CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Blue—
The door bangs against the wall, and Trip comes into our meeting room. He’s one of the Desert Dogs we just patched over, and our new tech guy.
“I got it.” He slaps a laptop on the table in front of Rio, who sits at the head, then points to the screen. “That’s Blue’s house.”
Rio motions me closer to have a look.
“How’d you get this?” I ask.
“Hacked into their internet and accessed the doorbell cam footage of the house across the street. Found this from the evening of the fire.”
My brothers all gather around to watch the video.
A bird flies onto the porch.
“That’s what activated the camera.” Trip points at the screen.
A moment later, a motorcycle rolls up the street, and we see the rider hurl something at the house and the flash of fire as it explodes.
My jaw clenches at the memory. The experience from inside the house was somewhat different. I remember the terror when I dove for Luisa, taking her to the floor and shielding her with my body as the flames flashed over us.
“Rewind it,” Rio orders. “Can you slow it down?”
“Sure.” Trip swivels the laptop and makes the adjustment, then turns it back.
“Right there. Stop it,” Rio snaps, and when Trip stops the video, we’re staring at a Devil Kings patch and rocker.
“Wait a minute,” I growl. “Back it up again.”
Trip replays it in slow motion.
“You see something?” Rio’s eyes drill into mine.
“That helmet.” I point at the screen, then look over at Bandit. “What was the name of that bike shop we stopped at in Chapparal?”
“Crazy Eddie’s.”
“The guy in that photo on the wall. He had one arm around his brother and with the other he was holding this helmet against his hip. I remember those devil horns stuck on the top.”
“The one with the scar you told me about?” Rio asks.
“Yeah. It’s him.” I stare at the screen. “I’m gonna kill the motherfucker.”
“Hold up. You’re not killing anyone unless I give you the okay, is that clear?”
“He could have killed Luisa.”
“Or you. But killing a Devil King is going to escalate this into an all-out war. Right now, they’ve just vandalized.
And as much as I want to put a bullet in his head myself, I need to take some time and think this through.
We do something, it’s going to be a foolproof plan.
No one is going off halfcocked. Could be they’re trying to draw us out into a trap. ”
“Prez is right,” Zig says. “We need to take our time and do this right.”
I don’t want to take my fucking time. I want to blow his brains out.
Rio studies me. “You hear from Sanchez’s daughter?”
I shake my head, not wanting to talk about it.
“Well, Sanchez hasn’t called me demanding your head on a platter, so you got lucky,” Prez says. “This time.” He slams the gavel down. “Meeting adjourned. Zig, my office.”
I don’t like it, but I know I have to live with it, so I shuffle out of the room and follow my brothers to the bar.
The prospects have beers waiting by the time we cross the room.
I check my phone. I had it silenced for the meeting. There’s a missed call from the landlord who owns the house I rented. He left a message, and I listen to it.
“The fire Marshall released the house after the investigation. I’ll be over there for the next hour if there are any personal items you want to salvage. They put it out quickly, so it’s mostly smoke and water damage except for the dining area off the front of the house.”
Mauler hears the message and meets my eyes. “Go on. I’ll cover for you.”
“Thanks, brother.” I head to my bike and roar across town, knowing I may have already missed him.
He’s just getting in his truck when I pull up, and he walks in with me.
I scan the damage while he waits just inside the doorway. “I’ll only be a minute.”
“Take your time.” He motions to the living room. “I left a box on the coffee table if you want to use it.”
“Thanks.”
I walk in and grab it, then turn and spot Luiza’s painting above the mantle. It’s untouched, thank God. I slip it in the box and move to the bedroom, grabbing the few items from the dresser and nightstand that I’d left here, then move to the bathroom to see if I left anything in there that I want.
I grab a watch off the counter, and my eyes land on the wastebasket. Two words in pink font on a box in the trash jump out at me.
Pregnancy Test.
Everything inside me stills.
I pick the box up. The test stick rattles around inside, and I pull it out.
Two pink stripes.
What does that mean?
I flip the box and read the directions.
Positive.
Holy fuck.
I shove the test stick and package in cardboard box with everything else and walk outside.
Once the landlord drives off, I balance the box across my gas tank and ride two blocks to the square in front of the Basilica and park.
I sit on a park bench with the box next to me and stare at the church.
I feel gut punched.
Leaning my elbows on my knees, I drop my head. I sit there for a long time, then call Bandit.
“Yeah. You okay?”
“No. You at the clubhouse?”
“Nah, me and Mauler came down to the garage to work on that damn Chevy that’s been givin’ us so much trouble. What’s up?”
“I need you, bro.”
His tone changes. “I’m coming. Where are you?”
It’s not ten minutes before I hear two Harleys roaring up. A minute later, I see their boots standing in front of me.
“Blue? My God, what is it?”
When I sit back against the bench, my eyes are glittering.
Mauler lowers to the seat next to me and puts a hand on my back, shaking me softly. “Talk, brother.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“Luisa?” Bandit frowns.
I nod.
“She tell you that?” he asks.
“I went to clean out what was salvageable from the house. I found the test in the bathroom.” I stare at the ground. “That night she said she had something she wanted to talk about. I figured it was something else. Never suspected this.”
“You’re gonna be a dad,” Mauler says, shaking me. “That’s great.”
“She’s marrying someone else, brother,” I snap.
“What? Who?” Bandit barks.
“Some kind of arranged bullshit. Guy named Mateo. Someone her family thinks is suitable.”
“So, what the fuck was she doing with you?”
I shake my head. “She said she loved me. The other day she showed up with his goddamn ring on her finger.”
“That’s some cold shit, Blue,” Mauler says. “You sure this kid’s yours?”
I glare at him, and he raises his palms.
“I’m just askin’ the obvious.”
“It’s mine.”
The two of them exchange a look like I’m playing a fool.
“What do you want to do?” Bandit asks.
“Did you talk to her?” Mauler asks.
“She’s not responding.”
“She may have blocked you. You’d never know it,” Bandit says.
“You want to take a ride over there? Say the word and we’ll get on the bikes and go right now.” Mauler is dead serious.
“Want my advice?” Bandit asks.
I don’t reply, but I look at him.
“Give it a few days. Let yourself absorb this news. Then you can talk to her calmly. She’s not walking down the aisle anytime soon. Those things take time to plan, especially seeing as how we saw the shindig Sanchez put on for his oldest daughter. This one won’t be any different.”
“Except she’s pregnant,” Mauler reminds Bandit. “Maybe she doesn’t want to be showing when she walks down the aisle.
Bandit looks at me. “Yeah, there’s that. Think anybody else knows about the baby?”
I blow out a deep breath. “I suppose if anyone knows, it’s her friend, Carmen.”
He quirks a brow. “Maybe you should talk to Carmen.”