Page 26 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“You kinda implied it was in my bestinterest.” Einstein pulled a face, breaking character with a grin.“I do what I’m told, boss.”
“That true? News to me, but I’m sureRetro’ll be glad to hear it.” Mudd indicated the house with a tiltof his head. “Let’s go introduce you. Shit’s already gone down, andget this…Rebels pitched two heavy hitters into the mix with bothTruck and Gunny patching over. I’d expected Truck, but Gunny was asurprise. Twisted’s offered up a member, Coolaid, most recently inhis Big Bend chapter. Shit’s movin’ fast with this one. Mondayshould be down here within the week, and Retro’s gauging interestfrom a couple of RC members we know.”
“Interesting. I think I’d rather have Gunnyhere as a member than roving as nomad.” Einstein slowed Mudd with ahand on his arm. “Retro tell you about Chulpayev showing at hishouse, and what he gave us?”
“Yeah. Glad as fuck you were there. Makingit a rotation was a good idea. How the hell’d he get the code forthe alarm?” Mudd’s scowl showed he was as unimpressed as Einsteinhad been. “That’s some shit, man.”
“No idea, but we’re doing a rotation on thatnow, too. I also put the secure app on Trina’s phone, and we’resending the new code that way. Hey.” Einstein turned partly away,not wanting to see Mudd’s expression. “Retro tell you the rest ofwhat I left in the voicemail?”
“Yeah, and you’d get a flat no if you’dasked me that shit, brother.” Mudd’s headshake echoed his dismissalof Einstein’s request. “We just got you back, man. Not ready foryou to roll off down the road yet.”
“Which way is Retro leaning? You know atall?” With Scar’s brother identified and located, he didn’t knowwhat was pushing him on this, why he’d keep asking if there wasn’ta demonstrated urgency.Even if this is his brother, thatdoesn’t tell me where Scar is.“Tearing me up, man.” A littletruth could go a long way to sway Mudd his way. “This brother, ifhe’s as good a man as I’m hearing, I’m not sure how Scar went sowrong. Don’t know, but I need the man to pay.” Breath whistling inand out like he’d run a footrace, he propped fists against hiships. “He’s got to pay.”
“And that right there is why I think yougoin’ nomad is the wrong path, brother. You get a lead on him andyou’ll be off to the races, not wastin’ time to make a call, nomatter how at risk it might put you.” Mudd’s gaze lifted to thesky, and he heaved out a lungful of air. “You fuckin’ matter to me.To the club.” Chin dropping, he locked eyes on Einstein with aglare. “You don’t see it because you’re inside it, but we fuckin’need you. I might be Jerry’s oldest friend, but you’re yards andyards closer to him now than I am. He’s still tore up about howshit went down with Lauren and your little girl, and I knowhim—that man’s gonna grant your ask. Gonna let you ride your assoff into the sunset as you look for a man who’s a master at bein’ aghost. You ever think the reason we can’t find Dominic is becausehe’s no longer in the country? He’s got family on two continents,and nothin’ to say he didn’t go to Italy. I know the Jersey boysare looking inland for him, chasing the matriarchal side of things,but my gut tells me if he were there, we would have located him bynow.”
“His blood brother hung under the radar foryears, Mudd. What makes you think we’d be more successfullong-distance at finding Scar? I gotta talk to this Bane to make upmy mind, but if he spent time in Michigan and then the frozen northwithout us raising a trace of him? Scar’ll have access to moreresources, better intel, and his motive for staying hidden is afucking better one than just turning his back on his blood.”Einstein muffled his scoff, the sound coming out as a grunt.“Finding the brother was the catalyst for me wanting nomad, but nowI see the need even more. This is how I’ll find Scar, I feelit.”
“By puttin’ a nomad rocker on your goddamnedvest? By divorcing yourself from the help of your brothers?” Muddbegan to stalk away. “God bless, there’s no talkin’ sense into you.You’re gonna fuckin’ kill yourself, and this is the way you’ll doit. Not gettin’ my vote, I tell you that now.” Angling his neck, heyelled over his shoulder, “You wanna fuckin’ die, then pull thetrigger where we can mourn you, man. Don’t prolong the agony likethis. Retro needs you, but if you don’t want to hear that, then youdo your thing, brother. I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”
Einstein watched as Mudd angled through agate and ducked under a clothesline filled with sheets and towels,disappearing behind the fabric. A door opened in the distance andclosed, and apart from the grumbling rumble of voices from thefront yard, he stood in silence.
