by Jayne Blue
The door swung open and Mama Bear came out. She seemed startled to see me. Her eyes narrowed and she drew in a breath as she came toward me.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” she said.
“Hey, Mama.” Still seated on my bike, I leaned over when she got near enough and I kissed her cheek. Mama touched my shoulder then stepped back.
“You all right, baby?” she asked. “We’ve been worried about you.”
“I’m good. Things got a little complicated is all.”
“Hmm. They tend to do that. Look, I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t think I want to. But let me give you a little piece of advice. Whatever’s coming down the pike, it’s got Bear stirred up like I haven’t seen him in a good long while. Is there something I need to know about? Something I should prepare for?”
She’d asked me this kind of thing before. Bear’d done time more than once during their relationship. It was Mama who kept the legit side of our businesses running when that happened.
“You worry too much,” I said, dismounting.
She smiled but stuck up her middle finger. “Yeah, that’s what Bear said too.”
“You should listen to him. He’s a wise man.”
Mama laughed. She slid her hands into her back pockets and shook her head. “And that’s what I was just about to say to you. He’s pissed, Axle. I don’t know about what, but he’s been in there wearing a hole in my carpet pacing back and forth. You never do yourself any favors avoiding him. You know that. Whatever’s going on, I need you to get straight with Bear. Okay? I’ve got enough to worry about. So do you.”
I put my hands up in surrender. “I’m here,” I said. “I’ll talk to him. And I mean it. We’ve got shit under control.”
Mama looked up at the sky. Rufus picked that moment to come charging out of the woods holding a squirrel between his teeth. Before Mama could give me any more shit, she ran off yelling at the dog.
“I owe you one, Roofie,” I said under my breath as I steeled myself and headed into the clubhouse.
“It’s about fucking time!” Bear stood in the middle of the front room. He smashed his hand into the back of one of the chairs at the bar. Toby and Moose sat beside it. They each grabbed their beers and moved off to the other end of the room. A few of the hangers-on were back there playing pool and Toby and Moose wisely figured now was a good time to join them.
Most of the rest of the guys were seated at the other tables. Bo and Benz downed the last of their beers and got up. Zig, Deacon, and Domino were back at the pool table. They straightened and headed over to the conference room. Kade, Shep, and Maddox stood closest to Bear. He jerked his chin at them and they followed the others. That left just E.Z. He stood with his back to the wall next to the conference room door, watching me. Finally, he pushed himself off the wall and went inside, leaving me alone with Bear. Shit. The way his eyes flashed, I figured shit was worse than I thought. I should have listened harder when Mama tried to warn me.
“Bear, I’m sorry I’ve been AWOL.”
Bear started pacing again. He ran a hand hard across his beard. “Your timing’s for shit, Axle.”
“What’s going on with Junior?”
Bear stopped in his tracks and turned to me. “That little shit. That little fucking shit. He’s been back twice. I told him if he darkens that threshold one more time I’m going to take my chances with Christine and put him out of his damn misery. He’s out of his goddamn mind, Axle. He’s got a lawyer. That’s the good news. The bad news is it’s pretty apparent they are trying to build a case against him on this Cory Kline bullshit. There are some hotshots in the department who wanna pin him for capital murder. You need me to spell out what that’s going to mean? Where are we on the witness?”
E.Z. came back out of the conference room. He glared at me and went to the bar. He leaned against it and poured himself a beer like he wanted to enjoy this shit with Bear and me from a front-row seat.
I chewed my bottom lip. There was no good way to answer Bear without a flat-out lie. I considered telling him the truth. Maya was alive. If I had my way, she was going to stay that way. If he gave me a little more time, I’d figure out a way to get her out of this jackpot.
“Anyone got eyes on her?” I asked. It wasn’t exactly a lie asking that.
Bear’s eyes widened and he turned his head. “That’s your fucking job, Axle. You mean to tell me you came back here without being able to tell me it was finished?”
“She hasn’t gone back to the cops,” I said. Bear read my tone as a question.
