Har adopted a somber expression and nodded. “You’re absolutely right, Detective. Knew Layla for seven years or more and she didn’t deserve to be murdered.”
Dennizen lifted his chin at Har, turned on his heel, and left.
“I thought when I stepped in it, I really stepped in it, but you boys take the damn cake,” Stephanie said, from behind him.
He whirled around to see her wearing his black Harley-Davidson t-shirt and leaning heavily on the wall of the hallway.
He stalked over to her. “What the fuck are you doin’ out of bed, Combes?”
She glowered at him. “Listen, Walcott. I had to pee and I’m ravenously hungry. I only heard from the computer gobbledy-gook onward. You didn’t tell me Layla was murdered.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist so she didn’t have to lean on the wall. “Didn’t exactly have time, darlin’, seein’ as they called to tell me Dixon was the douchebag who did you so fuckin’ wrong.”
“Fine,” she whispered.
“What do you want to eat?” he whispered back.
She shrugged. “I’m so hungry, I’m not picky.”
“What are you doing out of bed, girl?” Sandy cried from behind her.
Har looked over Stephanie’s head at Sandy. “She’s hungry. Get her some eggs and bacon.”
Stephanie made a face. “I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but let’s skip the bacon.”
“I can’t believe you said that either, Steph. I remember fighting you to the death over the last piece of bacon when you were just in a training bra,” Brute muttered as he walked to the kitchen.
“That is the last time you talk about my woman and bra in the same sentence.”
Brute chuckled. “Whatever you say, man. I’ll get her some eggs, toast, and some hash browns. You take her back to your room.”
Twenty minutes later, Stephanie set a large antibiotic pill on a napkin next to her plate. “I feel spoiled having Brute bring me breakfast. Before I forget, where’s Suzy?”
He swallowed his coffee. “At the casino. She and Turk should be here soon. Him and two other Jacksonville brothers are sitting in on church with us.”
“At least they got into town.”
He moved his chair next to hers and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You don’t worry about anything, Miss Priss. Take your pill, take a long nap, and when you get up your sister will be here.”
“What will you be doing? Fielding more police questions?”
He shook his head on a chuckle. “I fuckin’ hope not.”
She nodded.
His other hand shifted her face toward his. He lowered his lips to give her a long, heartfelt kiss. She wrapped her hand around his neck just before he ended it.
From the look in her eyes, he knew she could read his emotions on his face.
“I love you,” she whispered.
His lips tipped up on one side. “Love you, too. I’m so fuckin’ grateful you’re alive. Rest and get better, baby.”
THE BROTHERS SITTING around the huge table were silent after church was called to order. Meetings like these were the roughest. The sooner he started, the sooner they’d be done.
“You all know what Wreck and Massive did yesterday. And I know our original plan did not go as expected, so I apologize.”
“Permission to speak, but what the hell for?” Joules demanded.
Har dipped his chin. “If things had gone to plan, we’d have either our inventory back or the money Wreck and Mass made off our marijuana.”
Joules shook his head. “No way that money didn’t go into buying that property, and even if it didn’t, they probably spent what little they had left.”
There were murmurs of agreement from around the table.
“Fine. Biloxi PD came by asking if we’d seen Wreck. If we do, we’re to send him to Dennizen for questioning.”
“They suspect him of the cookhouse fire?” Gamble asked.
Har shook his head. “He didn’t say. Some of you may not know this, but Layla was found dead Tuesday morning.”
“Good God,” Two-Times breathed.
“The detective let it slip that Wreck was the last to see her alive. My guess is that he offed her for coming clean with me. I should’ve expected them to do something like that, but—”
Joules spoke again. “Prez, I mean no disrespect, but stop. You can’t anticipate the moves of two assholes who’d pit a woman against us. So, if I got this straight, Dennizen is looking for Wreck. Knows Massive is dead, and has three other bodies from the cookhouse fire, right?”
Brute nodded. “That’s the extent of it.”
Joules turned his hands out over the table. “Let him look.”
“Brother, you sound like your old lady,” Cynic muttered.
Joules chuckled. “And you need an old lady, ’Nic.”
Har shook his head. “Enough talking about ladies at the table. Roman, you need help with phase two of the plan?”
Roman’s full lips spread into a wide smile. “I don’t think so. Since we have three of our Jacksonville brothers visiting, they’ve offered to give us an assist.”
Har nodded to Blood, Turk, and Major who were seated opposite Roman. “I guess that’s only fair payment for what we did for them last year.”
“Two years ago now, Har. We’re happy to dispose of anyone who’d threaten a chapter president.”
“How’s that going to work without causing any blowback on either of you three?” Brute asked.
Roman grinned. “Major’s Tundra has one of those fancy lids over the bed of the truck.”
Blood chuckled. “And Major’s my ride back to Tallahassee, where my old lady’s staying with family. They have a decent-sized house, but it sits in front of twelve acres of land. Abby and I have camped on that land, and I can tell you it’s a great place to get rid of anything that ails you.”
Cynic leaned forward to catch Har’s gaze. “And you think I’m cynical and paranoid? That shit takes the cake, Prez.”
Har shook his head. “How soon do you need to get back to your woman, Blood?”
Blood grinned. “Sooner’s always better as far as I’m
