“Means he’s going to get twitchy,” General said.
“Yeah,” Atilla agreed.“He’ll look at his roads harder.Which means we watch our asses.Nobody out alone.No joyrides.No solo runs.You think you can stop for beer on the way home by yourself, you’re wrong.We do not giftwrap targets for him.”
A rumble of agreement moved through the room.
“At the same time,” Atilla went on, “we start our end.Spade’s poking his money.Jade’s helping him prep a care package for Detective Hanley.We’re kicking Diaz’s stool out and letting them push where it falls.”
He scanned the room, gaze landing on me for a second.“Roth is done.He’s not our problem anymore.Diaz doesn’t know that yet.So we use the time between him figuring it out and him putting his next plan on the board.We make ourselves harder to hit.We make him easier.”
He raised his fork like a weird little toast.“Eat.Train.Stay close.We got a war coming.No sense walking into it on an empty stomach.”
Laughter broke the tension.Loud.A little forced.Still better than silence.
Kane squeezed my knee under the table.“You hear that?”
“I’m not leaving the property without three bikers and a Tinker,” I said.“I got it.”
“Tinker’s busy,” he said.“But I can loan you Knuckles.”
* * *
That afternoon, Casey dragged me outside.“Drills,” she explained.“Kids again.”
“Diaz’s men might be watching.”I glanced at the fence.
Casey squared her shoulders.“Then they can see we’re not easy pickings.We refuse to hide in the basement all day.Kids need air.”
I couldn’t argue with her logic.
We ran two more safe room drills.The children had transformed them into games -- excitement replacing their earlier fear.
Riley, Casey’s daughter, gripped my hand as we descended the stairs.
“Is the bad man still gone?”She leaned close, her voice barely audible.
“Yeah.”I nodded.“He’s gone.”
Her small fingers tightened around mine.“You scared?”
“Sometimes,” I admitted.
Riley’s head bobbed in solemn understanding.“I scared too.”She glanced toward where Casey stood directing the other children.“Mommy says scared doesn’t mean we stop moving.”
I smiled down at her.“Your mommy knows what she’s talking about.”
Riley considered.“She says I can be brave and scared at the same time,” she added.
“She’s right,” I said.
We reached the bottom of the stairs.The safe room door loomed.
“You’re very brave,” I told Riley.
She squeezed my hand and let go, running to claim her favorite cot.
By the time we finished, sweat dampened the back of my neck and the kids had turned the drills into a competition.
Casey checked the time.“Faster than yesterday.We’ll shave another fifteen seconds off by the weekend.”