“Thank God for small blessings,” E.Z. said, sipping his beer. “She hasn’t shown up for work, either.”
“You wanna know who’s been out looking?” Bear said.
My heart sank as I read Bear’s expression. “Fucking Junior. You gotta be goddamned kidding me.”
“I wish I were,” Bear said. “I told you. Loose cannon doesn’t even begin to cover it. It’s like he wants to get his sorry ass locked up.”
“We need him to get gone,” I said. “You know that, right? The girl ain’t the problem. So this is Junior’s current jackpot. I’ll admit, it’s a big one. But we get him clear of this, there’s going to be something else down the pike. He’s a fucking time bomb. We all know it.”
Bear held on to the chair, squeezing the back hard enough I figured he’d crack the wood. Then he centered himself and trained his eyes back on me. Bear Bullock was the closest thing I’d ever had to a father. He had been the one who found me trying to hustle in a pool hall down on the docks when I was fifteen years old. I’d been two seconds from getting my ass kicked and thrown into the bay. Hell, it wasn’t much different than what had happened to Cory Kline.
To this day, I don’t know what the fuck Bear saw in me. I asked him about it only once. His answer stuck with me. He’d said, “Axle, I knew the look in your eyes. I knew you were ready to fucking die rather than let anyone get anything over on you. You were about to go to war with a grown man and he would have killed you. I figured that made you either the bravest son of a bitch I’d ever seen or the dumbest. I was betting on brave. So far you haven’t proven me wrong.”
“Axle,” he said now. “Do I gotta remind you that this has been put to a vote? You know I don’t like this shit any more than you do. It’s messy and it’s a temporary fix. But right now, we got no choice. The DiSalvos have us by the short hairs until I can figure out a better way to deal with Junior. Christine’s gotta see that kid is going to ruin all of us. I’m working on that, I swear to God. For now, we gotta swallow this medicine, no matter how rotten the taste. It’s for the good of the club.”
My guts twisted when he said it. Bear was a hardass. But I would never question his loyalty to me or any of the rest of us. It killed me that I was giving him a reason to question mine, except he didn’t even know it. But I had no choice. As I stood there in that clubhouse with Bear’s eyes locked with mine, I knew the next words out of my mouth would be a lie.
“I’ll take care of it,” I said. “I’ve got a lead on where this girl’s gone. She’s running scared. That’s the good news. Junior’s gotta see that. Whatever happened from the time she gave her statement to when she went to ground, maybe she wised up and realized getting involved wasn’t gonna be good for her health. As long as she’s in the wind, Junior’s safe. They aren’t gonna bring charges against him no matter how much the PAPD enjoys rattling his cage. Did you tell him all that?”
“Yeah,” Bear said, dropping his shoulders. “I told him that. He wants a body though, Axle.”
I felt heat rising in my core. Every protective instinct I had flared to life. A body. He wanted Maya’s body. A memory flashed of my hands near her throat that day on the beach. I’d been so close to giving him one. At least, I thought I had.
“And how’s he gonna explain to the cops that the one witness against him just turned up dead? He doesn’t see how that could put him at greater risk?”
“They aren’t gonna know she�
�s dead, Axle. Because you’re going to make sure nobody ever finds her.”
Every muscle in my body turned to stone. The light seemed to go out of Bear’s eyes as he approached me. He came within an inch of me and put his hands on my shoulders. “This matters, Axle. You know that. It matters a lot. Now, I don’t know what the hell’s going on with you, but I know it’s something. Don’t lie to me. I’ll know.”
“I’ll do my job,” I said, my voice flat and cold. “I’ll always do my fucking job.”
E.Z. moved off his stool. I don’t know if he sensed some threat from me, but he positioned himself at Bear’s side. The conference room door was still open and the scene with Bear caught the other guys’ attention. One by one, they filed out and moved into the main room. Shep took a position next to E.Z. Shep was Josie and Bear’s son. If I dared to lay hands on Bear, he’d be the first one to try and put me down.
