” Baker surveyed the group. “Thoughts?”

“If she can drive and crack safes, I’m all for giving her a chance. Maybe have her crack a safe in here, then give her a tryout on driving,” Reno said. “Have her drive the BMW. Big difference between it and a go-cart or little go-fast car.”

“If she’s Franky Ferretti’s daughter, I trust her well enough to see what she’s got,” Tito said. “She grew up knowing the value in staying tight-lipped. Give her a chance.”

Baker looked at Cash. “Well?”

“This the difference between doing jobs and not doing jobs?”

“Right now,” Baker responded. “Yes, it is.”

“Bring her in,” Cash said. “But I vote we don’t tell her shit yet. Nothing about who we are, or what we do. Not until she proves herself. Have her meet us at Goose’s place, not here. She doesn’t need to know about this place until we all agree. She’s gonna have a hell of a time convincing me, though.”

Baker looked around the room. “Motion?”

“I motion we give Alessandra Ferretti an opportunity to prove her worth at cracking safes. If she passes, we give her an opportunity to impress us with her driving,” Tito said. “After that, we can vote on letting her in. Meeting place, Goose’s house.”

“Opposed?” Baker asked.

The only sound was the one coming from my anxious heartbeat.

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Ally