Chapter Five
Dan
Dan took the second position in their little two-bike convoy out to her shop, and he pulled in a long, relieved breath when the shop’s windows were all intact.
The glass of the door had been tagged, though, and he studied the writing left behind as he heeled down the kickstand and stepped off the bike.
“Hey, don’t worry about it, Riley. I’ll have someone bring out some paint thinner. What color do you want when we repaint the wooden frame?”
Riley didn’t respond, and he turned to see she was staring at the paint too, but her expression wasn’t annoyance or even anger but a soul-deep fear. “Riley, you okay?”
“What do you think it says?” Her voice quavered, but she stood there with her chin lifted, strong and defiant. She spoke faster, louder. “Dan, what does it say?”
“It doesn’t make any sense. L I R N O R isn’t a word. Is it a name of someone you know?”
She pushed past him and unlocked the door. Held it open and asked again, “What do you think it says now?”
Dan realized he’d read the letters backwards, his mind making sense out of nonsense. “R O N R I L still isn’t a word.”
“Ronnie and Riley. That’s how he referred to us after a while, because he kept me on a short leash. RONRIL. Anywhere we went, that’s what he labeled us. What he called me.” She pulled in a shaky breath. “Only Ronnie would know that.”
“Okay. Give me everything you remember about this Ronnie, and I’ll get Denver looking him up. Sooner we do that, the sooner we’ll have an idea on what’s going on.”
“He’s dead or supposed to be.” Riley looked around. She appeared to be piecing herself back together with every word and breath. “I need to get set up for my first appointment, Dan. I’ll be fine here. You can go back to your regularly scheduled life. Can’t babysit me against a dead man.”
“Tell me what you remember. What’s his full name?”
“Ronald Valdez. Ronnie. He’s from Bakersfield, out in Cali, and ran with a small-time boost crew up and down the West Coast.” She laid out paper towels and tools, hands shaking.
He wanted to comfort her but was afraid he’d pull her out of the moment.
“Got me involved, that’s how—” She hauled in a hard breath, pausing.
“Jesus. So much for going slow in the reveal. But, in for a penny, right? That’s how I got arrested.
I should have known better, but I thought he’d protect me.
He made a dozen promises, and I believed him right up until the state bus drove into the sally port of the prison. ”
“When was that?”
“Years ago.”
“Okay, how did you hear he’d died?”
“One of his crew had friended me on social media while I was in prison. Three years later when I got out, I accepted the friend request, thinking it was maybe Ronnie asking, because I’d started looking for him.
Ronnie had gotten involved in an MC, so I hunted him down.
Finding him didn’t end well for me. I heard he’d died after that.
I didn’t have the appetite to ask any more questions, and I didn’t want anything to do with anything at all that Ronnie had touched.
I wanted, still want, to make my own way. ”
The roar of motorcycles was coming closer. Dan checked his phone to see his request had been confirmed and men were coming. But these were too quick to be his guys.
“Where’s the entrance to your apartment?”
Riley turned to him, eyes wide and pointed to a blank section of the wall.
“Go, go.” He pulled his gun out and backed up a couple of paces, keeping track of Riley in his peripheral vision as she went over and pressed in on an ornamental picture frame.
He heard a click, and the segment swung out a couple of inches.
Riley pointed to the gap, and he nodded.
She went through, and he took a step to the side, pushing the hidden door closed until it clicked back into place.
The front door rattled and then opened, and Dan cussed himself for not making sure they’d locked it behind them on entry. Two large frames filled the opening, the sunshine outside making it impossible to identify faces.
“Stop right there, motherfuckers.” He pointed his gun at the blobs in the entryway. “Way I see it, if I shoot up in amongst you, I’m guaranteed to hit something.
“Jesus, Dan, it’s Denver and Rocker.”
At the familiar voice, Dan lifted his gun to the ceiling.
“I coulda put a hole in one of you.” Dan walked to the wall and pressed on the same ornamental frame, feeling a vibration through his fingertips.
When the door opened, he saw Riley standing there, pale and sweating.
“It’s okay.” He holstered his gun. Dan opened his arms, and much as she had with Dawg the day before, Riley rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck.
She tucked her face into the crook of his neck, and her shoulders shook with the force of silent tears. “It’s okay, Riley. I got you.”
He heard the jingle of the front doorbell and glanced to see the two men had stepped outside. “It’s just you and me now, baby. You’re safe, Riley. I got you.”
