Page 66 of Nomad

She walked toward the SUV with the back door standing open. A redhead was driving. Garland was in the passenger seat and another younger blonde was in the back.

Brash came up and took her by the elbow. “You ride with my mom and my wife. Okay?” He pulled her to a stop. “Oh. And this is my brother, Brandon.”

Bud turned and realized why Brash had warned her about his twin. It was kind of a shock to see such striking guys ‘looking better than a body has a right to’.

“Hi,” she said.

Brand nodded.

Brash opened the back door to the SUV. “That’s my wife, Brigid, driving. This is Brand’s wife, Cami. We’re a close bunch. What happens to Cann happens to everybody.”

Bud tried to process that, but given her experience, that sense of community was unfathomable. She’d pretty much lived her life as a family of one; herself. On the occasion when her dad was in the same place at the same time, he wasn’t especially interested in what might be going on with her.

She got in the backseat with Cami. As Brash closed the door, Garland turned around. “Like he said, these are my daughters-in-law. I did okay for myself on that score.” She smiled. “I can see you’re nervous and that’s understandable. But I think those Christians are ready to tear the courthouse down if the judge doesn’t free their hero.”

“Everybody knows there’s nobody more bloodthirsty than Christians,” said the redhead behind the wheel.

Garland rolled her eyes. “Brigid is an intellectual. I don’t know if I agree with her assessment…”

“Ask the millions who died in the Crusades,” Brigid interjected.

“But,” Garland continued, “in this case, I do hope they insist on having their way.”

“Hear. Hear,” said Cami. When Bud looked over at her, she smiled. “Don’t worry. He’ll be having dinner here tonight.”

Bud wished she had that kind of confidence. She stretched her neck to see the time on the dashboard. “What time is the, um, thing?”

“Arraignment,” Brigid said. “Ten.”

Bud took in a deep breath, just before a roar began that sounded loud enough to open the earth. She looked around. The engines of twenty-three motorcycles had come to life at once. Half of those, including Brant, Brash, and Brand roared past them, out of the gate and onto the gravel road that would take them to the state road that would take them to Austin.

Brigid pulled in behind Eric and Car Lot. The other bikers came up behind them. When they reached the state road, there were easily another fifty bikers who fell in behind the columns.

“Who are they?” asked Bud.

“Mostly hobbyists who are friends of the club, but there are also members from two other clubs who are riding along as a show of respect for the SSMC and for Cann.”

Bud was overwhelmed by the show of support. It wasn’t just strangers anymore. It was people who cared about him. As she rode along, barely seeing the scrub brush through the side window, she remembered their exchange in the solarium.

No more than three nights.

That’s how long it had been. Three nights in jail. She hoped there was a god of wishes who took such pronouncements seriously.

They were late getting into the court room because of the crowds and because the court room was already full. Brandon had to pull some last minute strings to get Bud in, but he took her by the elbow and ushered her in, holding the door.

When Cann turned around, her eyes locked on his immediately. Until she was there, she’d been halfway expecting chains and an orange jumpsuit. But he was in his own clothes, although not the same ones he’d been wearing when he was arrested. No chains. No handcuffs.

She smiled and held up three fingers.

He nodded. He understood.

And ten minutes later, he was free to go with a sentence of twenty hours of community service. He was not to leave the county until that service had been completed.

He shook hands with the lawyer provided by the club.

When he tried to leave, he was mobbed by people who wanted to shake his hand or get an interview on camera or just say how much they thought of him. It took half an hour to get to where the club had his bike waiting. They all congratulated him.

He looked around for Bud. Brash told him that she was riding in the SUV. He looked her direction, but couldn’t see inside with the dark tinted glass. He nodded to Brash, pulled on his cut, and got on his bike. He rode beside Brash on the way back to the SSMC.