“Axle,” Bear said. “I’m going to ask you straight up. Do you know where this girl is hiding?”
One heartbeat. Two. My pulse pounded in my temples, making my vision blur. I stayed stock still though, never letting my gaze drop from Bear’s. I knew at that moment Maya’s life hinged on my next words.
“No,” I lied, sealing my fate.
“Are you planning on going against my orders, son?” Bear asked.
Postures shifted in the room. I caught Deacon’s eyes. He looked like he was about to be sick. Chase put a hand on his arm as he tried to step forward. Every man in this room knew that right now, this was between Bear and me.
“No,” I answered as my guts twisted. I felt like I was standing over a great, dark chasm straddling the sides. I had to go one way or the other. Anything else would send me headfirst into the void.
“Do I need to remind you of those orders?” Bear asked.
“I got this, Bear,” I said.
The front door opened and Mama came in. She took in the scene, her eyes darting from Bear to me and back again. She crossed her arms in front of her and put her back to the wall.
“I’m going to anyway,” Bear said. “So there’s no confusion. This girl, Maya Ballard. She’s a problem. Every breath she takes is one she could use to fuck up Junior DiSalvo. He deserves it. I know it, we all know it. But there’s nothing we can do about it right now. I got the club to think about. I’ve always got the club to think about. So, I need you to do your duty, Axle. I need you to make it so this girl can’t hurt Junior. Ever.”
“We’re clear,” I said, tasting blood.
Bear patted the back of my head and finally let me go. Sweat trickled down my back. I stood mute and stock still. Bear turned to the rest of the crew.
“I know how shitty this is. Don’t think for one second that I don’t. We are at a crossroads. But I will not let anyone or anything jeopardize this club. No matter what. Nobody doubt that. Not ever. I swear to you. Every one of you. Junior will get what’s coming to him. But that day’s not today. We clear?”
Bear tapped his ring against the table. It was nothing short of a call for a second vote on Maya’s fate. Bear looked around the room. Man to man.
“Aye.” E.Z. spoke up first. Then he went down the row. Shep, Maddox, Zig, Chase, Domino, Kane, Bo. Each of them answered with a solid, “Aye.”
Bear looked at Deacon. He cast his eyes down, then looked up at me. He swallowed, then turned to Bear. “Aye.”
Benz was next. He flared his nostrils; the effort of the word seemed to burn within him. But he said it. “Aye.”
Bear and every other eye turned back to me. I had no choice. To save Maya, to save the club, I had to take the vow. I would burn in hell for it, but maybe, just maybe, I’d find the path to Maya’s salvation.
“Aye.”
Chapter 16
Maya
Axle had been gone two full days when Gran Hart decided I was ready to learn the finer points of milking a cow. The cow wasn’t too sure.
“Ya gotta commit,” Gran said. “Kinda like your man. You don’t want ’em fumbling around up there pullin’ too gentle or too hard. Makes a girl nervous like he don’t know what he’s doin’. Emily’s the same way.”
My face flamed at Gran’s description of foreplay. But I couldn’t fault her observation. She was right. Emily the cow looked back at me with one large brown eye. She blinked her blonde-tipped lashes once then stomped her foot and whipped me with her tail.
My phone ringing in my back pocket saved me. Or maybe it saved Emily, depending on your point of view. “I need to take that.” I smiled up at Gran. She stood against the fence with her arms crossed. She wore denim overalls and a faded red t-shirt, her dark hair pulled back in what I now knew was her signature braid. Axle told me he inherited his Native American blood from her and his long-deceased grandfather. They were both half Comanche, making him a quarter. It showed in Gran’s fierce gaze. From this angle, she looked just like him.
“You better answer that thing before Emily decides to take it out on you. Move on over, I’ll finish her off.”
I gave Gran an apologetic smile as I got off the stool and made room for her. I didn’t recognize the number and hesitated for a moment before answering, but something told me it might be Axle.
