Seth signaled the others to be ready in case this went south. “After what happened to Elias, we never leave our stuff behind in case we have to pull out of an area immediately. The last thing I want is to report to our president that I screwed up and got one of his people killed.”
The MC leader relaxed, nodding as though he’d figured that out on his own and was just confirming the information. “It’s a smart idea, one I might have to use in the future.”
“It’s a policy our president uses every time.”
“I like it. I think we might start the same policy. So, what were you doing out near Old Man Merriweather’s place?”
“Hoping to teach our Old Ladies to ride a motorcycle by riding on his property line. Not much traffic out there, based on what we heard in town. Didn’t want to drive in town because we didn’t want to disturb the businesses or neighbors.”
“Did he turn you down? If you want, I could have a word with him. We know each other pretty well. He’s a good man.”
Elias frowned. That sounded as if Dutch and Merriweather were friends. How could Dutch look the other way when one of his enforcers bragged about tuning up Merriweather?
Seth exchanged a glance with Elias and gave him a slight nod. Oh, man. He’d have to give bad news to the MC leader. Elias hoped he was wrong, and the president wasn’t that close to the farmer.
“We didn’t talk to him,” Elias said.
Dutch frowned. “Was he out in the field?”
“I’m sorry to tell you that Mr. Merriweather is dead.”
The other man froze. “What did you say?”
“Someone shot your friend. He didn’t make it.”
“Do you know who shot him?”
He shook his head. “The door was open, so Iona and I went inside and found him in the kitchen.”
Dutch’s hands fisted. “Did you see anyone in the area?”
“We were the only ones around when we found Mr. Merriweather.” He paused. “Can I get you a glass of water or a soft drink?” His voice was soft. No need to advertise to his MC that Dutch had been hit with shocking news. “News of Mr. Merriweather’s death must have been hard to hear.”
Dutch shook his head. “I liked the old coot, even if he was as stubborn as a mule. He was a quirky guy. Had his own way of doing things and wouldn’t hear of considering another method. He’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed help, though.”
“Sounds like he was a good friend.” Seth squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss, Dutch.”
“Thanks.” The other man’s voice sounded thick. He coughed a little, then said, “The boys set up cones along the dirt road for your Old Ladies.”
Elias frowned. “What about traffic? Avoiding traffic was why we wanted to ride around the perimeter of Merriweather’s farm.”
Dutch’s eyebrows soared. “Perimeter? Were you in the military?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ELIAS STARED ATthe leader of the Blackthorn Riders. His heart sank. Perimeter. He’d used the term without thinking about how the word sounded or what his word choice said about him. Law enforcement also used the same term. It was hard to break the habits of over two decades.
That was no excuse, though. He’d put their mission in jeopardy because he wasn’t paying as much attention as he should have to the role he played. So how did he explain this away?
Once again, Iona bailed him out of hot water. “You haven’t met the president of the Iron Wolves, have you?”
Dutch shook his head. “Why?”
“Z is as military as you can get. He served for the full twenty years and acts like he’s our drill sergeant.”
Teagan wrapped her hand around Seth’s and laughed. “You should see the brothers of the MC. The Wolves are treated more like a military organization than a motorcycle club. Z has them doing physical training in the mornings that includes at least a five-mile run. It doesn’t matter that you work outside the organization. You’re expected to show up and try your hardest. No excuses accepted.”
“I noticed the lot of you are in top physical shape. I guess that’s because of your president.” He shifted his gaze to his own men, who were standing away from the operatives. Many of them were overweight and lazy.
