Roger fought the urge to smile and gave her a curt nod. “Yes, ma’am.”
“They’re moving on.” Hatcher announced. “Let’s clear the roof of everybody but the one sentry. We’ve got four men on the ground with eyes on each road leading here. We won’t get much warning, but we’ll get something.”
“I still have a man on the ground.” He met Hatcher’s questioning eyes. “I trust him. If there’s any way he can defuse this, he will.”
Hatcher studied the new man’s face, then glanced at Candy who gave him a slight nod. “Fine. I’m not hedging my bets on anything right now, but I’ll cross my fingers and hope your man can pull this off.”
Hatcher marched past the pair and grabbed the ladder handles. “Everybody off the roof. We can’t risk any of them spotting us.”
Savage bounced his headlight between hi and low beam until he caught Simon’s attention. He actually breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the man’s brake lights come on and his bike slide to a stop.
Savage rolled up alongside him and cut off his engine.
“Where the fuck have you been?”
Savage glared at him. “Not that it’s any of your business, but me and Stella got into it. I hit the road to clear my head before I snapped her in half like a dry twig.”
Simon raised a brow at him, unsure of whether to believe him or not. “Tell me you seen that chopper.”
Savage nodded and pointed with his chin. “It landed over that way about a block and a half. Seen a guy in a camo uniform run out to it and board the thing. Then it took off again.”
Simon stared at him, hoping for some sign that the man was lying. Savage remained stoic. To the others in the group, they might have appeared to be in a staring match. Finally, Savage threw his hands in the air. “What?”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re jerking my chain?”
Savage rolled his eyes. “Well, fuck me. How am I supposed to know what’s rolling around in that sick paranoid fucking head of yours?” He leaned back and spread his arms wide. “Maybe I’m in cahoots with the damned military. Is that what you’re thinking? Maybe I’m just waiting for you to fall asleep or get piss-drunk again, and then I’ll stick one of those alien implants into your head so they can track you.” He crossed his arms and glared at the man. “You have plenty of reasons to wrap your fucking noodle in tin foil. You don’t need to go inventing new ones.”
He started his motorcycle again and Simon snatched his handlebars. “Where you going now?”
Savage glared at him and leaned in close, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I’m going back to the camp and screw Stella’s brains out. I don’t give a shit what you do. You can run all over this piss-ant town and chase shadows for all I care.” He pushed his hand away from his handlebars and with his eyes dared him to reach for them again.
“I ain’t done with you,” Simon barked.
“Well, I’m done with you.” Savage kicked the bike into gear and pulled away from the crowd. As he rode away, he glanced at his side mirrors, half-expecting some of the men to peel away from the group and give chase.
He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or nervous that none did.
As he rode back to camp, he hoped that his bluff had worked. He knew that Simon was paranoid and half a bubble off. He couldn’t know if he had crossed the line by making such a strong stand in front of his lieutenants, or if he had gained more respect for refusing to lick his boots.
In the end, he knew that he’d done what he could to throw him off of Roger’s scent. He could only pray that Simon accepted what he had told him as truth.
He tried not to replay the interaction in his head during the ride back. He couldn’t help but imagine how things might have ended if he’d just gone ahead and blown Simon’s head off there on the street. Would his men be too shocked to react, or would they retaliate? He couldn’t begin to guess.
He knew that if he was going to kill Simon, he’d either have to call him out in front of the entire gang or kill him in his sleep. At the moment, he couldn’t decide which would be the best way to go about it.
Savage had been so lost in thought that he was actually surprised when the camp began to come into view. He slowed the bike and coasted up and over the curb. He pulled the bike to his trailer and slid off the saddle.
Stella nearly tackled him when he walked in the door. “Where have you been? Did you know that nearly everybody took off like a scalded cat a bit ago?”
He nodded and shut her up with a kiss. “I know. They spotted a chopper and went chasing it.” He peeled his jacket off and tossed it across the worn-out sofa. “I’m pretty sure I knocked them off the track.”
Stella shot him a confused look. “Why would you do that?”
“The fresh start? The new beginning? That’s why.”
She climbed into his lap and straddled him. “I’m so confused.”
He pulled her close and held her. “It’s okay, baby. So am I most of the time.” He ran his hand up and down her back as his mind raced. “Just do me a favor? I doubt he’s smart enough to ask, but if Simon asks you why I left, just tell him we got into a fight and I stormed out.”
She pulled back and shook her head. “We never fight.”
“He don’t know that.” He planted a peck on her nose. “Just do it for me.”
She nodded and laid her head back on his chest. “Tell me we aren’t in trouble, Savage.”
“We aren’t in trouble.” He sighed and wrapped his arms around her.
