“I should have thought about snipers. This is on me. The Donahue’s calling card has always been ‘go big’. I had our men monitoring for bombs and toxins. Jesus.”
“Colin’s calling card is bombs, ese. This Redmond is different. All bets are off.”
“We’re going to need more intel on him, Torch,” I order, feeling old and tired. I want blood as much as Diesel does. I’m fucking wondering how many are going to die before we’re done here. “You sure about this, hermano?” I ask Diesel.
“We’re at war and we band together. I’m going to need a couple of hours to see to my men and have their bodies sent home.”
“Same here. You got a cage Pistol and Keys can use for transport?”
“Yeah. Got you covered. My connection with the state police and the sheriff’s office are running interference, too. You should be good to go.”
“I’m not sure it’s going to be easy to get the bodies right now, Skull. No matter what Diesel says. Besides, he was the one who picked this damn place. Perimeters should have been more secure,” Pistol says.
“Make it easy. Grease the wheels, use your charm if you have any, or fucking guns. I don’t care, I just want my men home.” My hand goes to Diesel to hold him back. He growls at Pistol, shooting him a look that could kill.
“Got it,” says Pistol, looking at Diesel, but not adding fuel to the flame right now.
“Okay, we’ll meet up at Pigeon River in two hours. Everyone have their shit together and be ready to move out. Torch, Sabre, and Briar, you’re with me.”
“Where’re we going, boss?” Briar asks.
“We’re gonna see if we can figure out where the snipers went. If we can capture one of them, that might be useful.”
“We’ve been looking for the last hour, Skull,” Pistol says. I’m really getting tired of the bastard. If I didn’t need Cade’s men right now…
“Then it won’t hurt for us to look some more. Didn’t I give you a job to do?” I ask over my shoulder, already walking off. I hear him grunt and take that as acceptance.
Diesel slaps me on the shoulder, which jars my fucking arm and hurts like hell, but I ignore it. “Your man needs to be taught who is in charge.”
“I’ve taught him. He’s just too fucking thick to remember.”
“Cut off his testicles. That’s not so easy for a man to forget.”
My hand rubs my sack in reflex.
“I’ll keep that in mind. For now he stands though, I need his brother’s firepower. See you in a couple hours, hermano.”
“See you then,” he says, slapping my back again before walking in the opposite direction.
I hop on my bike and take off, my men following me. I need to get this shit done and get back to Beth. I’ve got to keep her safe. This attack was different from anything the Donahues have done before. I have to tighten the circle around her even more… and soon.
Skull’s late. Dinner was hours ago and it’s dark outside now. I asked Latch if he had heard from them. He got this strange look on his face which worried me, but all he said was that they’d run into some trouble. He swore to me Skull was fine, but it feels like he’s keeping something from me. My phone rang three other times today. It was my father each time, and each time I hit the button to decline the call. I can’t talk to him. I have to keep holding on to hope.
It’s all I have.
I spent all day cleaning the compound like a crazy person. The muffler bunnies were giving me the evil eye, and the men were all looking at me like I’d lost my mind. I have. Until I know if Skull can end this war and contain my father, I’m going to be certifiable.
“You’re looking better these days, Beth,” Latch says.
I’m organizing the back of the bar while Latch sits on a stool in front of me nursing a beer. I blow out a large puff of air because if Latch knew what a mess I was inside, he probably wouldn’t say that.
“I’m trying to have faith,” I tell him.
“Good to know,” he says, taking a drink.
“Tell me about your sister.” I need something to take my mind off of things.
“How do you know about Lucy?”
“I heard some of the girls mention that you help take care of your sister. They think that means you’re sweet and caring.”
“You know better?”
“I think you probably care about your sister, but the fact that you step up to the plate to help her doesn’t make you sweet.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Yep. I think it just means you use that to get into women’s pants.”
“Sweetheart, I don’t need help to get into women’s pants. They see me coming and that shit just magically falls off.”