CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jim had never felt resentment toward the Steel Talons, but today, he wished he could just tell them to go suck on a dead dog’s nose. Everything in his personal life was, for once, lining up perfectly, and while the man he’d just taken in was dying, he was much better off and had said he thought of Jim as a son.
The words had floored him, and now, Jim only wanted to make him proud and give his daughter the happy life she deserved. Instead, he was running from federal agents and a gang of angry Mexicans, racing against time to remove all the evidence of their dealings in counterfeit cash. They’d worked things out with the Diamondbacks, but they were still waiting for their gun delivery, and Jim wasn’t keen on being involved in another gunfight, especially one the size of a battle in the American Revolution.
He’d never leave the Talons, but there had to be a way to build a more peaceful atmosphere around their club. Once they were safe from arrest and prepared for an oncoming war, Jim was going to see if they could create a treaty or at least a truce with the Diablos and set up a better system of protection and shipment of their goods. They needed a safety net, something they didn’t have right now, so they could all have a little more peace of mind in the rest of their daily lives.
He turned into the clubhouse parking lot, smiling at the idea of coming home and jumping straight into Susan’s arms—and her warm, wet center—the moment he walked through the door. He had forgotten what it was like to arrive to a warm body. Even before she’d taken herself out of the land of the living, Trina had turned him out of the bed most of the time after one of these runs. He knew there was a chance that something like that could happen with Susan, but it was remote, and he counted on her not being so cold and crass.
“You look like the cat that got the milk, Wade,” Boxer teased, as he put down the kickstand on his bike. “What’s going on in that head of yours? Or, should I ask, those pants?”
Rather than snapping at his best friend as had been his MO for a while now, Jim gave Boxer a crooked smile. “Why don’t you shut up and mind your own business, you big lug? Do you know what I think? I think it’s been too long since you got laid.”
“You got that right!” Boxer slapped him on the back. “But I’m not the one with the shit-eating grin on his face right now. I take it the doc gave you a second chance?”
Lighting up, Jim nodded. “I guess you could say that. I mean, she agreed to move in with me, and her father’s set up with a private nurse in my spare room. I think I bought myself a small reprieve.”
“You dog, you!” Boxer stared at him, looking both stunned and approving. “Listen, bro, I know I’ve said some shit about the woman, but as much as I think she might be a problem for the club, I think she’s really good for you, and that means she won’t do anything to hurt the rest of us, either.” Throwing an arm over Jim’s shoulder, he joked, “Did the alcohol poisoning scramble your brain or something? Where did all this lovey-dovey bullshit come from?”
Jim gave him a sharp look. “I’m not like a lot of our family, Boxer. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart to fill. If you’re just going to razz me about it for the next two days, I’ll just replace you on the run with one of our prospects.”
“Nah, I just had to get one in there, Wade.” He stopped walking and turned to look down at Jim with one of the few serious expressions he ever gave. “I’m happy for you, bro. I hope it all turns out in the end.”
So did Jim, and to make sure that was the case, he had to get the evidence that could send his entire club away for the rest of their natural born lives out of town. The Diablos had backed off since losing the firefight, and Jim had the impression they were regrouping for a very large hit now that their little underhanded cry to the feds hadn’t gone as planned. That meant he shouldn’t have a Devil on his shoulder during the ride.
He also had intel that the feds were working on a warrant for his shipping company, and that meant red tape and paperwork since he hadn’t solely been implicated in the anonymous tip. That would take several more days, and none of them were stupid enough to risk a tampering charge by following them now. This trip should be free and clear of trouble, just as he’d told Susan.
Gathering his crew, they rode over to his office on the south side of Olympia, and he fudged some paperwork based on a delivery of farming equipment out to Idaho, just across the state border. It would be signed as delivered while they unloaded their property into the barn that waited empty for them. Then, they’d be on their way home, possibly sooner than later.
There was a lot of waiting around since Jim still didn’t feel comfortable leaving town until night fell; but, once twilight hit, they headed to the storage facility, emptied it into the back of the shipping truck, and headed out.