Page 66 of Spiritwarrior

“I wanted Reaper to introduce us so we could give you a heads-up about what your father was involved with in town.”

“I really don’t want to know what Marty was involved with.”

“I don’t blame you. I wish I could say the same. Unfortunately, Marty dragged us into his criminal enterprise, and we didn’t know until it was too late. We still don’t know all of the players involved. We’re trying to weed them out as they become known to us.”

“Weed them out?” she asked in a strangled voice.

Viper didn’t bat an eyelash. “Report them to the police, naturally.”

“Oh …”

Report them to the police?she thought sarcastically. She would kiss Viper’s ass if any official police reports had been taken from The Last Riders.

“I’ve already reported that a man contacted me the second day I opened the restaurant. He wanted two hundred thousand dollars that Marty owed him. He hasn’t been back.”

None of the men seemed surprised at the revelation.

“If he contacts you again, or anyone else does, give Shade a call, and he’ll make sure you’re protected.”

The man seated next to Viper slid a plain card across the counter to her.

Sophie didn’t reach out to take it. “I will after I make a report to the police.”

Viper gave her a cold smile. “Whichever way you want to handle it is good with us. We’ve found, to our own loss, the people involved with Marty don’t hesitate to hurt anyone getting in their way. Two of our club members were killed, and they nearly took out a woman and child belonging to another club member.”

Sickened at what her father had been involved in, she picked up the card and slid it in the pocket of her apron.

“I apologize for the tragedy Marty brought to your club. I don’t think any of his people will be back. I don’t even have anything of his. The only thing he left me was the restaurant, and I cleaned this place from top to bottom—there’s nothing here. I don’t even know where he lived or where his belongings are, nor did he leave me any money in his will. So, you see, there is no reason for anyone to come here. I don’t even know why the man did to ask me for the money Marty owed him.”

Shade spoke for the first time. “If he came here, he came for a reason. Do you know anything else about your father’s will?”

“No, but I can give you the name of the lawyer and his address.” Sophie bent down to retrieve her purse. Searching through the contents, she pulled out the card and gave it to Viper.

“Thank you,” Viper said, taking the card.

“Sophie, the customers are getting antsy.”

Sophie nodded at Jody, seeing him holding out the ticket of the order he had taken.

“I better get busy.” Excusing herself, she went to the kitchen, her mind in turmoil. Why would someone come to ask for such a sum of money? It would have been a foregone conclusion she would contact the police.

Ginny turned from the grill as she pulled out the hamburgers for her to fry.

“I just met a couple of your husband’s friends.”

“Really? Who?” Ginny peeked through the window looking out into the diner. “Oh, that’s Viper and Shade. Mind keeping the eye on the grill for me while I go say hello?”

“Not at all. Go ahead. Take your time.”

Putting the burgers on the grill, she thought again about calling her parents to stay in Arizona. They had already quit their jobs, given up the house they had rented, and loaded what possessions they had in their car. How could she tell them to wait?

She nearly burned the hamburgers and would have if Ginny hadn’t come back in time. Ginny took one look at her and took over.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, assembling the hamburgers.

“My parents. I don’t know what to do. Should I tell them to stay in Arizona?”

Ginny looked at her curiously. “What brought this on?”

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