Page 21 of Legends Luke

Erin didn’t react, but her breathing hitched in her throat, telling Melody the teenager was surprised by her retort. Melody’s smile widened.

“It is nice to meet you, Erin.”

This time when Melody headed for the door, Erin didn’t stop her.

Chapter Ten

Luke parked his truck outside Fire Creek Hardware but didn’t step out right away. His trip to the neighboring towns of Waverly and Valley had left him feeling tired, dusty, and frustrated – nothing a shower and a couple of hours of sleep in his bed wouldn’t cure. When he headed back to Fire Creek, he had every intention of heading home, but his instincts had other ideas. He was sliding the truck into a parking lot before he realized he wanted to talk to Ben about what he’d learned.

The boy manning the front entrance started in on his welcome and pitch to offer assistance before he recognized Luke. Then he quickly closed his mouth and stepped back to his post. Luke barely acknowledged him with a chin lift as he strode past. He may have a reputation for being intimidating among Ben’s employees, and he didn’t hate it. He tried to have the same image at the garage, but Chum knew him too well to be afraid of him.

He didn’t have to ask to know he’d find Ben at the back of the store. His brother’s office was there, but as he suspected, Ben was on one of the aisles, stocking merchandise on a shelf. His brother preferred manual labor over sitting behind a desk. Though their familyowned the store, Ben didn’t consider any job beneath him, and he had the respect of many employees because of it.

“Hey, man,” Ben called when he noticed Luke heading toward him. “When did you get back?”

He rubbed a hand along the back of his neck to try and relieve the stiffness. “Just now. Was heading home when I decided to stop by.”

Ben placed an aerosol can on the shelf, and then gave Luke his full attention. “How was the trip?”

Luke exhaled, burying his fists in his jean’s pockets. “You won’t believe it. This crew feels like amateurs, but they’ve managed to evade every cop in our area. They’re smart, so it’s taken a while for the cops to piece it together. But it’s the same crew hitting all the towns around us. No doubt. They’re getting bolder with each hit.”

“So, you think the Legends need to step in?” Ben’s brow furrowed as it did when they were about to take on a new case.

Luke frowned. “I need you guys to tell me I’m crazy for thinking what I’m thinking.”

“You have a theory.”

“I want to be wrong, but I don’t think I am. In my opinion, this crew is from Fire Creek.”

Ben nodded as he considered Luke’s deduction. “It could be why they’ve not hit here. They’re more likely to be recognized if they’re from here.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “You already considered it, hadn’t you?”

Ben shrugged. “It makes sense, but you sound like you’re pretty sure about it.”

“I wasn’t. Not really, but since now I know you had the same thought, I think it’s a strong possibility.”

“Even if they’re from Fire Creek, do we have enough intel to get an ID?”

Luke growled in frustration. “No. They’re smart. They know how to stay hidden. They’re one step ahead of everyone.”

“But you said they’re amateurs.”

“Their technique, the way they hold their guns, the way they change how they do things with each hit, it’s like they’re learning how to be better criminals as they go.”

Ben crossed his arms over his chest. “Did you tell Tater what you found out?”

“Not yet. It’s not enough.”

“But you can’t let it go,” Ben finished for him. “Knowing this crew is from here and we may know who they are, I don’t think any of us will be able to let it go. How soon do we need to act?”

“There’s no way to know when they’ll hit again or where. I don’t think we can sit on this for very long.”

Ben nodded. “Jackson will want in. I’ll call him, and you get with Easton. We’ll meet up at the bar later. I think Gish needs to be there too.”

Gish was the boys’ nickname for English. Ben was the first to coin the shortened version of their mentor’s name when they were younger, and it stuck. They were the only ones to call him thenickname, and even though they were adults now, they couldn’t break the habit of calling him Gish. And English didn’t seem to mind the nickname either.

“Right. I’ll call Easton on my way home.”

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