I’m not trying to kill myself.
Closing his eyes, he jerked when an image ofLauren’s face swam into focus, rising out of the darkness. Her,dead in the van, inches away, but he couldn’t break his bonds andtouch her. Couldn’t check on her or their daughter, and thatstruggle had nearly cost him his sanity.Why can’t I rememberher alive?Tucking his chin to his neck, he searched for amemory, only able to capture flashes of events in their past. Hersmile on their wedding day, the flash of her eyes as she told himthey were expecting, the grip of her hand on his as she pushedtheir daughter into the world—pieces, broken from the whole,shattered in such a way that he’d never be able to put them backtogether.
I just want Scar to pay.
Not believing his own lie, Einstein openedhis eyes and looked around, taking in the whole scene for the firsttime. The house was encircled by tall pine trees, and the scent ofsap was strong in the air. A donkey heehawing nearby was followedby raucous male laughter, and he tracked that sound around thehouse, rounding the corner to the front yard to see a dozen faceshe recognized.
The subsequent greetings were subdued,something he’d become accustomed to over the past few months. Menwho knew the story would be avoiding bringing it up, wary of theconversational topics they were uncomfortable with around him, andmen who didn’t know would be looking at their friends with puzzledgazes, but still following their lead.
Retro walked out of the front door andtrotted down the steps, bootheels noisy on the wooden treads. Muddappeared in his wake, moving slower, his gaze pinning Einstein inplace. Retro stepped between them, his signature mane of hairloose, telegraphing to those who knew him that he expected toremain here for a time. If it had been braided, that would have putforward a different nonverbal dialogue, and Einstein smiled as hewelcomed him, enjoying that he knew his friend so well.
“You made good time.” Retro pulled back fromtheir one-armed clinch, eyes narrowing at Einstein’s laughter.
Still chuckling, he explained, “Same thingMudd said.”
“Well, just goes to show you how great mindsthink alike.”
Shit, did Mudd already talk to him?Retro’s words played through Einstein’s head.He’s not going toallow it. Dammit.
“Did I take a shit on your plans? No, sir, Idid not.” Retro clamped a hand on Einstein’s shoulder and pulledhim to the side of the house, away from the larger group. “Ihaven’t even addressed your request yet, man. Stop making thatface.”
“I just thought—”
“If that’s how well you think these days,then my answer’s gonna wind up a flat no. If you’re gonna be theEinstein of a year ago, I’m a maybe. A could-be-convinced maybe.”The corners of Retro’s mouth turned down, expression sour as ifhe’d tasted something vile. “You with us, brother? Body and soul?Your mind tuned in to what we need to pay attention to?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t seem like it. You standin’ here likethis, lookin’ like that? It’s makin’ me question even having youmake this run.” Tongue poking at the inside of his cheek, Retroscanned him down and up, gaze lingering on Einstein’s face. “Am Iwrong about you? About where you are inside your head?” He held upa hand, palm facing Einstein. “No, don’t answer fast. You take afuckin’ minute and work through things. Hold your tongue until youunderstand where I’m comin’ from, man. Anything less won’t earn myconfidence.”
Noise swelled in the background, laughter asthe donkey brayed again and again, the ludicrous soundtrackimpossible to ignore as he dug deep inside himself to find a way toreassure both Retro and Mudd.
I need to find Scar.That was agiven; the man had cost Einstein his family.He needs topay.It might not have been his hands that killed Lauren andMakayla, but he’d been the originator of the fucked-up situation.Scar, who’d already taken his pound of flesh directly fromEinstein’s hide, demanding a beatout that could easily have beenfatal.
I knew him. Maybe too well.Scarwho’d pursued ex-members with a vengeful hatred, something Einsteinhad seen again and again while still a member of the MonsterDevils. Nothing was enough for the man. He saw every man whopatched out as a deserter, branded in his eyes by what he claimedwas weakness.
Shit.This was the first time he’dforced himself to dig so deep, the litany of retribution loud inhis head for so long he hadn’t been able to see past it.I knewhim. Knew what he was capable of.Einstein rocked back on hisheels, putting as much distance between him and Retro as he couldwithout having to take a step away.I should have seen itcoming.
