Page 45 of Wizard's Spitfire

Chapter 29

Charlie

The minutes until my shift is over tick by. I keep busy getting desserts, cashing out my tables, and cleaning them. A loud crash draws my attention to the other side of the diner. I see two women with their hands locked in each other’s hair screaming and bumping into tables, causing general chaos.

Two of the prospects rush into help while another drops back closer to me. Seconds later two more prospects enter the diner, making their way to me.

Between the fight and the onlookers, it takes a good five minutes to get everyone separated and settled. The two prospects that helped with the fight slip outside while I go back to my tables.

Seconds later, the door bursts open and one of them runs back in.

“There’s a car on fire. I need an extinguisher.”

I sprint to the hall and grab the massive industrial size extinguisher from the wall handing it off to Hustle, who follows me in the kitchen. He nearly bumps into Mayhem, who has a similar extinguisher. People part like the red sea as they run out the diner’s doors.

I hear someone say they’re calling 9-1-1. A sense of dread washes over me. I run to the back, toss my money and receipts at the manager before grabbing my purse from the lockers and dashing back to meet my shadows. We head outside and make in time to see Mayhem and Hustle extinguishing my car. In orangespray paint to the left of the car on the ground, it reads, You were warned.All the windows and lights are busted out. I can see parts of letters here and there through the blackened paint.

The roar of engines is suddenly louder than the sound of sirens as I stare in shock at my car. I’m hoping one of those engines is Wizard.

Wizard

THE SIRENS AREN’T FARbehind us when we pull into the diner’s parking lot. I already gave our friends at NOPD a heads up that we'd be there. I pull close to Charlie but out of the way of the impending cop cars. Seconds later, I’m off my bike, pulling my woman into my arms. I kiss the top of her head. She throws her arms around me, burying her head in my chest and sobbing. I rub her back.

“I’ll find out who did this, Spitfire.”

My brothers are standing around us in a semi-circle when the police pull into the parking lot. Most of the customers have spilled out of the diner by this point and are taking videos or gawking.

Detective Stone is the first to arrive, followed by several uniforms, including officers Vega and Simmons. Stone heads in our direction. He eyes the group when he arrives.

“Wizard, what have we got?” he asks.

“Some asshole set fire to my woman’s car after they vandalized it. They left a message,” I say, pointing to the words.

One by one, Charlie and the prospects tell them what they found, including the fight in the diner, which pulled everyone’s attention from the parking lot long enough for them to leave the message and torch the car without being noticed.

At some point, the owner of the diner arrives and ushers us into the private dining room. They close the diner whilethe cops interview everyone, and forensics does their thing. The uniformed officers interview the staff and diner’s occupants while Stone interviews Charlie and the prospects.

When they’re done, I approach Stone.

“Say, Stone, you got a minute?”

He nods his head, and we step to the far side of the room where there are no doors or windows.

“Tomorrow morning there’s a US Marshal coming to the compound. We’d really like you to be there. Vega and Simmons too.”

“Can you tell me what it’s about?”

I shake my head. “Not really, but I can say you’ll want in on this.”

He nods his head. “We’ll be there. I like pineapple Danish.”

I laugh. “I’ll make sure we get some.”

I head to collect Charlie.

“You good to ride on the sled, or do you want to ride in one of the prospect’s cages?”

“I want to ride with you.”

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