by Wilder, L.
Just as I’d expected, Reece wasn’t thrilled about leaving Riggs behind. Gus tried to assure her that Mack would help Jed take care of him, but it did little to comfort her. He still hadn’t woken up and a high fever was setting in, so there was no way of knowing if he’d actually pull through. She wanted to stay there with him, to watch over him until his condition had improved, but Gus quickly let her know that wasn’t an option. He reminded her that Navarro’s trial was fast approaching, and her life was still in danger. He explained that moving was the only way he could ensure her safety and keep his promise to Riggs. Blaze and Shadow also chimed in, each had given her their word that they would keep an eye on things at the cabin, and if Navarro’s men came snooping around, they’d deal with them accordingly. While she still had her reservations, Reece finally gave in and stopped resisting. After a long, heartfelt goodbye, she and Tate got in the SUV, and we were on our way.
We spent the next two weeks in Clallam County with our brothers from the Washington Chapter. Cotton set us up at their clubhouse where we would be safe with Big’s high-tech security system and around-the-clock surveillance. Gus had made the right move. Under their watchful eyes, Navarro wouldn’t be able to touch us, and Reece and Tate would remain out of harm’s way. We’d been there for a couple of days when I’d noticed I hadn’t seen much of Reece. Other than grabbing a quick bite to eat, she’d been keeping to herself, so I decided to go check in on her. When I got down to Reece’s room, I knocked and waited for her to answer. Seconds later, the door eased open, and my chest tightened when I saw her standing on the other side with red, puffy eyes. It was clear that she’d been crying, so I asked, “You okay?”
“I’ve been better.”
“I imagine you have.” She walked back over to her bed and sat down next to Tate. “But give it time. Things will get better.”
“I wish I could believe that, but I just got off the phone with Mack.” I could hear the fear in her voice. “He told me that Riggs isn’t doing much better. The infection is taking a toll on him. His blood pressure dropped, and he keeps slipping in and out of consciousness.”
“Yeah, I heard.” Like her, Gus had been calling Blaze every couple of hours to check on things. He’d mentioned Mack’s concern about Riggs, and we knew it was a strong possibility that he might not make it. I hated the idea of losing another brother, especially Riggs. As a skilled computer hacker, he was a real asset to the club, but more than that, he was a good friend. Trying my best to hide the concern in my voice, I said, “Gus called earlier to check in, and Jed mentioned that he wasn’t doing well.”
“We could lose him, Murphy.” Tears filled her eyes as she complained, “He should be in the hospital where they can give him the medical treatment he needs.”
“We’ve already discussed this, Reece. You know that’s not possible.” I let out a deep breath as I ran my hand over my beard. “There would be questions … and they’d want answers we can’t give. Riggs knew what he was signing up for. He knew there were risks, but that didn’t stop him. Nothing would. The man would give his life to protect you, your son, and his brothers.”
“I know you’re right. Riggs loves his club and wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize it. I just wish there was something else we could do”
“I know it’s hard, but Riggs wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s seen firsthand what Mack can do, and he would have no problem putting his life in his hands.”
“And you? Do you trust that Mack and Jed can handle this?”
“I do.” I walked over and leaned against her desk. “He’ll pull through this. You’ll see. You just have to have a little faith.”
“I’m trying, but it’s all I can think about. He’s on my mind every second of every day.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath. “Can I ask you something?”
Feeling a little leery, I answered, “Sure, but I’m not promising I can answer.”
“Okay.” She looked up at me with an intense expression as she said, “When we went up to the cabin, you and the others did everything possible to keep us safe. We were miles away from anyone, and we were careful. Really careful. I never would’ve dreamed that Navarro would find us. So, how he’d do it?”
“You asking me how he found us?” She nodded, and a feeling of dread washed over me. She was already having a hard time, and if I told her the truth, it was only going to make her feel worse. Hoping that she’d accept a vague answer, I told her, “Men like him have their ways of making things happen.”
“Yes, and men like you block them at every turn.” Her back stiffened as she continued, “So, how did he find us? I know you must have some idea how he did it.”
“I have an idea, but … there’s no way to be certain.”
“Okay. What do you think happened?” she pushed.
“Ughhh, okay … You know how Riggs did something to protect our phones and computers?” She nodded. “Well, he wasn’t aware that Tate had an iPad, and they might’ve used it to ping our location.”
“Oh, no. You’re right. I’d forgotten I even had it.” Her eyes widened as she cried, “That means … this whole thing was my fault. I’m the reason Navarro found us. I’m the reason why Riggs was shot! And oh, my God … Crow!”
“No, Reece. None of this was your fault.” I tried to explain, but she wasn’t listening. Instead, she lowered her head into her hands and started crying. After several moments, I walked over to her and placed my hand on her shoulder, “Reece … you can blame yourself all you want, but it isn’t going to do anybody any good. Things happen, and you have to find a way to move on.”
“But Riggs and …”
“Riggs wouldn’t want you beating yourself up over this,” I interrupted. “You need to find yourself a distraction … something to keep your mind off things for a little while.” I thought for a moment, then continued, “What about the article you were working on? Couldn’t you focus on that while you’re here?”
