Page 35 of Lake's Legacy

“Annette knows that area well. She loves the bayou. I guess that’s why she wants to take over the clinic.”

“You don’t sound happy about her decision.”

“I’m not, but she’s loyal to the tribe.”

“You’re not?”

He shrugs. “They’re my people, and I admire them, but I don’t want her to take over the clinic. Especially after what happened to Dr. Sinclair.”

“Lake and Toff are trying to discover who attacked him. We think they might be the same men who kidnapped Annette and me. If they can find and stop them, she’ll be safe when she takes over the clinic.”

“And the person who attacked Coyote? Are the same men responsible for that, too?”

The answer to that question is a resounding no. Coyote wouldn’t have turned his back on those men.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: LAKE

In the parking lot, I find Hex, Pirate, and Zip. After a greeting that consists of bumping shoulders and slapping backs, I feel a sense of calm wash over me. Having them around me made me realize how vulnerable I’d felt, exposed, like a raw nerve. I can handle myself, but having my brothers beside me makes me feel invincible. With them, I know we can figure out what the fuck is going on, and together, we can fix it.

“How’s Olivia and your dad?” Hex asks.

“Dad’s in surgery. They just took Olivia to check her for a concussion. The bullet grazed Olivia’s scalp when those assholes shot at them. She’s not showing the signs, but I wanted them to check her out.”

“Well, you managed to wing one of them, so that’s a start. But you can pay them back later.” Hex slaps my back.

“You caught them?”

“Damn straight. We waited at the convenience store. I figured they’d drive right by, and we’d follow them. However, they stopped to fill up. One went inside to grab rubbing alcohol and bandages. We grabbed him in the bathroom while he was treating his wound. We ambushed the second guy when he came in to check on the first. Then we took out the third. It was almost too easy.”

“That convenience store has cameras,” I remind them.

Pirate chuckles. “I’d planned to block them, but the kid behind the counter turned them off when we entered. He recognized our kuttes from when you stopped by. I think he was hoping we came to do what we did.”

“Piled them up into the SUV, along with their bikes. Levi and Jack drove them back to the clubhouse. Dixie and Abra are working on them with strict orders not to push them too far. They know you want a piece of them.”

“Who the fuck are they?” I ask before remembering the pamphlet Toff found. Pulling it out, I hand it to Hex. “Found this where they held Olivia and Annette.”

“Keepers of the Third Reich? What kind of fucked up racist bullshit is this?” Hex says, handing the pamphlet to Pirate.

“Don’t know, but the address on that pamphlet is Nevada. Maybe Puma’s heard of them?”

“I’ll give him a call. See if he’s heard of these fuckers. But if their base is in Nevada, what the fuck are they doing here?”

“Are these the same assholes who are harassing Francois and the others?” Zip asks, frowning.

“Olivia said she didn’t recognize the men, but she did recognize the kuttes.”

“Could they be the ones who attacked your dad?” Hex asks.

“Don’t know.” I lead them inside the hospital and over to Toff and Annette. They’ve all met Toff before, so I introduce Annette to them.

“You saw the blood pooling around Coyote. How long would you say since he’d been lying there?” I ask Annette.

“Based on the clotting, he hadn’t been lying there for more than five minutes. I’m surprised you didn’t run into his attacker. Do you think the men who kidnapped us attacked Coyote?”

“Toff and Lake saw them heading for New Orleans,” Pirate chimes in.

“Besides, someone would have seen or heard the motorcycles at Dad’s place,” Toff says. “Our people are watching for them after what’s been happening. Someone would have called us if they had. The town searched for Annette and Olivia so that someone would have seen them.”