~ Ace ~
Shoving his cell phone in his pocket, Ace turned his attention to his disruptive friend. “What’s so important it couldn’t wait for me to get off the phone?”
Jerking his chin toward the door, Ryder looked at him intently. “I got a bit of a problem. Are you up for a short road trip?”
“Always, brother. What’s this about?”
“I’ve got a life debt to pay back.”
“I’ve got your back,” Ace said without a second thought. “Where are we headed?”
“I’m headed to that little town where you shot me up the last time.”
“Mission Point?” Understanding clicked into place. “You’re out to repay that man who jumped my ass when we were brawling, aren’t you.”
“Yep, he saved my life that day. I’m a guy who repays my debt, and I don’t forget shit like that. Considering we were trying to kill each other that day, he’s probably going to freak out when he sees us together. We need to be careful about spooking him.”
“Why don’t you just send him a letter explaining the situation?”
“I wouldn’t know where to send it. He looked homeless to me.”
“If he’s in a bad way, we probably need to get right on it. Mission Point is less than a four-hour drive.”
They didn’t waste time getting on the road. Stopping to fill up their tanks, Ace rolled their quest around in his mind for a bit. The vendetta between Ryder and himself had been totally off the chain a few months ago. Ace had been told about his brother’s death back when it happened, but only learned that he was killed by a club member when he got out of prison two years after the fact. Since Joe had been his last surviving family member, Ace had taken the news pretty hard. Still raw from being in lockdown for almost ten years, Ace had rolled into a revenge spree. Ryder retaliated by tracking him through three counties, ending in Mission Point.
As he rode back to the town where his violence had finally exploded, Ace remembered every gory detail. He’d been driving an old junked-out pickup truck. They’d traded shots a couple of times before ending up at Mission Point. Fed up with the aggravation of being stalked by his relentless pursuer, Ace had run him down with his truck. Standing over his prone body, Ace remembered gloating as he savored the moment of pumping him full of bullets. It was him at his very worst.
Ace was self-aware enough to know that he could be a cold-hearted killer when the situation called for it. He honestly would have ended Ryder’s life that day, if not for the stranger who interceded on his behalf.
Glancing over at the man who had become a true brother, Ace had an epiphany. Although Ryder might owe his savior a life debt, Ace owed him something very similar. If not for this man, he would have killed Ryder and been hunted to the ends of the earth by the club he’d come to love. In a way, this stranger had saved him as well. Ace had saved him from making a terrible mistake that would have robbed him of the life he now enjoyed.
Rolling into Mission Point hours later, Ace surveyed the town with a critical eye. He’d remembered it as being pitifully small and run-down. Now it seemed much like any other small town. Maybe it was on the small side, but it was also quaint and what women might describe as charming.
Ryder bolted in and out of different gas stations in the area asking about the homeless man. Coming out of the seventh place, Ace noticed his facial expression had changed from somber to slightly relieved.
“Did you get a lead?”
Jumping on his bike, Ryder nodded. “His name is Earnest Parker, and they say he got picked up by the police three days ago on public intoxication.”
“Where the hell is a homeless person supposed to go to be intoxicated?”
Grinning, his Sargent at Arms shrugged. “You think the cops think that shit through? Trust me, they don’t.”
“You’re preaching to the choir. We need to verify that he’s been detained and find out his booking status. I suggest we start at the courthouse.”
“I hope they give us the information. I’m not keen on trying to find a lawyer in this small town.”
They headed to the center of town and looked for the courthouse. It wasn’t difficult to find, since it was one of the few prominent buildings that didn’t look like a commercial enterprise.
Ace followed Ryder to the main desk. After no small amount of back and forth, they discovered that Parker had been arraigned and bail had been set at ten grand. It seemed like an absurd amount to Ace, but Ryder was willing to pay it, so they were sent to the superior court office to pay the bail.
Ryder frowned. “Do you think I should get a bail bondsman?”
“Don’t waste your time. Bail bondsmen don’t usually accept homeless clients. They’re a flight risk, and it’s nearly impossible to find them if they skip town.”