Doing what she could to pull herself together, she wiped the tears from her eyes and shrugged. “I don’t know … I have my laptop with me, so I guess I could try.”
“I think you should. It would be good for you. Think of it as your way of getting a little revenge on Navarro. The asshole certainly has it coming.”
“Okay.”
I stood up and started for the door. “You’ll get through this, Reece. We all will.”
“Thanks, Murphy.”
As I walked out of her room, I told her, “No thanks necessary. Now, get to work on that article.”
Once I was out in the hall, I closed her door and headed down to Big’s room. Since Riggs was out of commission, I told Gus that I would check in with him to see if there’d been any news on Navarro or the trial. He was also a computer hacker and was known to be one of the best around—almost as good as Riggs. When I got down to his room, the door was open, and he was sitting at his desk working on his computer. I stuck my head inside his room.
“Hey, brother. You got a minute?”
He looked over towards the door, and when he saw it was me, he turned to face me and smiled. “Sure thing, Murphy. Whatcha need?”
“I’m looking for an update on Navarro. You think you could find out what he’s been up to?”
“Already done.” He reached for a file folder on his desk and offered it to me. “Apparently, there was some kind of disturbance down at the prison, and they had to put Navarro in solitary.”
“Any idea what kind of disturbance?”
“He was attacked in his cell. Looks like someone was trying to take him out.”
“Too bad they didn’t finish him off.”
“You got that right.” He leaned back in his chair and added, “Other than that, it’s been pretty quiet. His lawyer has been by to see him a couple of times, but that’s about it. I’ll keep an eye on him and let you know if anything comes up.”
“Hopefully it won’t, but I appreciate you staying on top of it.”
“Not a p
roblem.” When I turned to leave, he asked, “Any word on Riggs?”
“He’s struggling a bit today, but he’ll pull through it.”
“I have no doubt that he will.” Big smiled. “He’s too damn stubborn to give in without a hell of a fight.”
“Yes, he is, and that’s a good thing”—I started walking out of the room—“’cause he has a lot of people counting on him to make it through.”
“He sure does.”
“I’ll catch up with you later, brother.”
From there, I headed down the hall towards the bar. I needed a cold beer and a bite to eat before I called it a night. When I walked in, I found Cotton and Gus having a drink. They were in a deep discussion and hadn’t noticed that I’d come into the room. I stood there for a moment, appreciating the fact that I was in the presence of two living legends as they sat there talking. They were both known for leading their clubs with an iron fist, neither of them backing down when faced with adversity. Instead, they faced it with strength and determination. They both had balls of steel, and never showed a moment’s hesitation when it came to protecting the brotherhood. There wasn’t a brother around who’d ever question their loyalty to the club, and I was grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them. When Gus noticed me standing in the doorway, he motioned me over and said, “Hey, brother. Come have a beer.”
I walked over to the cooler, grabbed a cold one, and sat down next to him. I took a glance around and was surprised to see that we were the only ones in the bar. “Pretty quiet tonight.”
“The guys decided to call it a night.” Cotton took a drag off his beer before he continued, “It’s been a long few days.”
“Yes, it has.”
Gus turned to me as he asked, “Did Big have any news about Navarro?”
“He’s been moved to solitary confinement, but other than that, there wasn’t much to tell.”
“Good to hear. Maybe things will remain quiet for a few more days,” Cotton replied. “So, what are your plans for getting Reece to that trial?”
“It’s a two-day drive from here to Tennessee, so we’ll leave here early on Tuesday, and time it where we get to Memphis just before the trial begins,” Gus reached into his pocket for his cigarettes, and as he lit one, he continued, “This damn trial has been hanging over us for months. I’m ready for this shit to be over. Once Reece testifies and Navarro is behind bars for good, we can get back to some normalcy in our lives.”
“Thankfully, it won’t be much longer.” Cotton took a drink of his beer before he continued, “On a good note, our last pipeline run was one hell of a success.”
“Yeah, it’s really coming together. Hopefully, they’ll just keep getting better.” Gus turned towards Cotton. “If my source is correct, we might have the opportunity to add twenty or more Intratec DC-9 pistols with screw-on barrel extensions to the shipment.”
“Intratec DC-9s? Those would definitely bring in the money, but they aren’t easy to find unmarked. Where are you going to get your hands on those?”
“The supplier is in Sommerville … about an hour from our clubhouse. He runs a horse ranch or something. Not clear on his full story, but I’m planning to check him out when we get back.” He paused for a minute, then shook his head. “Riggs could get me anything and everything on this guy, and it wouldn’t take him long to do it. The kid amazes me with his tech knowledge. Don’t know what we’d do without him.”
“I could have Big look into him,” Cotton offered.
“I appreciate the offer, brother, but we still have some time.” The club often faced new opportunities, like a new supplier or new buyer, but each were laced with their own challenges—like not having Riggs when we needed him. Gus took a drag off his cigarette, then told Cotton, “Me and the boys will plan a visit to his place as soon as the trial is over. We’ll get a feel for him, and if he’s legit, we’ll make something happen.”
