I shook my head and turned my focus toward the ground in front of us.There were plenty of exposed oak tree roots that could trip me.“Maybe a little, but having been inside, it’ll take a crap load of money to fix it up, let alone afford the property itself, too.”
“For what it’s worth, Rafferty – or, I guess you were introduced to him by his road name, Bluff – he’s planning to start his own general contracting business.He’s remodeled the house we’re living in, and I’d imagine he’d love taking on something like this.”
I nodded.“If he’s licensed, I’ll keep him in mind as a referral for my clients.”
“Oh, I didn’t even think about that.Do you know where you’re going?”she asked as we wandered farther away from the house.
“Yeah, as much as I thought I’d obliterated this from my memory, it seems this is something you don’t forget.”
“Yo!Slow down,” Tundra yelled from behind us.
Alexandra and I stopped and turned half-way to watch him and Mickayla approach.
Tundra lumbered closer.“Neither of you are getting close to that body, if it’s still there.”
Alexandra held up a hand.“There’s a reason I went into dentistry instead of becoming a doctor.I didn’t want to deal with cadavers, so I’m not about to get close to a decomposing body.”
Tundra tipped his head toward me.“Seeing as she helped move the body, it’s her I’m concerned about.”
I fought off rolling my eyes.“There wasn’t much choice.They way they hit Nickel in the head, I couldn’t expect him to move the body on his own.”
“I’m sure.Lead the way, Ivy,” Tundra said.
We trudged ahead another ten feet before we came to the gathering of trees and palmetto bushes.
I held a hand out toward the area.“This is where we left his body, but… He must have been moved, because there’s no way he just disappeared.”
Tundra turned to Mickayla.“Time to go.Straight to the clubhouse, Mick.”
“We should check the house,” Mickayla said.
Tundra’s jaw clenched.“Woman, I told you why that’s an even worse idea than just being here.That body isn’t going to be in there.Take them back to the clubhouse.”
“Not the bar?”I asked.
“No.It’s more likely someone’s watching the bar, and there’s no decent way for her to approach from another direction.”
“We have to stop at that truck stop in Sanderson because I’m hungry and I need to pee,” Alexandra said.
Tundra shook his head and closed his eyes for a beat before he opened them again.“Fine.But I’m letting Bluff and Nickel know that’s the plan.”
Alexandra started back toward the car.I followed her as a breeze kicked up from behind me.Tundra stood rooted the spot, grabbing his phone from his back pocket.
“You need to get yourself a man who can get you in line,” Tundra said in a low voice that I only heard because it carried on the wind.
“Whatever, Tun,” Mickayla muttered and picked up her pace based on the increased sound of her footsteps on the fallen leaves and twigs.
Alexandra turned in her seat toward Mickayla as we bumped along the dirt lane back to the highway.“It isn’t my business—”
“Then leave it alone,” Mickayla muttered to the windshield.
Alexandra went quiet and I thought she was letting it drop.
Then she said, “I can’t.What in the world is with you and Tundra?Was he just being—”
“He was being an overbearing biker.You know exactly how that feels, Lex, and you and I both can’t stand it when the brothers get that way.”
“I’m sorry.That sucks,” Alexandra said.
