The officer didn’t even look at it.
He had no idea that a shipment of guns had just driven by.
Miller had called in a few favors to find out who was working the route that day. There was an officer running a speed trap. Jessa and Blaine were in charge of distracting that officer.
He also didn’t know that a gun had been fired at his cruiser, taking out the left side tires.
“I’m driving,” Blaine said. “Follow me or call for help.”
“Let me get back in my cruiser,” the officer said. “I’ll… uh…”
Blaine started to creep forward and then slammed on the gas pedal. The car kicked up dust as they sped away.
Jessa exhaled and touched her stomach. “That was so wrong, Blaine. He’s going to follow us.”
“He’s got two flats,” Blaine said. “He can’t follow us. And if he drives on his tires, he’ll damage his car. So then what? He calls it in? What’s he going to say?”
“I can’t believe this. This is what I’ve become.”
“Hey, what else would you want to do on your day off with me?”
“Besides break the law?”
Blaine grabbed Jessa’s hand and kissed it.
“Oh, Blaine…”
“What?”
“You realize what this means? My baby… our baby… it’s already an outlaw.”
Blaine let go of Jessa’s hand and reached across to her belly. “There’s no other way to live.”
Jessa wanted to get mad, but, again, she couldn’t. She kind of liked the thrill. More than that, she loved Blaine. She loved her outlaw. She loved everything good and bad that he brought to her.
The baby kicked and both Blaine and Jessa smiled.
thirty-six.
Blaine found the small box outside his house. It was a present wrapped in baby wrapping paper. There were little horses, rattles, and that kind of stuff on the paper. No return address was on the label.
He took the box inside and put it on the table.
Looking down the hall, he smiled. Jessa had been put on bed rest. She only had another month to go before baby Blaine came. They were going to try and wait to be surprised by the sex of the baby, but Blaine couldn’t help himself. He knew it was a boy. Jessa still didn’t.
He sat at the table and cut the box open. Inside was another box. On top, a note. Before he could read it, his cell rang.
“Hello?”
“It’s Ethan.”
“Chief Ethan,” Blaine said.
“Stick to first names, Blaine.”
“What do I owe this pleasure?”
“Nothing is adding up here.”
“Did you press the right numbers on the calculator?”
“Fuck you. I’ve got a massacre just outside Frelen. I’ve got the eyes of everyone on me to take you down. I’ve got a fire investigation at your clubhouse that is arson. Yet, I can’t find Vin… and magically, it’s quiet around here.”
“Let me know where the bad news is,” Blaine said.
“What did you do to Vin?”
“Nothing. You have our stories. Our alibis all checked out. Didn’t they?”
“You know, Blaine, I got a call from a friend who says you were driving a car almost double the speed limit. You were pulled over and a woman in your car was going into labor. You then sped away and that officer’s cruiser had tires shot out.”
“That’s weird,” Blaine said. “Jessa is still very pregnant.”
“I know that!” Ethan growled. “What the fuck is your club up to?”
“Club business,” Blaine said. “The way I see it, Ethan… our MC was attacked. Damn shame to us. But at that same time, the Eight Under MC was viciously murdered and Vin took off. I can tell you this, Vin and Eight Under were in bed. So something went wrong there. At least it’s outside Frelen.”
“There’s eyes everywhere, Blaine.”
“That’s fine. We have nothing to hide.” There was silence and Blaine grinned. “And you thought you were going to come into this town and just step on us. We own Frelen, Ethan. When you realize that and realize what we do for this town and the surrounding areas, then we’ll end up happy as friends.”
“I’ll never be your fucking friend, Blaine. You were a dirty man back then and you’re worse now.”
“But at least I’m free,” Blaine said.
He closed the phone. He put it down and patted it. There was no more going back. Only going forward.
Blaine turned his attention to the gift box on the table.
He opened the note and read.
A little luck for your little family. All is settled.
- Ed
Blaine opened the second box and quickly shut up.
Some people believed in carrying a rabbit’s foot for good luck, right? All those superstitions that were taken very seriously.
The cartel had their own version of that, or so it appeared.
Blaine looked again and shook his head.
It wasn’t a rabbit’s foot.
It was a human foot.
It was Vin’s foot.
“What is that?” Jessa asked.