Page 42 of Utah

Tripp, Hawke, Dax, Ace, Jagger, and Miles stepped out of the other SUV and gathered between the two vehicles, joining the rest of us. It was odd not to see anyone in their cuts, but we had to be as inconspicuous as possible.

“How far to the warehouse?” Jagger asked, tucking his hands into his pockets. His stance was casual, but the crease between his eyes screamed he was worried, just like the rest of us.

Tripp held out his phone. “Two point seven miles.”

“We don’t know how many guys Carrillo is going to have with him inside, never mind around the perimeter. But we have to be close by,” Dax said. “Just not sure how far back.”

“A mile is too far,” Hawke added. “We need to be closer.”

“I agree,” Marek responded, leaning his head back and looking upward. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. “Stone, you and Utah go scope out the area surrounding the warehouse. See if there is any place for these guys to hide, but be close enough to respond if we need backup.”

“You got it, Prez,” Stone replied, jerking his chin in my direction as he snatched the keys from Marek.

“I hope there’s no one waiting to ambush us,” I said, folding myself into the passenger seat.

“Me too, brother.”

Because it was late at night, there wasn’t much traffic where we were, which allowed Stone to take his time so I could search for a place the guys could hide out.

“Wait. Slow down.” I turned in my seat and looked behind us. “Yeah, back up a bit.” Stone reversed the SUV. “Right there,” I said, pointing to a hidden clearing. “Let’s check that out.” The area was just big enough to fit the oversized vehicle.

After we pulled off the road and into the woods far enough that we couldn’t be seen by anyone driving by, we hopped out to explore more of the area. Overgrown weeds and trees shielded us from sight. Using the flashlight on my cell, I walked farther inward, Stone close behind me.

“This will do,” he said. “It’s exactly one point one mile from the warehouse, one point six miles from where the guys are now. Ideally it would be closer, but this looks like the best spot.”

The overwhelming sound of the cicadas prickled my skin. It was as if they warned us to stay away. Even as that crazy thought formed, I shoved it aside, realizing I enabled my nerves to get the better of me because we simply didn’t know what was going to happen once we drove up to the warehouse for the meet.

“Don’t let your imagination run wild,” I whispered to myself.

“What did you say?” Stone asked.

“Nothin’.”

“Damn, these woods are loud.”

“I know.”

“Fuckin’ creepy.” Stone shook his head, the corners of his mouth dipping in annoyance. Or perhaps he was also unnerved by the insects. “All right, let’s get back.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice. Several minutes later, werejoined the men. Stone gave them the exact coordinates. Afterward, all we could do was wait until the five of us had to leave for the meeting. It was the first time I wished I’d stayed back in Laredo. I could possibly lose my life this time. Revenge for Crash’s murder took a back seat, something I didn’t believe would happen. Even though the man responsible for killing Crash had been gunned down by our club, I still wanted to make the cartel pay. But staring at my watch, waiting for the time to arrive, I wasn’t so sure anymore. There wasn’t much I could do about it now, though. I’d insisted on coming, and I had to follow through.

“You ready?” Prez asked, coming up behind me.

“No,” I answered honestly.

“Me either.”

I couldn’t determine if his response made me feel better or worse.

24

“Why don’t you just tell Utah how you feel?” my sister asked, raising a forkful of pot roast and potatoes to her mouth, a spot of gravy dribbling on her chin.

“We’ve been over this. I’m not sure how I feel.”

“Liar.” She wiped away the gravy and took another bite. “You love him, but you’re too stubborn to admit it.”

“Are you finished with your assessment? Because I do have something to tell you, and it has nothing to do with Utah.”

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