“Yeah, they did,” he says as I chug the water. “We’ve taken care of the two that came down here, but we want to end this shit permanently if you get my drift.”
Oh, I get his drift.
He wants to run these motherfuckers into the ground.
“I hear you loud and clear, Scout. Thing is, I’m not sure what I can do to help.”
If this was any other time, I’d jump at the chance to fuck these cunts where they breathe. Scout’s a good man. Like me, he’s old school—cut from a cloth these millennial fucks know nothing about. He’s loyal and abides by a code of respect.
“I’m up to my ears in my own shit,” I continue. “My old lady was in a car wreck that left her in a coma. She woke up a few days ago with traumatic amnesia. I’m shuffling between the hospital and taking care of our son.”
I leave out the botched suicide attempt, the fact that I got no pull with my club anymore and the possibility that any of this shit has to do with the Sinaloa Cartel.
“Fuck, I’m sorry to hear that, Parrish.”
Yeah, not as sorry as I am.
“I hope she makes a full recovery and quickly too,” he says, pausing for a beat. “Fuck,” he grunts after another moment. “You thinking this was an accident, or a set up?”
Man, what a loaded question.
Scout doesn’t know I’m fifty shades of crazy. I mean, I’m sure he has an idea, but I don’t go around broadcasting I’m a fucking lunatic at B.A.C.A. runs. If I tell him the basis on which I believe the cartel might’ve had a hand in the wreck, he might just catch on to the lunacy that is Jack Parrish.
He takes my silence as my response and draws his own conclusions before muttering another curse.
“Look, here’s where I’m at…I can’t leave Marie and my boy at the moment so I went to send four of my men north. At this point, all I’m asking is for you to give them a place to land when they get in. Arrow will fill you in on the rest of what’s going once they get there. Maybe we can find a way to help each other out of all this shit, yeah?”
At the sound of Danny’s footfalls on the steps, I decide against going into the details surrounding my club and the fact that we don’t technically have a fucking place for them to land. We got a bar and a garage. I doubt his guys want to set up camp at Pipe’s and if I send them to Kate’s I’m going to have to deal with Wolf. Still, I don’t want to deny Scout. I know the guy is in a jam and if the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t hesitate in providing me with a place to rest my head—even if that meant pulling a cot out of his ass.
Danny enters the room and I force a smile as a solution comes to me. With Reina in the hospital and Danny staying with Lacey, I can put them up in my house.
“Yeah, sounds good,” I say, setting my glass on the counter. Holding my phone to my ear with my shoulder, I reach out and tousle Danny’s shaggy hair. After his visit with his mother, I’m taking him to the barber shop.
“Give me names,” I tell Scout. “Who you sending me?”
“Mac and Tiny since it was their women in the café. Arrow, my club treasurer, and a prospect, Bash. I’ll sort out their airfares once I hang up with you and let you know when they’re due to land.”
“Have them fly into Newark and I’ll have one of my guys pick ‘em up.”
Immediately, I think of Nico. He’ll be the easiest to peel away from the club right now.
“They’ll stay with me, at my place until my wife is released,” I continue. “If they’re still here when that happens, I’ll figure out arrangements for them.”
“Sounds good,” he says. “Appreciate it, Parrish.”
“I got you, brother,” I reply before ending the call. “Hey, bud,” I greet Danny. “You ready to go see your mom?”
“Who was that?” Lacey questions as I pocket my phone.
Taking Danny’s hand, I lift my eyes to hers.
“Nobody you know,” I reply, tipping my chin. “You good?”
“I’m fine.”
Yeah, right.
We’re all fucked.