Page 50 of Walker

“I don’t think he’ll turn us down like Aunt Tillie did,” she murmured. I nodded at her, but still worried that he would do just that. We had agreed to be exclusive with one another when it came to dating, but I wasn’t sure if any man would be willing to take us on if it put their life in danger, let alone someone I had been dating for such a short time.

When I tried to call him, his cell phone rang out. I tried it again and got voicemail again. I decided to try once more because I was desperate.

“Hello?” It was a man’s voice, but not Walker.

“I was trying to reach Walker.”

“Know that, since I answered his phone. Who is this and what do you want?”

“I’m Reesa and um, I got a note on my car. I need Walker.”

“Is he coming? Is he going to stay here and keep us safe?” Ariel asked far too loudly. I turned to see that panic had set in with my daughter and she was about to lose it.

“Shit,” I huffed. “Come here, baby girl. It’s going to be okay, even if we have to run.” I forgot I was still on the phone as I wrapped my arms around my daughter.

“Reesa! Ree! Pick up your phone!”

“Mom, someone’s talking in your phone,” Ariel poked at me to get my attention and reality snapped back into place.

“Hello? Hi,” I said as I lifted the phone back up to my ear.

“What’s going on, baby? Wash said something about you losing your shit and telling some girl you might have to run.”

“There was a note on my car when Ariel came home early.”

“What kind of note, baby?”

“The kind that demanded I pay up or they kill my family.”

“Fuck! I’ll be there in a few minutes. Keep the doors locked and your phone in your hand. Do not hang up. If I lose the signal or the call drops, you call back and keep calling me until you get through again.”

“Okay,” I managed to choke out.

“Breathe, baby.”

“I’m really scared, Walker.”

“I know it. We’ll be there soon, I promise.”

I got up and checked to be sure all the doors and windows were locked, then Ariel and I went upstairs and grabbed Josh Jr. and locked ourselves in the master bathroom. I had locked the master bedroom door first, for added protection. I wasn’t as naïve as my children though. It would only take a really determined person a quick kick to get through those doors, but I hoped all the locked doors between us and whatever entry point someone had to the house would at least buy us some time.

We could hear the motorcycles in the background and knew that more than just Walker was on the way to us. I loved that he hadn’t hesitated. He hadn’t told me I was on my own. He hadn’t even asked any questions or acted as though finding a threat on my car was unbelievable or something to laugh off. He took me seriously and now he was coming for us.

When Walker pulled into my driveway, he let me know on the phone too. “We’re here, baby. Come let us in.”

“Okay.” I left the kids there in the bathroom and told Ariel to lock the door behind me, just in case someone had managed to get into the house while we were hiding. I hadn’t heard anything, but I was beyond paranoid at that point.

When I opened the door for Walker, he stood there with another piece of paper in his hand. “Where did you get that. I have the note in my…” I reached into my pocket where I’d shoved the balled-up piece of paper earlier. It was still there.

“You didn’t leave the note on the door?” He asked.

“The note wasn’t on the door the first time. It was on my car. Ariel brought it inside when her friend dropped her off.” It occurred to me then how bad things really were. “Oh my God! That note wasn’t there! That means whoever left it was out there when my baby got dropped off. They could have taken her.”

Walker’s arms came around me as someone else grabbed the note he had found and the one that was balled-up in my hand. “Just gonna take a look at what they had to say,” he informed me. His kutte said his name was Trouble. It was only then that I glanced up and realized I recognized him. Trinity had been the year above me in school, so she was a freshman in high school the year Trouble was a senior. Since the elementary, middle, and high school were all on the same campus, I noticed him too. I couldn’t help but notice him, since Trinity had a huge crush on him back then.

I never did learn what happened between the two of them, but Trouble was the reason my friend wouldn’t set foot near the Aces High clubhouse unless she knew for sure he wouldn’t be there. Knowing Trinity had issues with him didn’t mean I wouldn’t trust him, and Walker’s other club brothers, with keeping us safe.

“I can’t afford to pay you guys,” I insisted.

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