Page 106 of The Heir

“Suck it, wise ass,” Makaveli growled under his breath, and nudged the clubhouse door open with a crude bump of his boot, “Mackie, get the fuck out here. Get her in the car. Get– Get this shit out of here. I can’t–”

He made it inside and actually paused to hold the door so Mackie could escort Nikki through it. She was wrapped in a crocheted blanket and huddled under his arm like she thought the sky might fall on her.

“Let’s get you taken care of,” Donnie mumbled, before raising his voice a little so Mackie might hear him, “We’ll be right back, gotta see a man about a bracelet.”

We rolled across the lot, taking note of the thinning police presence over at Steel Cages.

“Are you sure this person won’t tell the probation office or the special court?” I yelled over the bike once we were preparing to turn onto the highway.

Donnie laughed and looked at me like I was adorable, “Blaze, I am the bracelet man. Just trust me.”

He took off and I shot after him. He made the short journey toward my house, but slowed a few blocks from the top of the cemetery hill.

“Listen,” He placed both feet on the road while we idled and leaned close, “at the top of the hill, on the road in front of you, buddy owns a construction company. Roofing or some shit, I don’t know. But he has a work truck with a trailer full of equipment behind it.”

I instantly had images of him using a power tool to try and remove the ankle monitor and I’m sure my expression reflected as much horror, “What the fuck does that have to do with my ankle monitor?”

“It’s what we’re going to use to kill it. You wait here, go around the block twice, then head down the hill, make sure your engine is loud when you’re coming so it will help mask the sound of that truck starting, it has a diesel engine. Circle around and wait for me here with the bike.”

“Wh– You’re going to steal a car to get my ankle monitor off– A truck, rather?”

He laughed, “No– I’m going to kill that thing. Just go around the block like I said, it will be over in a flash.”

He fanned me onward and took off like he assumed I’d listen.

“Shit,” I huffed, but I did what he said, what the fuck else could I do? He was already in motion!

I took a nice slow ride around the block twice, then turned right onto the hill. The diesel engine stirred as I neared it and as I got to the bottom, I looked back in my mirror before I turned and saw that diesel truck and trailer barreling after me with no damn driver.

“What the–?” I tried not to lay on it any more than usual as I made the right, and drove past my house.

I noticed the driveway was empty, but the truck hit the phone pole at the bottom of the T making a vicious cracking sound. The lines swayed and I gunned it around the corner. I met up with Donnie who already had it pulling into traffic when I drew near.

“Come on!” He roared, and we raced back to Steel Cages.

“Park at the club and go to Steel Cages. Say hello to the uniforms as you pass, let them see you going into work,” he advised.

“Why the fuck would I do that, won’t they look for me later?”

“Fuck no, they’re going to be doing door to door checks on everybody who wears one of those- at least in the area of the outage. If they’ve already seen you, they’re less likely to stop at your house.”

“You’re right,” I realized.

Several uniformed officers watched as I walked from the clubhouse to the front door of Steel Cages.

“That’s a crime scene, you can’t go in there,” one of them barked.

I spun around and stared at him. Something about authoritative tones never did set well with me. The only man who had any right speaking to me that way had been gone so long I wasn’t sure if I could conjure the sound of his voice anymore.

He started to step toward me, and a lady with a county uniform put her hand on his chest, “I’ll handle this deputy Parks, why don’t you help Marjorie look for shell casings, hm?”

He glared at her so long I thought he might disobey her, but he didn’t.

“Sorry about that.” She smiled, before holding a dainty hand out toward me, “I’m Lisa Philpot, Sheriff of Maryette County.”

I tipped my chin at her, and tried to avert my gaze, hoping upon hope she would read a social cue and fuck off. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen, and I knew it. So, I eventually gave up and looked back at her.

Her gaze hadn’t wavered, but her head was cocked and something between a smile and a question rested in the corner of her eyes.

---