Chapter Five
Hammer shook his head as she stared at the tiny screen in his hands. How had the fucker hidden her? Not just from him but from the world?
“Tell me again what your father said before he left.” Hammer looked up at the woman who had done what he’d said and hadn’t uttered a word of complaint.
“He said he had a meeting in Juarez tomorrow.” She turned and looked at the clock on the dashboard.
“Or today. Anyway,” she shook her head, then continued, “he said he wouldn’t be back for at least a week, maybe more.
That’s all.” He glanced at the clock. It was a little after midnight, Not terribly late but obviously late for her.
“What kind of work does he do?” Hammer knew the answer to that, but he wanted to know if she did, or if she would try to lie to him about it.
“I don’t know. I know he’s not a good man. I know he deals with men like him, but what he does?” She shrugged. “I have no clue. He doesn’t talk to me about it or say anything around me. I don’t know if he knows I would use it against him or if he’s that careful with everyone.”
Hammer looked up at her and lifted one brow. “Use it against him?”
She sighed. “I hate my father. If I had any information I could use to get away from him or to put him in prison, I would.” She shrugged again. “It wouldn’t do much good. He has too many connections, on both sides of the law, to stay in prison long.”
Hammer frowned. This woman, Camila she’d said her name was, was nothing like he would have expected, had he even known she existed.
“Why?”
“I told you. He has too many connections.”
“No, not that. Why do you hate him?”
“Because he’s an evil man. He is cruel and thinks nothing of hurting or killing people who cross him.”
“He’s the one that gave you the bruises?” He scowled as he remembered the marks he’d seen while she dressed.
She frowned, appearing confused for a few seconds then seemed to remember. Her frown cleared but she looked away.
“Yes.”
He wanted to ask why, but something told him he wouldn’t like the answer and, while the truck was roomy by most standards, with six of them in the cab it was a little tight. He let the question go, for now. He’d find out later.
“Why haven’t you left?”
“Because I’m watched. He has men around the house to make sure I only go where I’m allowed. They follow me when I go out, and they report everything I do to him. When I misbehave, I am punished. Or worse, he punishes those I care about ... and makes me watch.”
“What will happen now that you’re gone?”
“Who knows? But with him not planning to be back for at least a week, at least Maria will have time to leave too. What did you do with his men?” She tilted her head as she turned back and watched him.
“We never encountered any.” Hammer looked at Vicious, “Did you?”
His brother shook his head.
“No. I expected at least one, but we didn’t see anyone.”
“Do they ever leave you alone?”
She lifted one shoulder and let it fall.
“Not that I know of. Often at night one will be gone while the other stays, but they don’t talk to me, unless it’s to relay orders from Papá or make threats, so I don’t know where they go or what they do. I was in bed for the night, though. For all I know they always leave once I’m asleep.”
“What about this Maria? Where does she live?”
“In a little house on the other end of the property. Papá says he needs her close enough to take care of our needs, but not too close.”
Hammer nodded and turned his attention back to the screen.
What she was telling him about the housekeeper fit what he’d been able to find about the older woman.
As far as he could tell, Camila hadn’t lied to them about anything he could check, and that was far more than most people would know, so it looked like they could believe her.
That didn’t mean they could trust her. The only thing that would garner trust was time. He wondered how that would go.
“What are you going to do with me?”
“Well, that depends.” He rubbed the scruff on his jaw as if considering what they would do with her.
“On?”
“A lot of things. How you act, how honest you are, whether or not you betray us.”
“Betray you? How would I do that? I don’t know who you are. The only name I have is Goliath. And somehow I doubt that’s his real name.” She tilted her head to the man sitting on her other side.
“You’re right.” He sighed. “You have answered every question I asked. I guess it’s time to at least give you our names. I’m Hammer. That’s Vicious” He pointed to the man in the front passenger’s seat, then to the one next to him. “Frank and Sparrow.” He ended with the driver.
“Why does only one of you have a normal name?” she asked.
“Because he’s a prospect and hasn’t earned his road name yet. He’ll get it when he’s patched in. If he’s patched in.”
“Road name Is that like a...” she paused, “apodo?”
“A nickname? Yeah, but we earn them. It’s an MC thing.”
“MC?”
“Motorcycle club. We’re the Sons of Sin, chica.”
She fell silent. He wished there were more light so he could read her expression and know if she’d heard of them, if she was afraid of them. But they would be back to the compound before too long, then he’d learn more about her.