“No, those fucking cops are the reason. Now do you want to see your kid again or not?”
Ruby’s dark glare eases before she jumps down from the toilet and opens the door.
“Let’s go,” I say directing her from the restroom and out of the back of the bar.
Hearing a gunshot nearby, I decide to remain with Ruby. Dino is a pro and more than capable of handling two small-town cops. I fucking know he is, but I’m scared they got the drop on him. Or maybe someone else showed up.
Ruby gets into the backseat and crouches down like she knows the drill. I use my extra keys to drive the SUV to the front where I honk and wait for someone to appear. If the cops show up, I’m making crotch-shot, so they suffer a little before the final face shots. I think Dino would approve.
Rather than cops, Dino hurries outside with his gun at the ready. He opens the passenger door and slides in.
“Who fired?” I ask, hitting the accelerator.
“One of the pigs. I only wounded him,” Dino says, glancing into the back where Ruby hides. “The fucker cried.”
“Where did you shoot him?”
“Balls.”
“Well, that would do it.”
Ruby sits up and frowns. “Did you actually shoot one of those fuckers in the balls?”
“Yeah, princess.”
Her frown eases, and she finally laughs. “Man, I would love to have seen that.”
“Here’s the thing,” I say, racing down the dark streets towards White Horse, “I don’t know where to drop you off.”
“I’ll give you my address in Hickory Creek.”
“Won’t the cops just show up there?”
“No, not unless they want to go to war with the Serrated Brotherhood.”
Dino asks, “Are you tight with them?”
“If I was, do you think I’d have called Hayes?”
“You took a big chance calling him.”
“Not really. I figured you two wanted an excuse to start shit. I also guessed you’d want less in return than the Brotherhood.”
“So, what exactly happened?”
“Black showed up at Lollipops and wanted to know what I said to you. I was completely honest, but he didn’t believe me. He was sweating, and I got scared and attacked him and his deputy with beer bottles. They couldn’t start shooting in the open and tried to grab me, but I got out the back and ran. They’ve been looking for me for the last few hours. I thought about calling one of my sisters to get me. Then I heard Black put a bounty on my head, and half of the town was looking for me. That’s when I called Hayes.”
The car falls silent while I follow the GPS directions to her place in Hickory Creek.
“You have a kid?” Dino asks.
“Yeah, a daughter. She’s seven.”
“What’s her name?”
“Chevelle. It’s Jamaican after my dad. We call her Elle,” Ruby says, sounding tired.
She gets quiet as the reality of her near-miss today sets in. “Do you two have kids?” she asks, regaining her composure.
“We’re not together,” I say instantly.
Dino glances at Ruby and grins. “She’s a strong woman, so being my sex slave bothers her.”
Ruby leans back in the seat. “You’d make pretty kids, I bet. I have a way of telling.”
Nudging me, Dino sighs. “I want a bunch of kids. Boys and girls. Lots and lots of them. I hope one has curly hair like my ma.”
“Elle has curly hair,” Ruby says, sounding tired again.
Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the Lush Gardens Trailer Park without incident.
“Are you sure you’ll be safe?” I ask, turning around to look at Ruby.
Her dark eyes are wary, but she nods. “I’ve lived here all my life, and we’re a tight-knit community. There’s no way those guys can show up without us knowing immediately. In fact, Missy Topper has already told everyone about the strange SUV out front.”
Ruby shows us the message sent out to the Lush Gardens Residences Facebook group.
“I’ll be fine except for how I have no car or job,” she grumbles before shaking out her shoulders. “I’m alive, and that’s all that really matters. Thanks for coming.”
“Here’s our direct number if you need help again,” I say, handing her a business card. “We aren’t leaving the area until Black is dealt with. We’ll also see about getting your car back.”
“Thanks,” Ruby says, giving her first real smile since hearing one of the cops was shot in the balls.
Watching her walk into the park, I feel uneasy. “Black is going to fuck with her.”
Dino reaches over and caresses the back of my neck. “She’ll be safe for the time being. If Hayes says the bikers are a threat to Black, then the sheriff must know they are too. Why open that can of whoop-ass on himself?”
“He likely knew where Ruby lived and how he was opening that can anyway. He’s paranoid.”
“He ought to be. The guy is a guppy swimming in seas of sharks. If the bikers or Hayes knew how weak Black was, they’d have made a move by now.”