“Hello?”
I heard rustling on the other end of the phone, as the caller likely rifled through a stack of paper. “Miss Ballard? This is Detective Langley.” My heart sank a little.
“Yes.”
He let out an audible sigh. “Thank God. I didn’t think you’d answer.”
The truth was, I wouldn’t have if I’d known it was him. It might be naive. It might be irresponsible, but ever since I’d come out to the farm with Axle, I didn’t want to think about anything connected to Cups, Junior DiSalvo, or my family drama back in Monroe. My mother hadn’t stopped calling either. My conversations with her had been short and terse as I tried to stick to my boundaries with her.
“Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yeah. Actually, yeah. I think I told you when we last spoke that I’d probably need you to come back in and give a more detailed statement. It’s come to that point now. Do you have some time for me this afternoon? I could even come pick you up.”
I stood against the fence on the other side of the barn. Emily let out a bleat in protest as Gran must have gotten settled and milked her properly. I pressed my palm to my forehead then smoothed a few stray hairs that had pulled loose from my ponytail.
“Detective, I’ve really told you everything I remember.”
“Miss Ballard, this is a serious matter. I’ve got a dead kid on a slab in the morgue. I don’t want to be indelicate, but if we’re going to build a case against the person who put him there, you have a responsibility to help us if you can.”
One of Gran’s barn cats appeared. She nuzzled against my boot and arched her back. I reached down and scratched her ears. “So you think it really was Junior,” I said. Langley drew in a breath.
“I’m afraid I can’t confirm that. Not yet. It’s an ongoing investigation so I can’t really go into detail about suspects.”
“I can appreciate that. It’s just not a good time for me right now. I’m not even in town.”
I heard a bang on the other end of the phone. “Miss Ballard, I thought I cautioned you not to leave town.”
Anger roiled in me. It wasn’t directed at Langley, not really. It was Junior. He’d put me in this position. He’s put poor Cory in that morgue. His actions were working to unravel everything I’d tried to build since I left Michigan. Now he was about to destroy the peace I’d found over the last few days.
“I am cooperating,” I said. “I answered your call. We can make arrangements to talk, but not today.”
“Where are you?” he asked. “I can come to you.”
Gran started whistling a tune as she did her work on the other side of the barn. The sun came out from behind the clouds and warmed my face. What would Gran think if a detective showed up here? What would Axle think? It felt wrong, as
if it weren’t my place to let that seep into this haven Gran had built.
“That’s not a good idea. Let’s set up a time and I’ll come back into town in a day or two.”
“Miss Ballard, time is of the essence.”
“I understand that. But I’m going to have to insist.”
“No. I’m sorry to be so blunt, but I don’t think you do understand. I don’t just need a statement from you. Look, I don’t want to scare you. But maybe you need to be a little scared to grasp what’s happening. Or what could happen.”
Icy fingers of fear started to snake up my back. My vision blurred and I gripped the phone tighter. “What could happen, Detective?”
He let out a sigh. “I told you when we met. DiSalvo has connections. I have reason to believe ... that his ... I’ve heard some rumblings through certain channels. You might be in some danger, Miss Ballard.”
I gripped the wooden fence railing. “How?”
“You’re a material witness against Gino DiSalvo, Jr. I wouldn’t put it past him to use any means at his disposal to make sure you aren’t in a position to do him harm. You already know what he’s capable of, don’t you? I can keep you safe. If I know where you are, I can keep you safe. Let me do that. I’ll come to you myself.”
I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs forming in my brain. I couldn’t process what Langley was saying. I was in danger? Did Junior know I was the one who went to the police? Had he known I was there in the alley? My heart raced and my tongue went dry as sandpaper.
“I have to go.” The words came out of me, but I had no conscious thought about what I was saying.
“Miss Ballard. Let me know where you are. Let me help you.”
“I’ll come in,” I said. “Tomorrow.”
He sighed in my ear. “Today would be better. Now would be better. Tell me where you are, at least.”
