“Sure,” I mutter to myself as I step out of the truck. “Because it never would have occurred to me.”
I reach back inside and grab the keys from the ignition in case Selkie changes her mind and takes off on me.
“What are you doing?” she declares.
I sidestep her question. “Calling Hangman. Stay.”
“I’m not your fucking dog,” she barks as I close the door behind me.
Outward I’m calm. Inside, I’m a cauldron of fear and anger. What the fuck was Oscar thinking going to the 311 Boys?
Or maybe he got picked up by them. Or maybe it was Henri who decided to go with or without him. Too much like her mother. Oscar had no choice but to follow to try and protect the girl.
Hangman picks up with a gruff, “What?” It’s clear he’s been sleeping.
“Got a problem, prez. A big one. Gonna need the club behind me.”
Hangman doesn’t let go of grudges easily. “So now you need me.”
I lose my patience and my head. “Fuck off, Hangman. You can bitch later. Oscar and Henri’s lives are on the line. The 311 Boys have them at their clubhouse. We gotta get to them before Renfrew puts a bullet in their heads.”
“Motherfucker!” Hangman says, fully awake now. “Why the fuck can’t those kids stay out of trouble?”
I don’t answer. I know I had a hand in the shit.
He carries on anyway. “I’ll call Joker to put the word out. Where’re you at?”
“Grand Sierra Casino.”
“What the fuck are you doin’ there at this hour?”
“Long story. Can we park that and deal with the shit show happening right now?”
“Yeah,” he replies. “But that bounty hunter is fuckin’ with your head. You used to be solid.”
He’s right, but that bounty hunter is stuck in my heart and always will be. “Where you wanna meet?”
“Right where you’re at. We can decide from there how we’re gonna do this.”
Selkie joins me on the pavement when I end the call.
“He’s coming,” I tell her.
“I’m thrilled,” she snipes.
I see the tension in her body as she stiffly paces back and forth. When I try to take her in my arms, she struggles out.
I lose my patience. “What the hell is going on with you? You think you’re the only one with someone to lose? We’re in this together, wasn’t that what we decided? So let’s be together.”
She turns to me, hesitates, then walks straight into my arms. “I’ve never been so scared in my life. I don’t care about me or what I do. Never have. But if something happens to Henri, I don’t think I could live with myself.”
“I know,” I reply, rocking her. “I know.”
We stay this way, talking softly until the roar of motorcycles breaks the peace.
I’ve never been so happy to see my brothers in my life.
They park their bikes, then surround us, talking too much, asking questions.