“I’ll be interested to see how things play out.”
“You and me both.” Gus dropped his cigarette butt in his empty beer bottle then stood up and said, “It’s been a long one, boys. I’m gonna call it a night.”
“I’m right behind ya.” Cotton quickly finished off his beer and tossed it in the trash. “I’ll see you two first thing in the morning.”
“Sounds good. Have a good one,” I told them as they walked out of the bar. I sat there for a few more minutes, sipping on my beer and listening to some sappy love song playing on the jukebox. It wasn’t long before I’d had enough of the depressing lyrics and decided it was time to put an end to this horrendous day. As I’d headed towards my room, I’d hoped that the following days would be better, but they weren’t.
As the trial date drew closer, we were all feeling more and more on edge, and the fact that Riggs wasn’t improving didn’t help matters. Thankfully, by the time the weekend arrived, Riggs started to come around. His fever had broken, and he was finally able to keep food down and had begun to gain back some of his strength. Reece was beaming when she heard his voice for the first time since the shooting. While she was relieved that he was finally doing better, she couldn’t hide her disappointment when Mack informed them both that Riggs wouldn’t be able to make it to the trial. He simply wouldn’t be well enough to travel that far so soon. Riggs hated the thought of Reece walking into the courtroom and facing Navarro without him, but he found comfort in knowing that we would be there by her side. When it finally came time for us to leave Washington, Big and Two Bit helped us load everything into our SUVs. As he closed the back latch, Two Bit asked, “You sure you don’t want us to follow you back?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary, but I appreciate the offer.”
Cotton came over and patted me on the back. “It was good having you boys up for a visit.”
“Thanks for letting us crash for a few days. You really came through for us.”
I’d barely gotten the words out of my mouth when Reece walked up beside me. Tate was propped on her hip as she told Cotton, “Thank you for everything, Cotton. Your hospitality has meant so much to me, especially under the given circumstances.”
“That’s what family is for.” He smiled and added, “Next time you come, bring Riggs and Gus along. Hell, bring the whole crew. We’d enjoy having you.”
“We’ll do that,” Reece replied with a smile.
She gave him a quick hug, then walked over to the truck and put Tate into his car-seat. Once he was buckled in, she got in next to him and waved goodbye before closing the door behind her. I looked over to Cotton and the others and said, “I guess we better get on the road. We have a long-ass drive ahead.”
“Be careful, brother, and let us know how it all goes.”
Rounding towards the driver’s side door, I nodded. “Will do.”
I hopped in the truck, and as soon as I’d checked to see that everyone was set to go, I pulled out of the gate and onto the main road.
After two long days of driving we made it back home, and just as Gus had promised Riggs, we got Reece to the trial safe and sound. She was able to testify without any complications—except for Navarro’s douchebag lawyer. He did everything he could to undermine her testimony and turn the jury against her, but the jury didn’t buy into his manipulations and found Navarro guilty of two counts of first-degree murder.
Even though Navarro would remain behind bars, the brothers and I knew it was only a matter of time before another round of trouble would come knocking at our door again. There was always some gang, some up-and-coming MC, or some big shot with an overactive ego looking to take us down. It’s just the way things were. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon. None of us did.
CHAPTER 4
Riley
It had been weeks since I’d discovered that my father was selling illegal weapons at the farm, and even though I pushed it to the back of my mind, I was still struggling with the notion. I knew my father well enough to know that his decision to do something so extreme hadn’t
come easy. My heart ached when I thought about how desperate he must’ve felt knowing that Mom was dying, and all of his attempts to save her were in vain. He had to have felt utterly hopeless, especially when he learned that we might lose the farm along with his wife. I understood he had his reasons for doing what he did. Sadly, that didn’t change the fact that what he was doing was wrong—utterly, grossly wrong, and his actions had me second guessing everything. I wanted to believe that we were still the same family that we’d always been, and that the farm was still the same place I’d always known and loved, but I just couldn’t do it, especially when everything felt so different. I no longer found joy in watching the sunrise across the pasture or riding Anna Belle, my favorite mare. I couldn’t even go out to the barn without thinking about the guns that were stored in the shed next door. They haunted me, making me wish I never knew they existed. I tried to push it all to the back of my mind, to force myself to forget, but every time I saw my father on his cell or whispering something to my brother, I kept wondering if he was talking about those damn weapons. It was driving me crazy. I needed some time to clear my head, and I knew just the place to do it.
Whenever things were at their worst, I knew I could count on Grady to make me feel better. Not only was he my first cousin, he was my best friend. Our fathers were brothers and had lived in the same small town since they were born. Hunter and I grew up with Grady and his two brothers, Levi and Jasper, and from an early age, we were inseparable. Our friendship had always come easy. We’d always seemed to understand one another, and even after all these years, he was the person I trusted with my secrets. There wasn’t anything we didn’t share with one another—until now. I couldn’t tell Grady about my father and the illegal guns he was selling. That was one secret I could never share, not with anyone, but I could have a few drinks and a couple of good laughs with my best friend.