Page 23 of His Loyal Rebel

Chapter 9

Whip

The back door of Twyla's house shut. Whip lit a cigarette and waited for Rick to tell him why it'd taken until three o'clock in the damn afternoon for someone to make contact with him.

"Is she going to be listening at the door or window?" Rick looked over his shoulder.

"Don't know." He turned his back to the house and walked ten feet away and waited until Rick stood beside him. "What's going on?"

"Cusclan put a hit on you and gave intel to the police." Rick crossed his arms, keeping his voice low. "Last night, the P.D. had half the department looking for you."

"Is there a warrant?"

Rick shook his head. "More than likely, Cusclan has someone on the inside who is doing them a favor by bringing you in."

"Why the Missoula police?"

"It's easier than going to the Feds and involving themselves." Rick half turned toward him. "The police can't get you if you're not doing anything."

"I'm a felon. I carry a gun. I wear a vest." He took a hard hit on the cigarette. "Any of those things will give them an excuse to stop me. It wouldn't take much paper-pushing to take me into custody and hold me for however long they feel is necessary."

Rick dipped his chin, agreeing with him.

"Why is Cusclan after me?"

"You're Tarkio." He paused. "Do you want to hear my guess?"

"Shoot."

"You've had three-four encounters with Twyla lately," said Rick.

"She said she wasn't involved—"

"Would that matter if she was your woman or your ex, and you saw her hanging with a Cusclan member?"

He gritted his teeth. The threat of Cusclan hung over his head. They were the reason why he'd spent four years in prison for admitting he killed two Cusclan members in self-defense. Because they were all involved in motorcycle clubs, the jury concluded that he'd committed a gang war.

No one considered that his parents were murdered, and his sister had to witness her parents killed in front of her.

"Your association with Twyla is going to keep that target on your back," said Rick.

He should've never stopped and told Twyla to leave Missoula. He for damn sure never should've found a way for Ringtail to continue seeing Angie.

Glancing at the house, another complication clouded his thinking.

He was attracted to her.

That morning, he'd gotten a small taste of her and instantly wanted more. While he had no claim to her, if she'd lied and Big was still in her life, watching over his property, he had a seriously big problem.

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