Page 85 of Frisco

X was laughing too.

Crow looked at me. “Sorry, Ghost. I apologize on behalf of my idiot cousin through marriage.”

X grunted.

Crow leaned forward again. “Since it looks like we’re in the clear from Estrada… I know you came here initially to help out, but since the national prez is in a bad way, what are you thinking to do?”

The guys all got quiet, waiting for me.

I looked around. My men were waiting for me to decide.

If Max was good, was in the clear tomorrow, he’d want me to stay and finish my assignment.

If he wasn’t in the clear, I still needed to do what I came here to do, but I didn’t know Crow’s true loyalty. And dammit because that shouldn’t be a question.

“Half my guys are going to head back tomorrow. I’d like them to rest, and then return to Max. The other half, who want to remain, will stay with me. We’ll stick around for a bit, if that’s still okay with your charter?”

Their president had asked us here, but I was feeling weird about Crow. That needed to be figured out. And it still made me uneasy how close Estrada had been without anyone knowing until he suddenly appeared.

There were a lot of stones still to be turned over before I could leave.

Crow gave nothing away. His face was a wall as he nodded, looking around. Most of the guys were nodding as well, and he reached for the gavel again. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like, but because I don’t want my sister to take my balls, everyone’s gotta head out of here tomorrow. She runs this place, and she’s got a wedding party coming in after us.”

The guys hooted in laughter as Crow banged the gavel down.

Church was done.

I was outside and headed back to the barn, Boise next to me, when Crow called my name.

I turned back, and he motioned to the side. “Wondering if we could have that talk?”

Right. I nodded to Boise, dropping my voice. “Connect with Stripes. I want to know if he heard anything last night. Tell the ones leaving tomorrow to rest today.”

He gave a nod, heading off.

I followed Crow to the side of the house and down to where his sister kept her horses. They were penned up in a pretty looking white corral.

“It’s real nice that your sister let us hole up here,” I told him. “We owe her anything for this?”

He shook his head. “Not for the club. Her old man was a Red too. She knows how it is.”

I gave him a sharp look. “Club’s not hurting. We can pay. Seems the right thing to do.”

He watched me a moment before he nodded. “If you’d like then. She’d sure appreciate it.”

We walked a bit farther, going around the corral and toward another smaller barn. Behind it was a walking trail, heading out into the horse pasture.

“What did you want to talk about, Crow?”

He grimaced, his mouth tight before he let out a long breath. “Our president took the fall for a lot of guys in this charter. I know he called you in to help us sort it out. That’s the real reason you’re here, because we got some guys in here that I don’t trust.”

He had my full attention because was he talking about himself? Or others?

“But the reason I want to have this conversation in private is because I’m worried. Makes me nervous how close Estrada was, how quick he got to us. When we pull everything off, what about the afterwards?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Estrada’s powerful. And if he’s hooked up with the Russians, where does that leave us? We’re the Red Demons, but I’m worried about when we do pull away from the cartel.”

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