Page 35 of Lady Death

“Don’t forget, a life must be exchanged,” she warned. “To save you, someone else has to die.”

“Do you know who’s out to kill you?” Brim asked.

“I don’t think it’s about me,” he replied grimly.

Brim sat back. “Keres.”

Ronin nodded.

“He’s found her. Tell me, what is she to you, Ronin?”

“She’s...” He couldn’t answer that question. He had no idea why he was so drawn to Keres. Was it because she was a killer like him? Fierce yet vulnerable? Did her tragic history invoke his pity? Or was it more basic than that? Did he simply enjoy fucking her? What made her different?

“It’s okay,” Brim said. “You don’t have to answer.”

“If we neutralize the threat, then she’s free to live her life. Right?”

Leia gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I suppose? It’s not exactly a science. And it’s not like the shadow just disappears. It morphs if it’s not appeased.”

“Morphs?”

She nodded. “Like when Cindy was after Brim. His death kept changing as she plotted different scenarios.”

“What are you thinking?” Brim asked him.

“Thanks to Leia, we know where the bad guys are supposed to be. We should take advantage of our advantage.”

Leia smiled. “How poetic.”

“Yeah,” Brim drawled. “Just call him Shakespeare.”

****

The Poke and Tickle had to be the silliest name for a honky-tonk she’d ever heard. Keres hadn’t wanted to come since her heart was still in mourning, and she saw no end in sight. But Ronin wouldn’t leave her alone. He stayed plastered to her side,so she let him drag her to the bar. She thought it odd that he wanted to drive a car instead of his bike. Didn’t all bikers prefer a motorcycle instead of a sedan?

Ronin held her hand as they entered the large bar. Music poured out of the speakers and people covered the dance floor. An area toward the back was sectioned off with poker tables. Keres recognized several men from the Death Riders. As she glanced around, she saw Chase waving at her from the U-shaped bar. She tapped Ronin on the shoulder. He turned.

“The women are over there,” she said loudly, wanting to be heard over the loud beat.

He nodded. “I’m heading over to play poker.”

She gave him the okay sign, and they split up. She made her way over to the bar and noticed the music wasn’t quite as loud there. Vivi jumped up from her chair and came over to hug her, throwing her arms around Keres’s waist, who didn’t know how to react to this affection.

“You made it!” Vivi said enthusiastically. “Lincoln said you may not come because you might be depressed, but I told him that’s the precise reason why you needed to come here tonight. We need to cheer you up, and yes, I know sad depression isn’t the same thing as clinical depression, but I don’t think you’re clinical. Or maybe you are. I don’t know. Just a gut feeling. I was the super sad depressed kind when my brother died, but I had my sister to turn to and now we’re your sisters. So, it’s like a big wheel. What goes around comes around, and all that. Maybe you shouldn’t drink alcohol because that’s a depressant—”

A beautiful African-American woman slapped her hand over Vivi’s mouth. “Breathe, girl. I don’t think you’ve taken a breath yet.”

“Vivi has one of those talkative diseases,” Chase told her, grinning. “It’s called motormouth. We still can’t figure out howsuch a tiny person can form words that fast.”

“Or how her brain can keep up with all the words spewing forth. Hi, I’m Sidonie.”

For the first time since the drive-by shooting, a smile cracked Keres’s face. “Nice to meet you. Vivi, you’d make a wonderful auction caller. Supersonic speed of the mouth is a great asset for that profession.”

The women blink at her and then they start laughing, even Vivi who poked Sidonie in the side, so her hand drops away.

“See?” Vivi asked her two friends. “She’s part of our tribe now. Oh! That’s a great name for us! Why didn’t I think of that before? We’re a tribe. Death Riders Tribe. No, not that. Wait, I’ve got it! Tribe Riders! O.M.G! That’s it! I’ve been searching for the perfect name for a while now. Thank you, Keres! I’ve got to tell Lincoln. He’s going to love it!”

Then she was gone, speeding her way through patrons and disappearing from view.

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