50. Shane
50
SHANE
S he came out a minute later, an attitude cold enough to give a guy pneumonia and eyes that were lit with hate.
I didn’t care because she was here. She was coming with us. She stopped, perused over everyone and I shook my head when she finally looked at me. She wasn’t riding behind anyone except me. Her eyes went flat, her lips thinned, but she came and swung up behind me.
She snuggled in, dressed for the cold in a jacket, but I could still feel her breasts pushing up against my back. I liked that. I liked feeling all of her against me.
I led the way, and an army of Harleys pulled out behind us.
We were weaving down the roads and in a way, it was a nice ride. Peaceful. Not a lot of others out and about because of the hour, and when we rolled close to Albuquerque, I turned into a gas station. We stopped already once, but we’d all need to fill up again.
As they did, a prospect handled mine, and as Kali stalked inside, I sent off a text.
Me: In NM at a stop. Where should we go?
Heckler: Coordinates.
Heckler: Park the bikes in the shed. There’s someone there to help, but you’ll need to head on foot to where we are.
Me: Sounds good. See you soon.
There was no chitchat, not with what we were heading into so I was surprised when I felt someone coming up behind me.
I turned, and turned right back. It was Claudia.
She chuckled, her hands pushed deep into her jacket’s pockets. “Don’t think I didn’t register the little snub, but no worries. Not the reason I’m here. Noticed my sister’s attitude when she came out. So.” She moved her foot around on the pavement in front of her. “She usually reserves that pure hatred for me or our mother. You’re neither. What’d you do to piss her off?”
“You can ask her.” I leaned forward on the bike.
“Claude,” Machete tried to call her back.
The door’s bell pinged on Kali’s exit, and she slowed, seeing us talking, but just narrowed her eyes and kept coming for us. I sat up, and she touched my back as she got behind me. “You should piss, Claudia. I saw the coffee you took with you after the last stop.”
Claudia snorted, but sashayed inside.
Corvette laughed. “You’ve got a woman, Machete. I don’t know what else to say about that, but she’s definitely a woman.”
Machete laughed. “She’s fire. That’s what she is.”
Kali snorted behind me. “That’s one adjective to use for my sister.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “We’re talking?”
“No.” But she slid her arms around my waist, and leaned forward, resting against my back.
When everyone was done and ready to go, Kali never moved a muscle as I took off again. I knew better than to think she was going to get over what I told her about Connor. Not my girl. She was plotting, and when we pulled up to the place Heckler gave us coordinates to, she got off my bike and I saw her watching her sister.
One of the prospects ran into the house, and a moment later, he came back with another guy. We were being waved to pull in and park our bikes so they were hidden. I went to find Kali, but Roanoke found me.
“What’s the plan now?”
“Heckler and the rest of our charter are back that way, watching where Estrada’s men are. We don’t need everyone for this job so I was thinking you and the rest could stay here, keep an eye out for anything.”
“Sounds good.” He shifted to the side, seeing Kali had come back out to the front porch. She sat, and watched us right back. “She’s in a better mindset than when I first met her.”
“Yeah. She’s got a new purpose.”
Roanoke frowned. “Don’t know if you want to know, but the other lady is going to be fine. Got word from my guys at the hospital that she’s stitched up and given a severe warning to keep her mouth shut, but she’s worried about her daughter.”
“I know. We’ll get her kid back, then decide how to use her moving forward.”
“I figured as much.”
There was an extra edge to his tone, so I asked, “You got an opinion on that matter?”
“They took her kid. She was trying to do what she needed to save her kid. Everyone here can relate to doing extreme shit for our loved ones.”
“I know, but considering her cousin was the one selling us out to Estrada, I think we need to tread lightly here.”
“I was told it was her brother who turned him in too.”
He brought up another good point, and I understood what he was saying without saying it. “I hear you, Roan. We’ve not done any unnecessary killing so far. We even handed over Estrada’s guys.”
He snorted. “Estrada’s guys won’t say shit. And you know they’ll get killed in the county lockup within a day.”
“But it won’t be at our hands, and they’re given a chance this way. The vote to leave the cartel was also a vote to try to turn our club around, to a better path. We’re trying to do that too.”
He gave me a look, but sighed and nodded. “Okay. We need to remember that Shelly’s husband was a Red. That shows some respect there.”
“I know.”
My response seemed to appease him, because he reached out and clasped my shoulder with his hand. “I’ve respected Raith, but if for some reason he doesn’t pull through, you’ll make a good national prez. I’d ride into battle with you any day.”
I gave him a grin. “You’re going to make me all choked up, Roan.”
He barked out a laugh. “That’s what I’m known for, making grown bikers cry.” Spotting Kali watching us, he nodded at her again, his tone growing more serious. “Assuming you’d like us to watch her while you take off?”
“I would indeed.”
“Consider it done.”
I got the text from Heckler then.
Heckler: Heard you arrived. Follow these directions to our spot. Come in fast because we’re getting movement outside their house.
“We gotta go.”
I gave Kali one last look, but she was still hating me and I couldn’t blame her. I was hating myself, had been for a long time, but I loved her. I’d never not love her, but well, I’d have to handle whatever she cooked up to save Connor. She had to be her, and I had to be me.
We ran in hard, and drawing up to where Heckler said they were hidden, I pulled out my flashlight and sent a quick reflector their way.
They flashed us back so that was a signal we could approach, knowing it was safe.
As we drew up, Heckler and the guys were all on the ground, all in black. He sidled out of his hiding spot, moving farther down the hill and then standing to find me. “Hey.”
It was good to see him. The rest of the guys too.
“Damn, man.” Heckler was taking me in too, shaking his head. “Been way too fucking long.” He pulled me in for a hug, which shocked me. Heckler was the unpredictable sort. Rough around the edges. Never could get a read on what he liked or what he didn’t. He could bring home a stray cat one day, and the next day pistol whip a teenager who dared to touch his bike, all the while holding the stray cat. I loved the guy, and even in all black clothing and a black hat, the dude’s weird almost albino-coloring couldn’t be squashed. He and his niece. Both didn’t look from this world. Almost white hair. Crystal fucking clear eyes. Someone could tell me they actually were not human and I’d entertain the idea, but Wraith, Max’s nephew, had the same striking clear eyes and since there was no shared blood between them, that they must be human.
The rest of the guys did their hellos, but I wanted to get to business. “Are you tracking Estrada?”
“Yeah. We’ve got nine hours to handle this before moving in on him.”
“Okay. Let’s figure out a plan and get this done.”
Ten minutes later, we had our plan.
That’s when Heckler asked me, “You got the mask?”
I didn’t like wearing a mask when I loved, but when I killed, that was a whole other matter.
I gave a slow nod. “I got the mask.”