Page 40 of Two Weddings and a Shoot Out

The ceremony was set to start in a couple of minutes. Regina, Meg, Maureen, and she were in charge of bringing the buckets up the steps onto the platform to War, Baron, Rascal, Locks, and Compass. Then they would give a small speech and present the money to the director of the Kansas Veterans Home.

Hope joined the ladies. The cash in the buckets was locked inside a rolling cart that Sprite had bought for the tattoo studio. It had wheels that could be locked and also the cabinet was reinforced steel with a padlock and a digital lock. They’d bought it for when they did events not in the studio but somewhere else.

Regina would unlock the cart right before they walked on stage. Hope waited for their cue.

War walked to the microphone on the podium.

“I want to start off with a thank you. It’s been such a great weekend, and we are so appreciative of all of you taking the time to come here and donate. I know that the ceremony yesterday brought tears to my eyes when I think of all of those who gave so much for me to stand here today and enjoy.

“Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC wouldn’t be able to sponsor this and do the good we do without the foundation that these Original members set for us. Please help me welcome Baron, our original President; Rascal, our original Vice President; Locks, who is still our chaplain but has notified me he thinks it’s time someone younger took over—though I honestly think it’s because he’s found a woman who makes him smile—and Compass, our original Club Secretary,” War said, stepping back from the podium.

Hope waited while Regina opened the cart and handed her the bucket of cash. Each of the women had two five-gallon buckets. The women walked up and stood by their men. Hope joined Locks at his turn at the podium.

“War was right. It is actually that I do want to spend more time with family. But also because I know that this generation has it all under control. Thank you for joining us and…”

Hope had been staring at Locks, but when he paused, she turned to where he was staring. Roland, along with five other men, had walked within twenty feet of the podium and had guns pointed at the stage.

“Hold up, I think we’ll be taking that cash,” Roland said.

“Son, I don’t think you want to do that,” Locks replied.

“I ain’t your son. Hand over the money, and nobody will get hurt. Well, that’s a lie. No matter what—I promised my buddy that his mom would not be bugging him anymore. Somebody else is better suited to raise Benji. Now, money, right now!” Roland yelled.

Hope knew what Locks was doing. He was talking to give Roam and the others time to get the older kids to safety. When she took her eyes off Roland and looked toward the RV, the patio had been pulled up and closed. At least they were safe.

She was trying to hold it together, but her son wanted her dead rather than raising his child. And when the man she’d fallen in love with finally pulled his head out of his ass, this is what happened.

Screw that. She wasn’t going down without a fight. Roland was stupid, but maybe that would work to her advantage.

“How much is my son paying you to kill me?” Hope asked.

Roland had a dumbfounded look on his face, and she bet money that her son had just asked him.

“Well, it’s a favor,” Roland said.

“You’re doing a hit for free? With the chance you’re taking for jail time, shouldn’t you be getting paid for it?” Hope asked.

She only hoped keeping Roland distracted would allow people to get in place to take them down. She tried to keep fromshaking, but she didn’t want to talk to Roland; she wanted to throw herself in Locks’ arms and have him protect her.

“I get the money from this job,” he said.

“But you get that anyway without hurting Hope,” Regina said from the other side of Locks, where Baron was. “It seems like your friend is only thinking of himself and not you at all.”

Locks reached and turned off the podium’s microphone. He didn’t move otherwise. Roland had let the gun point at the ground while he listened to Regina.

“If he raises that gun and looks like he is going to shoot, you hit the deck,” Locks whispered, his lips barely moving.

Hope swallowed and yearned for that not to happen. If only this was a dream.

“Just shut up!” Roland screamed, moving his gun around. “Give me the money, and Hope get down here.”

“Don’t you dare,” Locks whispered.

Hope entertained the idea. If she walked toward him, maybe he’d move into a better position and the guys could get him. She could see multiple bikers with guns behind the gunmen, but she didn’t think anyone had a clear shot without crossfire.

A shot rang out, and Hope hit the ground with a thud. Not because she’d done what Locks said, but because Locks had taken her to the ground and was shielding her with his body. After the first shot, a volley of shots sounded that Hope couldn’t keep track of where they were coming from or who was shooting. She had covered her head with her hands and waited while Locks protected her.

She wasn’t sure how long it was until she could hear voices and not gunshots. Locks stayed on top of her and didn’t move, so she stayed still too. He’d let her know when she could move.

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