Page 14 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“You sure this is warranted? Send a fuckin’prospect, man. You’re supposed to keep the clubhouse up andrunning.” Marlin waved at the camera, and Einstein snorted. “I knowBuzzkill won’t work the detail, but there’s others, man. You don’tgotta do everything.”
“Shut up. I’ll be there.” He ended the call,snorting again when he saw Marlin flip off the camera.
The software hadn’t indicated the checkswere complete, but he looked at the output on the screen anyway.Like with fingerprints, diction matching could only do so much,requiring a human for the final comparisons. The number ofpotential matches was twelve, not the expected zero, which meantthey’d have some audio to listen to. Crazy Mike did well with that,and Einstein sent him a quick message to reach out as soon as hewas cogent. “At least that looks promising.”
Out in the main room, Alex had flipped tohis side, knees pulled up with one hand speared between his thighs.His other hand rested in front of his face, and something about thepositioning had Einstein pausing to look harder. He snorted, thenchoked on a laugh. “Jesus. Linus. We’ll see what he thinks.” Hekicked the side of the couch, biting back another laugh when theman rolled to his back, his hand following but staying an exactdistance. Einstein shoved the side of one boot against the couchand gave it a push, the legs scraping across the wood floor.
“What?” Alex sat up facing away fromEinstein, his head jerking back and forth. “Who’s there?”
“Me, asshole.”
Alex nearly fell off the couch as he turnedtowards Einstein, gaze filled with bleary confusion.
“I’m going to Retro’s to finish out thenight with Marlin. Crazy Mike’ll be here in a few hours. Tell himto check his messages if he hasn’t already.” He waited, but Alexdidn’t respond, just stared up at him. “You in there, Linus?”
“What?” Alex ducked his head, palmsscrubbing across both his cheeks. “Hold on, give me a minute towake up.” His head rattled back and forth in a brisk arc, and thenhis feet landed on the floor with a thud. “Shit, what time isit?”
Einstein consulted the clock on the wall.“Three o’clock. Time for good boys to be on their best behavior.”He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.“Isn’t it, Linus?”
“Who the fuck is Linus?” Alex yawned, mouthopen wide with a stifled groan. “God, couple hours’ sleep is worsethan none sometimes.”
“True that.” Einstein backed away towardsthe front door. “You awake, for sure? Want you to set the alarmafter me. You remember what I said about Crazy Mike?”
“Yeah, check his messages. You’re spellingMarlin?” Alex pushed up, stretching, the ill-fitting prospect vestsliding around on his shoulders. “Everything okay, bossman?”
“Not spelling him, augmenting the watch.”The heat that rolled through the door underscored the oddness ofPopova’s jacket earlier, and Einstein rethought his easy acceptancethat the man hadn’t come into the clubhouse carrying. “If Popovacomes back, make him take his coat off outside. Pass it on.” Justbefore the door closed, he turned and called through the narrowinggap. “Set the alarm, Linus.”
“Who the hell is Linus?” The question waseasily audible through the door, and Alex’s honest confusion hadEinstein still laughing as he slung a leg across his bike. Handgoing to the clutch automatically, he disengaged it, started thebike, and toed the shifter up into Neutral before he released hisgrip. Getting his helmet into place didn’t take long, and theloping roll of the engine had him anticipating the stretch ofhighway between the clubhouse and Retro’s house.
Einstein rolled off the lot with a widesmile in place.
***
Marian
From her place in the back row of the van,Marian watched over her brothers.
Luke was in the front, a position Gunnycalled shotgun for some reason, and hadn’t stopped plying the bigman with questions. About his tattoos, his vest, the patches—someof which were vulgar, and it amused Marian when his ears would gored as he tried to avoid explaining the meaning—where they weregoing, what Gunny’s role was in the club—a term she noted Lukenever got wrong—and if Myrt was really following them on amotorcycle.
Thad had stretched out across the long seatin front of Marian, courteously kicking off his shoes beforepropping them high on the wall of the van. He’d slept a great deal,which wasn’t surprising, given the ordeal the boys had endured.When Thad hadn’t been subject to Sallabrook’s torture and abuse,he’d been protecting his older brother.Probably not a lot ofrest for him.
Myrt had talked to Marian about her timeunder Sallabrook’s thumb, in painful detail. But it had beennecessary to share an understanding of what had brought them tothat point, huddled together on a bed in a motel, the boys sleepinguneasily nearby. Marian had seen the pain in her sister’sexpression as she revealed the past. Agonizing, yet bluntedsomehow. Then Marian had seen Bane with her sister, and everythinghad come clear.
Myrt had denied anything, saying arelationship wouldn’t be in her future, but Marian had plied herwith strong words of advice. Bane was clearly a good man whoworshiped Myrt, and Marian had done everything she could to helpopen her sister’s eyes to the fact.
Myrt didn’t have time to be wary ormistrustful of fate. Pregnant and dependent on the kindness ofothers, she needed to see what was right in front of her.
Marian’s situation was significantlydifferent, and that wasn’t her being obtuse.
Gunny’s wife and children awaited at the endof the trip. She might be harboring a tiny bit of hero worship forhim but notthatkind of emotion. His gentle nature with theboys would have won her over alone. Then Marian had the experienceof him soothing her while they waited in this very vehicle as Banetook care of business. She’d overheard Bane’s response to Myrt’squestions, and the muttered “you’ll never have to worry about himor Sallabrook again” had told her everything she needed toknow.
Knights.
These men were protectors through andthrough, their instinctive reaction to right whatever wrongs hadbeen shoved down the throats of the unwilling or weak.Off-whiteknights, she thought, covering her mouth with one hand to hidethe way her lips curled in a full-bodied smile. Scary upon firstencounter, both Gunny and Bane had quickly proven themselves readyto do anything to shield Marian, Myrtle, and the boys frombadness.
“Y’all ready?” The van slowed as Gunnyspoke, turning left onto a small oil-top road. It bumped and swayedas Luke chortled a laugh. “We’re here, Maid Marian.”
Rolling her eyes at his continued use of theridiculous phrase, she craned her neck to see the upcoming house onthe right-hand side of the road. She was nervous.Like the boysare.All of them were curious about where they’d be staying,and if Marian were the only one worried about any kind ofrepayment? Well, that was okay. The boys shouldn’t have to worryabout shelter and safety.I can take that on.She’d done itall her life. Trading labor for full bellies and a protective roomfor her siblings. All the things that should have been a givencoming from a parent but weren’t.
