“Pregnant.”
“Oh, beautiful,” Trev said. “I don’t know what to think right now. That’s amazing. I’m almost done here, okay? I’m going for one more ride and then it’ll be over. No matter how bad it gets just stay with it, Eden. This has to be done the right way.”
“Trev, I’ll do anything for you. I’ll wait here for you, no matter what. I just have this vision of us together… in your bed… my belly…”
“Who you talking to?” a voice yelled.
“Ah, fuck,” Trev said.
“Trev?” Eden asked.
Eden heard a scratching sound. Maybe a scuffling sound? She looked at Miller and felt the color leave her face.
“What is it?” Miller asked.
“I think…”
There was another scuffling sound.
“What the fuck?” Trev’s voice yelled.
“You fuck…” another voice said.
Then there was a gunshot.
Then the call went dead.
Eden dropped the phone and reached for her mother. Jenn scooped her up.
“What happened?” Miller yelled.
“Gun… gunshot…” Eden let out a weak cry. “Trev got caught.”
__
thirty.
Ripper knocked the phone out of his hand and then shot at it twice. The first shot missed, the second hit the phone and made it explode.
Then Ripper looked at Trev. “Care to explain?”
“You really act fast, huh?” Trev asked. Trev kicked the remains of the phone. “That was a goddamn burner I gave to Eden.”
“Why?”
“To tell her to sneak out of the lot and meet me so we could run away together. I told her that the club was going to kill her.”
Ripper curled his lip. “She buy it?”
“I think so. Then you fucking came out…”
“Damn. Look, I’m sorry. My head’s fucked up here. Okay? I’ve been sipping whiskey all day now trying to get things calm up there. This is big for me.”
“Me too, Ripper. I figured if we got Eden first, we can use her as leverage against the charter. You know Miller. He’s got a family now. He knows the feeling and all that bullshit. I’ve seen what he does down there. Pancake breakfasts on Sundays with family. That plays right into his hand, Ripper.”
“Shit,” Ripper said. “I fucked up good.”
“Yeah,” Trev said. “If she’s going to do this, there’s only one place she’ll be.”
“Where’s that?”
“Do you trust me to follow me?”
“As long as we go to Frelen,” Ripper said.
“Then let’s ride, brother,” Trev said.
He put a fist out.
Ripper hit it with a fist of his own.
This was it.
The final fucking ride…
*
When they crossed into Frelen that’s when it all sank into Trev. This was all going to happen and go down for real. One way or another, it was going to get really crazy.
One thing was for damn sure - Trev wasn’t taking Ripper to the lot. Not with Eden there. Not with Eden pregnant either. That was a risk he wasn’t going to take with her. If something happened to her - to their unborn child - then Trev would never forgive himself.
Before leaving, he and Miller had set up meeting points outside Frelen and inside Frelen. This was designed to be a quick job, but in case Trev got stuck up in Daurian, he would still have contact with Miller and the MC.
Inside Frelen, there was one spot to go.
The cemetery.
It was almost fitting, considering what Trev was going to do to Ripper.
Somewhere in the cemetery should have been two prospects to watch and wait for Trev. When they saw Trev then they’d go to the lot and report it back. That would bring in backup and things would continue forward.
Trev pulled through the cemetery gates and cruised up the gravel path. He knew right where he wanted to take Ripper to keep Ripper pissed off and ready for a fight.
He took Ripper right to Griffin’s grave.
In some odd way Trev wanted Griffin to see Ripper one last time before Trev killed him.
Trev killed his engine and climbed off his ride. He turned and nodded to Ripper.
“What the fuck is this?” Ripper asked.
“Visiting an old friend first,” Trev said. “Then Eden will be here soon.”
“She’s just going to walk up to us?” Ripper asked.
“No. We have a spot. It was a secret spot that meant something once but not anymore. Now that I have the truth…”
Trev walked and Ripper followed.
They stopped at the grave.
“Holy shit,” Ripper said. “It’s good to see him like this.”
“Yeah, it is.”
Ripper faced the grave, his hands at his sides. He made fists. “This fucker was with Jenn for a long time. Got her pregnant. Wanted to take it all away from me. Wanted to really screw me over. But I guess he got his.” Ripper looked back at Trev. “Right?”
“Yeah,” Trev said. “Now you can keep delivering. Let’s take a walk.”
From the corner of his eye, Trev saw Pete walking the cemetery grounds. He had exited what looked like a tomb. It was a small concrete structure and the black metal door slapped shut but Pete didn’t lock it. Instead, Pete had a shovel over his shoulder.
That’s when Trev had an idea.