Page 75 of Saving Blood

“Fuck!” Blood yells so loud, even I can hear him in the flatbed.

BLOOD

“I give him one damn job to do, and he fucks up.” I smash my hand against the dashboard again. “I don’t fuckin’ believe it.”

“What?” Smoke turns up the high beams, but it doesn’t help navigate the pothole-filled back road.

“Diesel and Bolt lost Maxine.”

“Lost her? How the hell?—”

“Don’t ask me. Some bullshit story about her having cramps and going into the ladies’ locker room, then disappearing. Bolt doesn’t go in and check on her ‘cause apparently he’s scared of women with their period.” We bounce around another pothole, and I grip the console. “I think he’s the one with the pussy.”

“Gotta hand it to her,” Smoke laughs around his words, “she played them fuckin’ perfect.”

“Only problem is, the place is crawling with Hector’s goons. Sure, we took care of his two bodyguards, but you know as well as I do he had others lurking around. Main reason we hustled him into the alley before anybody got wise.”

“Where do you think she went?” Smoke asks.

“I know exactly where she went.” I flip up my phone for the time. “Right about now, she’s probably flashing her fake passport at the border patrol in Otay Mesa.” I slam my fist against the console. “And I gave her the damn passport.”

Smoke grips the wheel tighter as he navigates the road. “Why the fuck would you do that?”

“‘Cause I wanted her to trust me. I wanted her to know I trusted her.”

“Shit, that’s what happens when your dick starts talking to you.”

I shoot Smoke an evil glare. “Thanks.”

“Nothing we can do about it now.” Smoke slows the truck then angles it behind some scrubby bushes. “We got a job to do. When we get back to Tijuana, I’ll put some calls out to our contacts in Imperial Beach. We’ll have her back before the sun rises.”

“What the fuck good is it if she wants to leave? It only means she’ll run again and—” I ball up my fist. “When I get my hands on Diesel, he’s gonna be drinking Jack outta a straw.”

Smoke grabs my biceps. “You gotta shut this down for now. I need you on point and ready to get this done.”

I suck in a few deep breaths. We’d been together long enough to know how to get a job done no matter what else is going on.

Reaching under the seat, I grab the .45 I stored there earlier, then I whip the back door of the cab open, drag Hector up by the front of his shirt, and slap his face a few times. “C’mon, fucker, wake up.”

Hector’s eyes search mine, disoriented until he focuses on the .45 in my hand. I roughly pull him out of the truck, then push him over the rough terrain of pebbles and sand at gunpoint. We stop about twenty feet from the truck behind some low-growing bushes at the foot of a steep hill. Smoke wheels him around, and I level the gun at Hector’s chest.

“You’re making a big mistake.” Hector’s vicious dark eyes glow under the moonlight.

“That’s your problem, Hector, you underestimated me and my club.” I grip the gun tighter. “Thought you could get over on some dumbass bikers, but that’s the thing with guys like you. Your ego gets in the way of good sense. We told you setting up shop in Tijuana was a hard fuck no, especially since it got in the way of business—our business.”

Hector’s eyes dart between me and Smoke. “You realize killing me will bring the rest of the cartel down on you.”

Smoke barks out a laugh. “That’s what your buddy Rico said too, but here we are taking another piece of shit out. So, we ain’t worried about ending your miserable life.” Smoke nods to me, and I raise my gun higher. “Also wasn’t smart you trying to get Maxie to take a dive tonight.”

Hector turns his gaze to Smoke. “I’m sure you think your VP is doing this for your club, but I know the real reason I’m out here at gunpoint.”

“Save the bullshit,” Smoke warns.

“Just thought he’d like to know before he pulls the trigger exactly how close Maxine and I are.”

I squeeze the butt of the gun, itching to pull the trigger. “She told me everything you did to her, you sick fuck.”

“Everything?” Hector’s lips curve into a sneer, and a chill slithers down my spine. “Maxine and I had a very special relationship, especially because she was so young. She trusted me, and I guess you could say I taught her everything she knows.”

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