Page 20 of Rocky Ride

“Sort of. Got two boys and a runaway girl. Adopted all of them.”

Sunday cast him a glance. “Never pictured you for a dad. More like a lone rider on your Harley. Like that.”

“Used to be like that. But I adopted me some boys out of juvie detention, and they turned out great. Best kids a man could have.”

“They be coming up here looking for you soon.”

Travis nodded. “Yeah, they will be.”

“Got names? Your boys.”

“Harlan is eighteen and Virgil is sixteen. They’re brothers.”

“I always wanted me some kids,” said Sunday.

“You’re still young,” said Travis. “You’ve got time to have a dozen kids before you’re done.”

Sunday laughed.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek. Montana.

“Arraignment day, boys,” said Billy. “Two women per squad. Let’s get them to the courthouse on time.”

“Copy that, boss. Working on it now.”

Me and Virge were bringing Brenda Paige out of the building and were about to put her in the back of the Bronco when her lunatic husband, Jerry, jumped out of his pickup and ran towards us with a gun in his hand.

“No way I’m putting up with a convict for a wife, Brenda. You’ve shamed me enough already with your goddamned picketing at my favorite strip club.”

“I warned you not to go to see the strippers, Jerry.”

Bang.

Brenda fell into the snow that covered the entire parking lot and I ran to help her and see if she was hurt or fuckin dead.

Virge took off after Jerry and caught him before he got to his pickup. Virgie cracked that fucker across the head with the butt of his Sig and knocked him down into a snowbank.

Ted rushed over to help Virge and between the two of them they got cuffs on Jerry Paige, and dragged his ass inside the station and locked him up.

“Good job, Virgie,” said Billy. “I’ll wait for Doc Olsen for Brenda. You take your women and drop them off at the courthouse. I think they’ll all make bail. If they don’t the clerk will call me.”

“Copy, boss. Taking the women.”

Louisiana Bayou.

Mason chased Tammy all the way to Shiner’s up near Thibodaux. He docked his boat, tied up, then went inside the restaurant and grabbed her out of the chair she was sitting in.

She hollered a bit, but it didn’t bother him. He hauled her contrary ass to the cabin he’d rented and tied her up inside.

“You sit there, girl, until I get my neck fixed up. All your fault I got shot. I ain’t gonna hurt you. Your mama wants you home and I aim to get you there, so you can pull in your horns and settle down.”

Tammy stared at him with one of those blank looks crazy people are good at.

Mason figured Tammy’s head was all but empty after living with the outlaws for as long as she did.

He strolled down the road to the house of a friend and got first aid on his burning neck. After he was bandaged up, they had a few beers and Mason eased up a bit on wanting to kill Tammy Traynor for being such a contrary bitch.

Gears and Gas Truck Stop. Birmingham. Alabama.

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