After reaching the campsite, Austin made Lexi sleep in the bunker with Jericho so she could keep an eye on him. During the walk, she’d complained about a sharp pain, and that left him wondering if he should send her to Church’s house. But without knowing what things looked like on the outside, he didn’t feel safe letting her out of his sight.
Maizy strolled by with a bundle of dirty laundry in her arms. Her green shirt had soaked up some of the water from her wet hair. “If anyone wants to wash up, the creek is all yours. Denny said he’s not coming out until he prunes.”
Naya gracefully stood up and grabbed her clothes. “I can get him out, darling. My panther is dying for a bath.”
A few of the men chuckled as she sauntered toward the creek located just over the hill. It was an ideal site because the water was deep and wide, giving them a place to bathe. The fog had thinned some but still provided them cover beyond fifty feet.
Wheeler sat on a flat rock, his elbows on his knees, using a spoon to scoop baked beans out of a tin can. His facial hair had grown out completely, covering his face from chin to ear. It made Austin rub his own whiskers, thinking about how no one had packed razors except the women, and there was no way in hell he was using one of those pink gizmos on his face.
“Pop, take a seat,” he said. “You’ve more than earned a rest.”
His father groaned as he sat on the ground. “I’m getting too old to keep up with you boys.”
Maizy spread a towel over the dirt and sat to Austin’s left. She separated her blond hair into sections and began braiding it back. “Has anyone spoken with Prince?”
Reno rubbed his jaw, his face clean and free of paint. “He’s getting hammered twice as hard. Prince owns the most coveted piece of property in the territory, and if I had to guess, I’d say that Judas wants a mansion to feel like a king.”
“Any word from Judas?” Austin asked.
Reno shook his head and glanced at his watch again. “April should be back soon.”
Katharine, April, and Trevor were patrolling the perimeter while the rest of them cleaned up and ate. William was passed out in a pile of leaves, and the twins were eating their rations in one of the tree stands. Izzy had found a nice tree by the bunker and leaned against it, her eyes closed. Maddox and Lynn remained quiet, separating themselves from the group and sitting on a fallen log to Austin’s left. Lynn’s arm was swollen from a bee sting, and she’d never looked so weary. He could see this was taking its toll on her. Maddox had given her his rations of food without her knowing; Austin had seen him refilling her bags when she was washing up.
Austin stood up and casually ambled over to Reno, taking a seat on his left. “I have an alternate plan. I want Lynn to go with Lakota if he comes back, and if he doesn’t, then someone’s going to take her there. I also want the twins to go.”
“Roger that,” Reno said. “I’ll send Caleb the message.”
“Request a few of his men, and let me know his response. If Caleb wants to bitch and moan, remind him that he owes me.”
Reno furrowed his brow. “Owes you for what?”
“Nothing. But the man’s always guilty, and I’m sure he’ll think of something. Remember the time Mel came home with pierced ears?”
Reno chuckled. “I’m only surprised that Jerko wasn’t the one to do it himself.”
Austin tossed a stick. “Blue hair washes away, but earrings leave permanent scars. It was a hell of a fight to keep Jericho from going over there and challenging Caleb.”
“Hmm,” Reno mused. “A few of his men fighting with us in exchange for pierced ears seems fair… said no one ever.” Reno sent the message to Caleb and put his phone away.
Denver plunged into the clearing in only his underwear. He tripped over William and fell in the dirt.
Since he was still wet, dirt caked him from head to toe. He stood up and stared daggers at Wheeler. “Your woman thinks she’s real funny pulling that panther shit and jumping in the water.”
Wheeler scooped up another spoonful of beans. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? Scared of a wet *?”
Maizy laughed so hard she fell over.
“That’s hilarious, Peanut,” Denver grumbled, looking down at his dirt-covered body. “Now what am I supposed to do?”
Wheeler set the tin can by his foot. “Stand against a tree and blend like a chameleon.”
When Denver lunged at Wheeler, Reno got up at lightning speed and held him back. “Cool it, brother. Save your energy for the real thing.”
Meanwhile, William continued snoring in his pile of leaves.
“Too bad we didn’t stall this until next month,” Maddox said conversationally.
Austin swung his gaze toward him. “Why’s that?”
Maddox took off his brown hat and patted the tree on his left with it. “We’d have some fresh pecans.”