“Freaking great. Let’s go see if I can sweet talk them down.”
“Bail is what it is,” Ace said with a shrug. “The only person who can change it is the judge.”
Ryder scowled. “Fucking hell, you’re just full of good news.”
Ryder swiped his credit card at the superior court’s office and was given verification that the bail was paid. After that, they hightailed it over to the small jail to pick up their guy. The poor man staggered out the front door, totally clueless as to who had bailed him out.
Ryder approached him cautiously. “Hello, Mr. Parker. Do you remember me?”
“You’re looking a mite better than the last time I saw you.”
“They pulled all the shrapnel out, and I healed up real quick.”
“Is that why you bailed me out? ‘Cause I helped you that day?”
“Yes, sir, it is.”
“I can’t believe you got a bail bondsman to take my case. I called every one within fifty miles, and they wouldn’t take my case because I don’t have an address.”
“I forked over the ten grand,” Ryder told him. “Speaking of forks, I could use a hot meal. What do you say about us grabbing a bite to eat? I’d like to talk with you about some things.”
As they walked back over to Ryder’s bike, Ace spoke up. “He can ride with me, if he wants. I know how you are about having people on the back of your bike.”
The man came to a staggering stop. “I know you…”
Ryder placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We made peace. You don’t have anything to fear from either of us.”
The guy stared at him for a minute before nodding. “There’s a real nice diner just down the street. We can walk there in just a few minutes.”
Ace got off his bike and followed the chatting pair. Truth be told, he was amazed at how easily Ryder managed awkward social situations. This whole thing was going along a lot smoother than he’d anticipated. Maybe it was because his friend had a more normal family life growing up.
Siding into a booth at the diner, it took Ace a minute to realize everyone was staring at them. A waitress in a polyester dress walked over to their table, frowning. “Earnest Parker, you know you’re not supposed to be in here.”
Their companion replied, “Now, I’m not trying to cause any trouble, Sharon. My friends just want a bite to eat.”
Ryder slowly came to his feet, towering over the middle-aged woman. “I suggest you drop the attitude and take our order. I’m a busy man, and I’ve got exactly no time for stupid servers today.”
“Well, I never…”
“Don’t care to hear it, doll. You act civil, and I’ll be the best customer you ever had. Keep acting the fool, and I’m gonna get cranky super-fucking-fast.”
Swallowing hard, the woman’s confidence began to wane. “Fine. What do you… gentlemen want to drink.”
Without taking his eyes off the spiteful woman, Ryder replied tersely, “Three coffees, and leave the pot.”
The woman’s attitude slowly dissolved under Ryder’s no-nonsense stare. She quickly placed three menus on the table and mumbled quietly, “Yes, sir. I’ll have that right out for you.”
Dropping into the seat, Ryder’s wary expression communicated that he was clearly none too pleased with the situation. “What the fuck do you call that?”
“Folks around here don’t care for vagrants. I always get kicked out of restaurants and stores, even when I have money to pay.”
“Is that why you’re a fuckin’ pile of bones?”
Humiliation swamped the old man’s face. “Pretty much. There are a few places lenient about letting me in, but most don’t want to look at me.”
“This is about the sorriest excuse for a town that I’ve ever seen.” Ace knew all too well how it felt to be marginalized and discounted as a person.
Ryder shook his head. “It makes me wonder if you were really intoxicated or if they just wanted you out of sight.”
“If I had money, I’d have used it for food not booze. I have pancreatitis, and alcohol makes me double over in pain.”
Ace cursed under his breath. “Those stupid fuckers think they’re so damned clever.”
Ryder’s head came up sharply. “What are you talking about, brother?”
“It’s all too easy to make someone like our friend Earnest disappear from their wholesome little town.” Glancing at Earnest, he continued. “They arrest you on some trumped-up charge and toss you in the county jail for a few weeks. Once your case gets heard, they ship you off to some privatized state prison, and those places don’t care if you’re homeless, guilty, or innocent, ‘cause they get paid either way. It’s a win for everybody but you.”
