Page 41 of Claymore
“You know it.”
“I’m gonna head out. Tell Tank I’ll be on call if he needs me, Vegas.”
“Sure you don’t wanna stick around for the show?” he asked, pointing over at the Lion.
“I’m sure you’ll tell me all about it. I’ve got my lady waiting at home.”
Vegas smiled at me. I went down the basement stairs, heading out the front door to the porch when my cell phone started to buzz. I fished it out of my pocket, seeing Ella’s name flash across the screen before I answered.
“Ella? I got your text earlier. You ready to go? I can be in Sedona in an hour.”
“I would be, but something’s wrong, Claymore,” she said and I could hear the worry in her voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a park right across the street from Louise’s apartment building. There’s two bikers out there and at first, I didn’t think much of it, but they haven’t left. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but—”
“Sit tight. Tell Louise to lock all of her doors and shut the blinds. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thank you, Claymore.”
“This is probably a bad time for this, but I told you going back to Sedona was a bad idea.”
“It is a bad time. Please, just hurry,” she murmured, her voice shaking.
“I’m on my way.”
Chapter Ten
Ella
I hung up the phone, glancing over at Louise who’d been clutching her ceramic mug in her shaking hands. She pulled the sleeves of her cardigan up over her bare shoulders, staring back at me with such fear in her eyes.
“He’s on his way. Everything’s going to be okay, Louise.”
“Now, Ella. You and I both know things are far from okay.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come back. I wanted to make sure you’re okay, and now I led those assholes right to your door,” I said, somberly.
“You were just looking out for me, Ella. I appreciate that. I’m just as much worried about you as I am all of us. I never would have imagined that your life was this crazy.”
“It’s pretty crazy. It’s always been that way.”
Her eyes darted around the room, her breath shaky, and I could see the few beads of sweat trickle down her forehead. She tried to swallow the worry, but it was eating her alive. I knew she wanted to be strong for me right now the way she always had been, but she couldn’t. This was far too much for her to handle. It was too much for all of us.
We both heard a loud knock at the front door, nearly jolting us right out of our skin. Louise set her cup down on the coffee table and I motioned for her to stay put while I checked it out. I peered into the peephole to see Claymore standing there with his mess of sweaty blonde hair and his prickly beard. He raised his eyebrows playfully at me like he knew I was the one behind the door. I sighed in relief, opening it up.
“Hello, darlin’.”
“Claymore. Thank God.”
“I canvassed the entire park area before I came knocking. There wasn’t any sign of no bikers around there. Everything seems to be safe for now, but Louise?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t think it’s such a good idea for you to be staying here alone,” he asserted.
“Derek gets out of the hospital tomorrow. I can stay with him then.”
