Page 71 of Barron

“Bless you, Marie.” Barron placed the chair where Marie had indicated.

Sullen and silent, Yoanni moved around the desk. Ignoring her pout, he lifted her chin and kissed her lightly. “Marie’s a good friend, princess. She’ll take care of you until I get back.”

Barron watched Yoanni sit, her stony expression still in place. He understood her reasons for being upset and feeling betrayed. Betty’s lies and harassment had spoiled the night. But he didn’t have the time to coddle, nurture, or spank the frustration out of her. With every passing second, the situation inside grew more dangerous. Soon, the parties would run into each other. Somehow, he and Johnny G had to prevent that from happening.

“Let’s do this.” He slapped his friend on the shoulder and hurried back inside.

“Should we split up?” Johnny G asked.

Barron remembered Deacon’s dismal opinion of Johnny G. “We stay together. It’s gonna take two of us to convince him to leave.”

Johnny G nodded. “Okay, we go down the middle. You search the right. I’ll do the left.”

Easier said than done, Barron thought, pushing through pockets of groups watching the different scenes.

What a fucked-up evening. He brought Yoanni because Thursdays at Nightshade were supposed to be light. Not tonight. Iris turned out to be lying Betty, Deacon wanted to meet with Killer, but the biker was hanging out with his cartel buddies from Los Emes, the most dangerous bunch of men on the planet.

Fate laughed at him. He never felt as insignificant and incapable of fixing an impending disaster as he did now.

A little miracle would be great.

“There’s Deacon,” Johnny G exclaimed.

Barron breathed again. “Where?”

“Wax and fire play room. He’s talking to a DM.”

“Good job, man,” he said as a familiar slow-moving group formed on his right. “Fuck, Killer is pointing at the play room. Hurry. We have to intercept them.”

Johnny G had left already. Barron followed. As they reached the room, they split up and flanked Deacon on either side.

“Hey, guys,” Deacon said. “Eagle here is full of interesting information. I had no idea fire play was a thing.”

“It’s a thing all right,” Barron said. “It takes practice and knowledge. There’s no time for that. Come on, we’re going home.”

As Barron stepped in front of Deacon to casually herd him out, Johnny G grabbed his arm. “Dude, look.”

Barron glanced over his shoulder and inhaled a sharp breath. No longer in her masked Iris persona, Betty had joined Killer and Los Emes. They knew each other, and well, it seemed, because one of Los Emes held her waist. The way they all carried on, laughing, and having a good time, put Betty on equal footing with the men. Her bearing was tall and assured. Not a hint of subservience or submission emanated from her.

Well, fuck me. He’d bought her game. Betty, if that was her real name, was craftier and smarter than he’d given her credit for. Thenight he’d met Betty in her Iris persona came back to him. That night, Barron had seen Killer and gone after him. Iris had protected the biker’s escape with her desperate actions.

And you let her go.

Could the situation get any more complicated?

Johnny Gun and Barron closed in on Deacon from both sides. The guy balked. “Hey. Don’t push.”

Barron leaned in. “Listen and don’t turn,” he whispered. “Killer and his associates are coming this way. His associates have no scruples. They belong to a vicious criminal cartel. At the first sign of trouble, they’ll smoke us out and ask questions later.”

“But I came to see Killer,” Deacon protested.

“That window’s closed. Do you want to see Isolde again?” Barron drove the point home. “Walk her down the aisle when she gets married? Play with your grandchildren?”

Deacon blinked. “Of course I do.”

“Then we leave now. Go. Follow Johnny G. He’ll lead you out the side. You’ve been warned. If you stay, I’m not responsible for what happens next, and I also won’t be here to see it.”

“Okay. Okay. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

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