Ryder’s fist clinched into a tight fist. “Fucking hell, I never thought of that.”
The waitress stopped by with their coffee and some ice water. She left a little bowl of creamers and a carafe of coffee, just like Ryder had asked. She’d clearly had a chance to recover from her encounter with the big, surely biker and even managed an embarrassed smile. “What would you gentlemen like to eat?”
“I want a cheeseburger, no bun, and green salad.”
Ace chuffed out a laugh. “Give me the same, only with a bun and fries.” Turning to Earnest, he asked, “You up for a burger or do you prefer a sandwich or something.”
“They do a real nice chicken dinner here with homemade biscuits.”
Looking up at the woman, Ace stated blandly, “My friend will have your chicken dinner with all the trimmings.”
Scribbling it all down on her little pad, she mumbled anxiously, “Coming right up.”
Ryder eyed the woman suspiciously. “I don’t think you’re gonna be able to make it in this town, Earnest. Even if they drop the charges, it’ll probably keep happening until they get rid of you.”
“Well, that’s a damn shame, ‘cause I’ve got nowhere else to go.”
“Until your court hearing comes up, you are my new shadow.”
“Say what?”
“I shelled out ten grand, so you are going to your hearing.”
“Of course I am. You don’t have to worry about that.”
Ace queried quietly, “What’s holding you to this place?”
“My wife and I landed here about thirty years ago. We ended up losing our farm, and she passed about seven years later.”
“Let me guess, you just gave up.”
“I worked hard all my life, but after she left me, I kept thinkin’ God would take me too.” Pressing his lips together for a brief moment, he let out a stuttering breath. “As you can see, he never did.”
Their food landed, but Ryder just kept right on talking. “You need a change of scenery. Your case is on the docket for thirteen days from now. How about you trade this cold-ass town in for someplace where people look out for each other.”
Shoveling food into his face like there was no tomorrow, the older man spoke with his mouth full. “That sounds real good to me. Would you happen to know of a place like that, ‘cause I sure as hell don’t.”
“We got our own little corner of South Dakota. Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll see that you have a little room of your own and three squares a day. The women around our place do a nice hot breakfast every morning, and they usually cook out in the evenings.”
“Thirteen days of not sleeping on the ground sounds good.”
“It’s the least I can do for the man who saved my life.”
“About that. You two gonna tell me how you went from mortal enemies to besties?”
“That’s a long-ass story for another day.” Ryder stopped talking to shove the last of his burger into his mouth and chased it with a gulp of coffee. “You ever rode a motorcycle, old man?”
“I think everyone in America has ridden at one time or another.”
“We ain’t all that wild about toting you around on the back of our bikes. Is there any place around here that sells used bikes?”
“Yes, sir, there surely is.”
“We’ll see if we can’t find you a nice little soft-tail to ride.”
“Well now, I wouldn’t be able to reimburse you if I accidentally damaged your bike when you let me ride it.”
“Consider it a gift. Being able to ride is true freedom. You know that, right?”
Ace watched the older man become slightly emotional. Clearing his throat, he struggled to fight back the tears. He watched Ryder reach out to squeeze his shoulder.
“From here on out, everything’s going to be okay. I promise you, it will. Our club has an attorney on retainer. I can probably get him to see if we can get the charges dropped.”
“This situation is almost too good to be true.”
Ryder perked up. “Look here, old man, I’m still walking and talking because of you.”
“I suppose that’s true. Truth be told, I probably did that because—”
“It doesn’t matter the why of it,” Ryder interrupted. “If there’s one thing my old lady’s taught me, it’s that redemption is possible if you give a man half a chance.”
“She sounds like a kind-hearted woman.”
“I never would have met her if my good friend Ace hadn’t filled me full of lead. She was a nurse at the hospital.”
The older man smiled. “I knew you were going easy on him for some reason.”
Drinking down the last of their coffee, they headed out to pick up the extra sled for the old man.