Page 32 of Desert Loyalties
“If you’d just eaten the sandwich…” he says quietly, “I wouldn’t have to do this.”
His hand moves fast, and suddenly there’s a gun in his hand, pulled from behind his back.
But at that exact moment, the doorslamsopen and chaos explodes into the room. Drake, Ranger, and Grim pour in like a damn wrecking crew.
“Put it down, Locke,” Drake says immediately, his voice like stone.
Locke freezes, just for a second, then turns the gun away from me, aiming it at them instead. His face shifts in anger, then something darker.
He lets out a sharp, bitter laugh.
“This was a trap, wasn’t it?” he says. “Iknewit might be. Had a feeling. But I didn’t think you’d actually convince her to be bait.”
My back is plastered to the wall, but I still mutter, “It was my plan.”
He glances sideways at me, smirking. “You’d make a good old lady. Too bad your old man will be dead.”
His knuckles whiten on the grip.
Then Ranger speaks. “You betrayed the club, Locke. Put the gun down and we’ll talk.”
Locke starts laughing again, this manic, broken sound.
“You and I both know there won’t be any talking. I’m already dead. Might as well take the ones responsible with me.”
His hand twitches.
Drake takes a step forward. Voice cold.
“Then point the gun at yourself.”
That stops Locke. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Drake doesn’t blink. “When we went legit, you were supposed to get rid of the stash. The pills. The powder. All of it.”
Locke’s voice cracks a little now, defensive. “Idid! I flushed it. Just like we agreed.”
Ranger’s voice cuts in. “No, you didn’t.”
Locke’s eyes dart between them. Sweat starts to bead at his temple.
“Fine. There were too many baggies, so I threw it in the trash. I wrapped them.”
Drake steps closer. “You didn’t wrap them well enough. Josie dug it out. I’m guessing she’d been keeping tabs on you for a while. You were too busy screwing around with Baby or Len or whichever clubwhore was giving you attention that week to notice your wife was slipping.”
Locke’s face goes pale.
“No. No, you’re lying. She… she would’ve never—”
“Sheknew, Locke.” Ranger’s voice is low now. Deadly quiet. “She knew you were cheating. She knew you weren’t really done with the life. And she knew where to look when she needed to numb it.”
Locke shakes his head, gun trembling. “Shelovedme.”
Drake steps into range. “Shelovedyou. That’s why it broke her.”
Locke falters. Just for a second. The tip of the gun wavers.
“No. No” Locke’s yelling now, “It was your fault. You’re lying.”
