Page 35 of Biker's Property

“The police suspecthe was involved in shady business practices and one of his associates took him and kidnapped Joslin. They found her Jeep. So if you’re the killers, they’ll find you and you’re going to die in prison.”

My jaw moves impatiently back and forth while I let her get it all out. The smell of old lady pee is getting uncomfortable. It’s good to hear that Seth is dead and better to hear that the police are on the entirely wrong track. But if the cops are looking for Joslin, we might still have problems. And if the cops out here have a reason to start stopping and harassing the fuck out of bikers, that’s a separate and potentially more troubling issue.

“What business was Seth involved in?” Hunter asks, betraying us immediately instead of thinking things through. When I give him a slight look of disapproval, he raises his eyebrow slightly, and I go on and trust Hunter knows what he’s doing.

“All on the table,” she says. “Until I accept Joslin is dead, they will not probate the last will and testament. But I know my daughter isn’t dead.”

Hunter I make quick eye contact.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t knowwhere Joslin is right now,” I tell her.

We have allthe information we need. The folders and the papers all over the table are more important than anything Maricel might be able to give us. Hunter keeps his gun trained on Maricel and I grab everything off the table.

“Are those all the documents?” Hunter asks as I swiftly pack papers into brown folders and strap everything together. We don’t have time to look through all this shit right now, but bet your ass we’ll be combing through this mess later.

“Everything from his office,” she says. “Are you his business partners?”

“I don’t have anything to do with that man,” Hunter says. “What was his business?”

She doesn’t getthe undertones. But I do. He still doesn’t know what the fuck I’m doing here and he clearly doesn’t completely trust that I haven’t gotten myself into trouble. If he hadn’t been best friends with Wyatt Shaw his entire life, he wouldn’t be so damn on edge all the fucking time.

“Unchristian,” she responds to Hunter in the tightest voice she has used yet.

“Can you get more specific?”

Hunter is so damn impatient.I keep searching around the table to make sure I get every last piece of paper. She shakes her head.

“You have what you need.Now where is my daughter?” she asks.

Hunter looks at me over her head again.

“Tellthe police she’s dead. If you ever want to see her again, I’ll see her obituary in the paper next week.”

Hunter looks at me like I’m fucking crazy.

“She’s not dead.”

“Tell the police she’s dead.”

Our staredown reminds me of having a staredown with Joslin. But this woman is older. She has piss drying on her leg.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Hunter says. “But you have to do what we say and you can’t speak to the police.”

“This is wrong,”she says. But I can tell she just can’t think of what to say and there are thoughts and emotions running through her head. I almost feel bad.

“If you ever want to see yourdaughter again, you’ll do it,” I say to her. “Get your money and stay quiet.”

Chapter Sixteen

HAWK

Later…

Scratch marks sting my face from the last violent fight I had with Juliette before I left Santa Fe again. She has made me the subject of several paintings due to her separation anxiety. I don't see why she has to paint me stripped naked and getting eaten by mountain lions to feel better, but she claims it's her "artist's process" and there ain't shit I can do about it...

But fuck, the wind makes my face sting more. And maybe it's not so bad that she cut me up like that because you had better believe I grabbed her chubby behind and flung her into our bed so I could have one last moment of intimacy with her before disappearing...

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