Page 182 of Fury

That’s what I thought.

“You worry about Reich being pissed about his girl,” I said. “You know you can’t dump Nina’s ass just yet, if that’s what you want. Reich will use it as an excuse to come gunning for you and your club, and he’ll try to rope me into the party. You got to sit tight, and you got to make her sit tight even if you gotta lock her down to do it. I don’t want trouble for Catch or my club. And I don’t want any blowback from your club on Tania because of her brother, you hear?”

“Loud and clear,” Butler’s voice clipped.

“Reich is a vengeful motherfucker. He’s good at finding ways to make it burn, make it sting.”

We trekked back toward the clubhouse.

“Shit changes fast out in the prairie, man,” I said. “You’ve been away a while now. You’ve forgotten how the glare of the sun can create figments, illusions that just ain’t there.”

“I haven’t forgotten a damn thing.”

I tipped my head forward. “That’s good, ‘cause you can never be sure what’s out there in the wild grasses, lying in wait, lurking.”

51

Irode intoSouth Dakota withCatch. Today was his daughter’s birthday, and Jill was having a party for her at Catch’s mother’s house. After the party cleared out, Catch would have his daddy time with Becca. I dropped him off in Rapid to hang with a friend of his from high school until the birthday party was over. Nina would be at the party, being a friend of Jill’s.

I eyed him one last time as I backed out of the friend’s driveway.

“I’ll be right here until Tania calls me giving me the all clear to come over,” Catch said. “I swear.”

“You call me.”

“Will do.”

I headed over to the Jacks in Meager to find Butler and discuss a few details he needed to be aware of for a meeting I’d set up for him with one of my transport connections in Idaho. He wanted business from me, he was going to get it. But he was also going to get me staying in his face keeping his feet hopping and him guessing. Once I was done with him, I planned on seeing Lenore.

Butler came out of “Eagle Wings,” the club’s former auto and bike repair center that had now been transformed, under Lock’s direction and ownership, into a top tier refurb and custom design shop.

“Hey,” Butler greeted me. “You came with Catch to make sure today is all about daddy and his little girl?”

I took off my heated gloves, flexing my fingers. “That’s right.”

He shot me a look. “You gonna go over and have some cake and juice, too?”

The man had it real bad for Tania.

“I’ve got other shit to do while he visits. Let’s discuss this meeting. They’ve been wanting to meet you for a while now. Press is a brother from Idaho and I want him to work with you on a new route headed West using some of your tried and true and some of mine.”

Nina showed up at the club in her small SUV and waved a plastic bag in the air at Butler. He gestured toward the clubhouse, and she nodded at him, heading inside. Within a few minutes, she came back out and joined us.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she murmured, glancing at me then back at Butler.

“No problem,” he said.

“I left the change of clothes you wanted for your trip in your room on the bed.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure. I’m off to the party.”

“I’ll walk you to your car.” Butler threw an arm around his old lady’s shoulders as they crossed the yard to her RAV4. They gave a show that they were a happy couple with a hug and a kiss, and she slid into the driver’s seat.

He strode back toward me, pushing his blond hair behind his ears.

“She settled her ass down?” I asked.

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