Page 98 of Ridin' True
“But are we supposed to take his word if he points his finger at the cartel? We’re gonna start a war based on the intel from a man who lost our trust months ago?” asked Mustang.
“No,” stated Bull resolutely. “The only way we get to the bottom of this is if we confront Alvarez and Hoffman together, which meansweneed to find him before the cops do.”
“Ol’ lady won’t love it, given the number of boxes still unpacked at the new house, but I’m in,” volunteered Maverick.
“If yours is anything like mine—and we both know she is given how long they’ve been tight—you’ll get a pass. Those bullets weren’t aimed at just anyone, but one of them. I want in on this one, too,” Mustang insisted.
Wrangler looked at his brother, as surprised as he was appreciative. Mustang leaned in where he was needed, but he wasn’t a tracker—hadn’t been for a while. Anything that pulled him away from home for an indiscernible length of time was off the table as far as he was concerned. Given the situation with his daughter before Tess came around, no one blamed him. Now, with Tess pregnant, it was just as much a sacrifice.
“Wrangler?” asked Bull. “Your call—but until we know what’s up, Torres is not to be left unattended. You want in on the hunt, Twister and I can keep an eye on her. You want to stay back, I’ll go in your place.”
He didn’t respond right away, even though he felt the answer in his gut. Tracking down prey was in his DNA. Wrangler and Maverick had been sent on more than a few missions over the years, never once coming back unsuccessful. He wanted nothing more than to be there kicking down the door behind which Hoffman hid—but the thought of leaving Lex behind in order to do so didn’t sit right.
She put on a brave face that morning, but he still remembered the sound of her voice when she called him from her apartment. Then, he’d been ten minutes away. The thought of her needing him when he was a hundred miles in any direction was enough for him to make up his mind. Bull was right. They didn’t have enough answers. Maybe Lex would be safe—but what if she wasn’t?
“I’m stayin’,” he muttered. “But only for the hunt. I want to be there when Hoffman and Alvarez are in the same room.”
“Heard,” Bull replied. “Mustang, Maverick—you got shit to handle, go handle it. We’ll meet back here in an hour.”
Alexia
Holedupintheback of the auto-parts store, I was wholly unaware of time as I buried myself in the intricacies of the Wild Stallions’ corporate enterprise. It was Benson who stuck his head in, offering me lunch partway through the day. I ate it at the desk he was gracious enough to let me borrow, barely tasting it as it went down. While I knew I didn’t need to absorb the entire legal history of the club in one sitting, I found comfort in having something to occupy my mind so completely.
I wasn’t sure how late it was when my man rapped his knuckles against the open door, and I frowned in confusion at the sight of Jed freshly showered. Rather than his coveralls, he was wearing the jeans he had on that morning and a new white tee underneath his kutte. His hair was damp, and as he entered the office, the intoxicating smell of sandalwood wafted in with him.
“Did you go home? What time is it?”
“Almost six,” he answered, rounding the front of the desk. He propped himself against the empty space beside me and clarified, “Showered and changed at the clubhouse. We can stop by my place if you need, but figured we’d head to dinner from here. You ‘bout done?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I can be,” I answered with a nod.
I shut my laptop and closed out of the files I had open on the company desktop. As I did so, I realized I’d not spent a minute of my day preparing for dinner with my family. I had some serious explaining to do, and I had no idea what I was going to tell them. Not to mention, it was going to be mami’s first time meeting Jed.
Needless to say, it was bound to be an eventful night.
I was already a little exhausted thinking about it.
“Hey,” Jed called softly as I slid my laptop into my purse. “Need to tell you somethin’ before we go.”
I froze, shifting my gaze to find his, not at all liking the sound of that.
“Okay.”
“Detective Kendrick came by a couple hours ago. Hoffman was identified as the shooter. Haven’t been payin’ attention to the news, but a press conference was scheduled for this evenin’. Might have happened already. The public will be informed that he’s a wanted man.”
My stomach suddenly felt heavy, the news settling inside of me like a rock. Suspecting the man was one thing. Knowing for certain it had been him was disturbing.
Sure, the man had threatened me to my face, but I never imagined it would behimpulling the trigger. Moreover, given his cut ties with the Stallions, his attempt on my life was so much more than a threat made from a position of power. He had no power, which made him desperate—and desperate people like him were worse than dangerous.
“So—he’s wanted. Does that mean, um, they don’t have him?”
“He’s in the wind. They’re lookin’ for him. So are we. A few of us are goin’ on the hunt. Truth be told, I hope we find the son-of-a-bitch first.”
“Wait,” I muttered with a shake of my head. Now feeling a little sick to my stomach, I swallowed and asked, “You’re not going, right? You’re not going after him? You’re not leaving?”
“No, darlin’,” he assured me. He reached for my face, taking hold of my chin as he continued. “I’m not leavin’ you. Until this whole thing is over, and I’m sure you’re safe, you are my mission. Bull, Mav, and Mustang hit the road ‘bout an hour ago.”
My eyes began to burn as my relief was replaced by extreme guilt.
