I nodded.
“Good. He’s a good guy, I think.”
“I think so, too,” I smiled.
“Send my girl in on your way out, okay? I want to tell her the good news.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I told him before leaving the room.
I didn’t have to tell Lexie to go see him. She was already heading that way with a tray of food. He was so lucky to have someone that cared enough to take care of him. There was a pang in the center of my chest at that thought. Did I have that?
There was only one way to find out.
It was late when I left Jason’s apartment, and I was tempted to text or call Blade, but what I needed to say to him had to be said in person. So, I went home, deciding that I would talk to him tomorrow, no matter what.
Twenty-Six
Blade
“So, you found the weapons?” Ryder asked around a mouthful of food as he sat up in the hospital bed. I had brought him a fast-food breakfast sandwich since he’d been complaining about the hospital food for the past few days.
“Yeah, the entire crate was in the basement of Mad Dog’s house. Apparently, he didn’t trust anyone else with it. He’d already talked to a couple of people about buying, but it doesn’t seem like he’d lined up a buyer yet.”
“Good,” Ryder said, polishing off the sandwich and popping a hash brown into his mouth. “Now, tell me about this prospect you got the info from.”
I felt a surprising protectiveness swell within me. I didn’t want Jason dragged into this any more than he had been. Yes, he made a shitty choice by trying to join Las Balas, but he didn’t know any better. Kat was a prime example of that.
“He’s my girl’s brother,” I said, hoping that Ryder would understand that he was off-limits without me having to say it. I didn’t want to be at odds with anyone in the club. “And he’s decided to leave Las Balas.”
“I see,” Ryder looked thoughtful. “You know, my sister’s boyfriend was once a Las Balas prospect. Sometimes, it just takes time for people to realize how poisonous they are.”
There was a knock on the door, and Chalupa walked in. “Luca followed through. We gave him the weapons, and he’s already packing up his operations in La Playa. He’ll be gone by tonight.”
“Thank fuck for that,” Ryder said, and I shared the sentiment.
“Jagger’s going to keep an eye on the situation and let us know if Luca goes back on his word, but somehow, I don’t think he will.”
“Me either,” I chimed in. “When I talked to him at the warehouse, he seemed pretty eager to get back home to El Paso.”
“What about our people?” Ryder asked. “Injuries? Deaths?”
“One death,” Chalupa said, his face dropping. Diego took a bullet to the chest. He bled out at the scene, but we brought him home so that we could take care of him.”
“God damn it,” Ryder sighed, and I saw his hand go to his stomach where he’d been shot. Not only had we lost a good man and brother, but it made us all a little more aware of our mortality.
“Other than that, it was mostly superficial cuts and bruises. Swole had a broken finger, and Hawk got sliced in the side with a knife, needing stitches. They’ll both be fine.”
“Well, that’s something to be thankful for,” Ryder said. “Now, we’ll just have to stay vigilant. Things are heating up with Las Balas, and I’m sure it’s not over yet. From what I understand, we took out four of their people last night, including Mad Dog. I didn’t want it to come to that, but sometimes it’s kill or be killed, and I always have a scar to remind me of that.”
“We’ll all do what we have to do to protect our own,” Chalupa agreed.
We left after that. Ryder’s wife was coming in to visit him, and he wanted some time alone with her. Besides, I needed some sleep. I had been awake almost all night. First, I patched up Jason, then I went to Mad Dog’s house and found the crate. I took charge of the hand-off with Luca, making sure that he got exactly what he came here for. Finally, I met with the rest of the club at the Blue Dog, where I learned of Diego’s fate and reported that I had found the weapons.
Now, it was almost seven in the morning. The sun was already too bright in the sky, and the people I passed on my bike were heading to work, just beginning their day. I felt like a zombie by comparison.
I went into my apartment and made a beeline for the bedroom. I could barely think due to exhaustion, but I managed to call Brie and tell her I needed one more day off. She was fine with it, and for the first time, I truly appreciated what a good boss she was.
That was the last conscious thought I remembered having before I laid out on my bed, fully clothed, and fell asleep.
