“Yes, we are. I wanted to share something with you.”
“Please.” He waited patiently.
“I just got a promotion! I can’t believe it.”
“Baby, I’m so happy for you. We can have a celebration tonight. Glad you told me now. And the great thing is your brother will be riding in.”
My mood dropped as soon as he said something about Hector. “Do you think they will find him? I’m not sure about things, Colt.”
“Let me paint this scenario for you. If they show up, I will call a whole gang of not only Russians but Outlaws, and they will be executed at first sight. A Las Balas crew member wouldn’t dare show up on an Outlaw Souls property unless they want bloodshed.”
“I trust you, Colt.”
“Do you? Because you seem shaky. I made a promise, and when I make one, I keep it,” Colt responded with conviction.
“I believe you. I can’t wait to see you and Bella tonight. I just have to keep things a little quiet here. I never really thought about us and how it would impact…you know, if anyone found out.”
“Baby. None of that shit is going to matter when you and I get married.”
I held the phone away from my face in shock. “Colt! We barely know one another. You are one crazy cowboy,” I proclaimed.
“No. I’m not. When you’re in jail with your life in your hands every single fucking day, you have time to contemplate what’s real in life. I know what I want. I lost Anna. I’m sure as hell not going to lose you, too. I didn’t say right now. I just feel what I feel, so I’m saying it,” Colt said vehemently. His strong-willed voice and resilience turned me on. A leak was springing between my legs. I breathed out slowly.
“Colt, you are…”
“I’m what? Talk to me, Amber. I need this.”
A presence floated around the back of me, and I angled to the left to see who it was. None other than Lucy with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. I shut down the phone like lightning, hanging up on Colt. I wondered how much she heard. I held my stomach in.
“So, I guess congratulations are in order.” The dry sarcasm in her tone was hard to miss.
“Not if it’s not genuine,” I fought back.
“Why wouldn’t it be genuine? I just want to say there is a huge breach of conflict of interest if you’re involved with a client. But you know that, right? Since you’re going to be my boss and all.”
She sucked in a breath through her teeth, and an evil smile came out.
“I don’t know why on earth you would be telling me that. I know the rules.” I felt the sweat trickling down my leg and into my shoes.
She gave a half-baked laugh, sauntering back to her desk.
Fifteen
Colt
I kept the guns away from the house. I didn’t want Bella’s eyes to ever come in contact with that part of my life. Not even my mother knew where the guns were stored. I climbed up to the attic of the barn. Underneath a heavy stack of hay, a large artillery box was housed. Enough bullets were in it to take out a whole army. I had a solid selection of military hand grenades and two semi-automatic pistols. I also had a long-range sniper rifle and a taser for good measure. I zeroed in and checked their chambers. They were loaded with bullets and ready to go. My secret weapons.
Amber’s voice rang loudly in my head. “What if they come to your house? What will you do?”
Time to lock in. No part of me waned in confidence. When you have the Russian mafia backing you, much is possible. These motherfuckers would blow your head off and return to eating breakfast like nothing happened. I knew because I’d seen it already. I flashed back to the vivid memory of that morning.
“So you want to play, you piece of shit?” Mikakov delivered a bone-crunching body blow to the dealer who dared cross him by not paying him for a drug trade.
An unwise street dealer was tied up with blood oozing from his swollen left eye. As he talked, blood bubbled up to his lips and stained his teeth. He spat it out. Both of his hands were tied behind him with rope. “I told you, motherfucker, I don’t know who has your money. If I did, I wouldn’t tell you, either. Eat shit and die.”
Bad move. Mikakov didn’t take too kindly to him saying that. He clenched his fists in his black leather gloves and simply said, “Okay. I’m going to give you another shot because I’m a nice guy.”
A large, wrinkly, bald-headed guy aimed his pistol straight at the dealer’s temple and fired. The bullet went clean through the center, right between the eyes.
Mikakov moved closer to the limp body and said, “No, motherfucker, you eat shit and die.” He looked to his crew, summoning them. They laughed, leaving the abandoned warehouse. “C’mon, let’s go eat breakfast.”
The sound of the pigeons cooing in the barn loft brought me back to the moment. Timely, as that’s when my phone rang.
“Hello?” The call was coming from a private number.
“Hi, Colt. It’s Hector. Close call.”
“How so? You’re nearly here, right? Your sister is going to be here for dinner tonight.”
“I’m on my way. Ran into an issue. Las Balas somehow found me in San Fran. I had to move locations. I moved to the second location, and somebody tipped them off. I got a call that they came looking at the second spot an hour after I left.” Hector’s voice was shaky with fear.
“Stay calm. You’re on the road, right?”
“Yeah. I’m about an hour away.”
“How do you think they’re tracking you?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t running in the same circles since I got out. Maybe they followed me.” Hector’s shaky voice let me know that danger could present itself. I peered down at my artillery. I had enough if something popped off. Bella’s girly laughter rang in my ears. I closed my eyes.
“Are you strapped?” I asked.
“Yes. I got a Glock. I’m good. I don’t want to bring trouble to your family, man. Maybe I should just keep riding, you know?”
“No. You’re not. We are going to face what’s coming. All the players are in place. You can’t back down now. We are going in headfirst. The Russians are on our side, so there’s no reason to be fearful. You will be safe here. They ain’t coming here to the farm.”
“See you soon.”
“Peace, brother. Ride safe.”
I closed the box but grabbed the semi-automatic. I tucked it in the back of my waistband, which I’d strapped up with a holster this morning.
I climbed down from the barn loft, walking with a purposeful stride to the house. I got another phone call when I got to the barn door and stopped. I read the screen—Amber.
“You hung up on me, baby,” I said.
“Sorry. I had to. A nosy work colleague was standing behind me, and I think she knows about us. I’m freaking out a little bit. If she reports me, it could turn into a whole investigation. I could lose my job, and they might send you back.” Amber’s sweet voice rushed through the phone with all kinds of scenarios.
“Baby. Does she have any proof of anything? Remember, you’re part of my parole. I have to see you by law to check up on my daughter. Even if you were talking to me on the phone, she can’t prove that you and I are together.”