It took minutes for the tears to slow, and he didn’t rush her, reveling in the sensation of holding her close. Of being the one she ran to when she needed solace. He silently vowed to keep her safe, no matter what. “I got you.”
“Sorry, Dan.” When she took a step back, she tucked her head down, and he lifted her chin with a finger.
“No hiding, Riley.”
Her gaze met his, and he knew what her ask was going to be before her lips even started moving.
“Back atcha, Raggedy Dan. No hiding from me, either.”
He pulled down his bandana, not making her say anything a second time.
“There you are.” She pressed her palm against his cheek again, something she had done before, and he found he really liked how open she was to touching his scarred visage. “Thank you, Dan. For making sure I feel safe.” She turned to look around the room. “Where’d whoever it was go?”
“They stepped outside for a minute. It’s Denver and Rocker. I didn’t ask why they were here.” He raised his voice, “Yo, guys, come inside.” Turning back to Riley, he asked, “How much more set up is there for your first appointment?”
“Um. Just my cups for the color.” She pulled a bag from a nearby cabinet and took a tiny little cup, smeared the bottom of it in what looked like petroleum jelly, and anchored it on the stainless-steel portion of her workbench.
“It’s a fairly simple design, mostly gray and black.
” She lined up the ink bottles. “I won’t fill the cups until the appointment shows and approves the sketch. ” She shrugged. “Saves money.”
“You have a lot of people ditch their appointments?” Denver had pulled a rolling stool from behind the display case.
“Enough to make me gun-shy.” Riley’s smile looked small and fearful.
Time to move things along.
“Why are you here, brothers?”
“Rocker’s an electrician, so he’s going to put a plug in the floor like you asked him to do.” Denver grinned and shook his head. “And I’m present because I want to make an appointment.”
“You don’t get an appointment until after mine.”
“When’s yours?”
Dan lifted his chin. “Was supposed to be yesterday, but that got preempted pretty hard.”
“Then set another appointment already, so I can get mine in right after you.” Denver spread his hands. “Easy as.”
“I was going to call you.” Dan pointed at the door. “I’m guessing you saw the tag?”
“Yeah, next on my list to ask about.”
“Riley had an ex named Ronald Valdez, and RONRIL was a short name for their relationship. She said he’d be the only one to know about it.”
Rocker looked back at the door and laughed. “I read it as LIRNOR and was trying to figure out what club that stood for. I’m going to go outside and check around.”
“Thanks,” Dan told him. “I haven’t had a chance to yet.”
“Okay, so we look up this Ronald and see what he’s got going on.” Denver shrugged off his backpack and pulled a laptop out. “Also easy as.” He put meaning to the words and had the laptop set up within a few moments.
“Except he’s supposed to be deceased for a few years now.”
“Huh,” Denver said, gaze fixed on the laptop. “That’s odd.”
“Yup. Sure is. Hey, I’ve got a prospect running some paint remover out. If you need to document, take pics now.”
“Will do.” Denver sounded distracted, staring at the laptop while he typed furiously.
“Maybe I’ll take some photos.”
“Mmhmm. Good.” Denver never looked up, and when Dan glanced at Riley, she was trying to hold back giggles and failing.
Rocker walked in with a shake of the head, then stopped before saying anything, looking between Dan and Riley. “What’s so funny?”
“I took those pics.” Dan pointed at Denver and held up a finger to shush Rocker.
“Mmhmm. Great.” Denver bent closer to the laptop screen, fingers still flying.
“Oh, got it. He’s in the ‘zone.’” He made air quotes around the word. “He gets like that. Don’t you, Denver?”
“Mmhmm. Sure.”
“That’s how we know he’s locked in. He won’t even look up until he finds whatever he’s hunting for.” Rocker looked around the studio. “Nice flash. Your artwork?”
“Yes,” Riley said, sweeping the area with an expression of pride.
“Every drawing is mine. Oh, speaking of sketches, we’ve put this one off too long, Raggedy Dan.
” She went to her chair and opened a portfolio stashed nearby, bringing out two or three sheets of paper.
“Here, let’s go over these concepts.” With a couple of pushes of the controller, she manipulated the tattoo chair so it rose to waist height and flattened out like a table.
“This is for what you originally wanted.”
The sketch was an oblong form with scrolls on the edges framing the center. That was filled with fifteen scattered stars, a double-edged sword piercing a heart, and set above it all was the shield of the US Army.
“Jesus, Riley. That’s gorgeous. I was afraid the things I wanted wouldn’t make sense together, but you emphasized the right stuff. I’m down. Let’s start.”