Page 117 of Ricochet

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

The houses matched, down to the patterns in the grass that Adelia could play a mental game of Tic Tac Toe on. It was as though each homeowner used the same lawn service, on the same schedule, and their grass was mowed to crisscross in the same way.

Mayhem didn’t do that. They didn’t think about grass patterns, and Adelia hadn’t until she walked down the sidewalk and kickedan imaginary rock with her boot. Not even a rogue weed managed to survive.

How did they cut the grass at the compound? New recruits did it— obviously. It wasn’t like Tex or Hawke got out a mower. Guys like Skull would fall over dead from a heart attack if they had to walk too far or move anything too heavy.

Man, she missed those guys… She laughed at how quickly those old men could move if theyneeded to fight. Even the most cumbersome, aging biker still had a good brawl in him. That was why she knew that she would be okay. Tex hadn’t raised her to die.

She spotted a park ahead and jaywalked across the street. Never once in her life had she thought about waiting for a crosswalk until today. Adelia wasn’t even sure how she knew the term jaywalking. Children’s laughter and playgroundequipment meant strollers and chatting mothers, and that was another thing that Tex had taught her. Mothers with young children were easy targets. They needed to be protected, but they were also a source of resources.

Today, it was time to get a little help from the ladies.

A row of strollers haphazardly waited by picnic tables with purses, diaper bags, water bottles, and snacks strewn about.Adelia passed them and eyeballed what was available before looping back toward the row of strollers and pocketing a cell phone that sat in a cup holder.

She dialed Javier’s cell number as she walked toward a picnic table and prayed he would answer. If he didn’t, she would try Sophia. He could be on a job, or maybe… There were a hundred reasons why he wouldn’t answer an unknown number.

She casuallysat on the bench then lifted the phone as he picked up.

“Oh, thank God you answered,” Adelia interrupted his hello.

“Adelia, where are you? With Colin?”

“Not quite.”

Did Javier know his teammate had been shot? Or perhaps everything Delta did was under a cone of silence. That wasn’t how Mayhem worked. Everybody knew everyone’s business, which was why what she had pulled off with skimming moneyand creating a network of old ladies to do bidding against the interest of the club was nearly impossible to imagine. “I need your help.”

“Why can’t Colin help you?”

“He can’t.”

“He’s closer to you then I am.”

“But I called you.”

“I’m in the middle of a job, Adelia. What’s the problem?”

“You’re my brother. I trust you,” she whispered.

Seconds ticked by, but she could tell the call hadn’tbeen dropped.

“Javier?”

“You. Trust. Him—”

“I tried, and it didn’t work.”

“What the hell do you mean, you tried? Trust only him. Do you understand me?”

“Javier,” she pleaded. “Listen to me. I tried. He’s not listening. And neither are you.”

All she needed was blind trust. But that was too much to ask.

“Whatever the problem is, get over it. Colin will keep you safe from Mayhem.”

“Colinwasn’t shot by Mayhem! There’s someone else. I know who it is, and I tried to explain to him, but he won’t listen.”

“Why?”

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