Page 34 of Brick's Redemption

When Brick returned, I took the bottle of tea he offered. “Thanks. Are we alone?”

“Yeah. Dagger rode back to Vegas to see his son and Audrey.”

His ex-wife. The one he still loved.

“Are they in danger?”

“Baby, everyone associated with the Desert Titans has a target on their back right now. It’s not just me and you.”

Well, shit. I should have realized that. “Are we riding to Vegas too?”

He shook his head. “No. For now, we stay here where it’s safe, and the Crimson Skulls don’t know where we are.”

“And you trust Mike?”

I didn’t know who he was or how Brick or Dagger knew him.

“He’s Audrey’s brother and a cop. So, yeah, we trust him, but he’s also not Dagger’s number one fan.”

That made sense.

“Where did he go?”

“To the station to look into the Crimson Skulls. We need to know what he can find. He’s got access we can’t get, legally anyway.”

“Ah. Well, I’m not opposed to having a cop help us out.”

“Technically, he’s a sheriff for Humboldt County. About the only badge I’d ever trust, to be honest.”

“You’ve known him a long time, then?”

“Since Dagger met Audrey. It’s been about twenty years.”

“Oh, wow. You and Dagger grew up together. I remember. I just didn’t realize he met Audrey so long ago, but he’s got a teenage son, so that makes sense.”

Brick turned the steaks over and then faced me. “I said I’d be transparent. This is me doing that. You should know the Crimson Skulls rode by Audrey’s place this morning. They’re targeting families again like they did fifteen years ago.”

“When they murdered my father.”

“Yes.”

“It’s been six weeks, Brick. What the hell is going on? Why haven’t we heard anything?”

“I’m beginning to wonder the same thing. We should have been able to find and capture a CSMC member by now to shake down and gather intel. The silence is odd. I’m just as concerned as you are.”

“Then we should eat and head back to Vegas.”

“It’s a thirteen-hour trip, baby. You’re in no condition to ride that long, especially overnight.”

Thinking about Vegas made me wonder about my family. Were the Crimson Skulls trying to intimidate or scare them, too?

“Have you spoken to my mom or Uncle Trig?”

“No.” He opened the grill and checked the steaks, pulling them from the heat. He added roasted vegetables and ticked his chin toward the house. “Let’s discuss this while we eat.”

I sighed, following him indoors. “I’m calling home first.”

“Go for it.”

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