Page 9 of Hounds Ascend
I turn around, embracing her in a hug. “You couldn’t, which is why you’re here.”
“Hey ladies, come on.” Cass beckons me to walk with the rest of everybody who was already walking in the direction of the large crowd of people and away from the beach that is so close to the other side of the parking lot.
There are people everywhere and the music blaring from the stage is loud but sounds phenomenal. It’s a cover-band, that I know for sure, because they’re singing a country song I recognize but their sound is impeccable. I walk faster to catch up with everyone else, Mindy right at my side.
“There are so many people.” Mindy looks around the park in amazement.
“I know. I wonder what the benefit is for.”
“Linc didn’t say, but it must be something special. Look at all this.”
Mindy motions to the vendors that are set up throughout the massive, open park. There are booths of all different varieties. From where I stand, I can see multiple food booths, a leather store booth, women setup selling t-shirts, and there’s a cage toward the middle of the park that has a few people locked inside and a dunking booth next to it.
Cass approaches with two daiquiris in hand.
"Here, I figured y’all could use a drink."
I smile and take them from him. "Thanks, baby."
"Thanks, boss." Mindy snatches hers from me and takes a sip.
"What's that cage for?" I ask.
Cass looks in the direction I pointed and shrugs. “No clue.”
He turns and walks away, in the direction of said cage. There’sa woman standing guard at the entry wearing cut-off shorts and a halter top. She’s got something on her hip and is holding something else in her hand. Beads, maybe? It’s hard to tell at this distance.
Cass approaches the woman guarding and they talk for a bit before Cass points in my direction. He reaches into his wallet, hands over cash, and walks away.
"What do you think he's doing?" Mindy asks, looking at the woman who was now walking in our direction.
"I have no fucking clue."
"Hi ladies!" The woman greets us with a beaming grin on her face. I can see now that she has handcuffs in her hand and a toy gun and badge on her hip.
"Hello." I smile, nervously, because I have no idea where this is going.
"I hate to do this, but it's kinda what I'm here for. You're under arrest." The woman grabs my wrists and pulls them behind my back.
"In order to get out of jail, someone has to pay double what that guy paid to put you in."
My cheeks turn a bright shade of red, and I glare at Cass who is laughing hysterically with Old School and Scott, as the woman pushes me toward the metal cage in the center of the park.
Mindy pops up as I’m being shut into the makeshift jail. “How much did he pay to put her in?”
“Two hundred dollars.”
I stare at her, astonished. “He paid two hundred fucking dollars to put me in here?” My voice raises a few octaves as I speak.
The woman laughs. "Yes ma'am."
Mindy looks at me with pity in her eyes. "Sorry, love. I can't get you out. I don't have any cash on me." She shrugs her shoulders before abandoning me to go stand by Linc, who just joined the trio of men laughing at me.Traitor.
I look around and take in the people inside of the jail. Two men and a woman that I don’t recognize are all standing around. The two men are wearing a cut with a patch on the back that I’ve never seen before. According to their cut-offs, one is a Highway Sinner out of Gulfport, Mississippi and the other is a Tattered Saint out of Gulfport, Mississippi.
Highway Sinner’s center patch is a single, one-piece patch with a skull in the center of a black background with a circle of yellow chain surrounding it while the Tattered Saint’s center patch is a torn American flag in three separate pieces with a reaper peeking through it.
"How much is your bail?" The Highway Sinner asks. I look up into a pair of the brightest green eyes I’ve ever seen. His cut labels him Vice President.
