Isela's Love by Sasha Cain Page B

Bashua.”
    Darrios sucked in a breath. “What did you say?”
    “I said his name is Bashua.”
    Darrios and Evan exchanged glances.
    “You gonna share, boys?” Brendan asked.
    “We knew Bashua,” Evan said quietly.
    “Word was he got himself killed,” Darrios added.
    “Yeah, not that long after Kie.”
    “Soon enough that it looks suspicious?” Bernie asked.
    “Oh yeah,” Darrios and Evan said in unison.
    “I’ll go to the Council first thing tomorrow. Brendan, be ready. I have a feeling they’re going to be more than receptive when I tell them what we’ve learned today.”
    “Do you think the kid, Jerric, will go with you, Bernie? I bet he’d be willing to.”
    Bernie shrugged. “It can’t hurt and he is a native. Can you do without him on the farm?”
    Darrios and Evan smirked at each other. “Yeah, Bernie,” Darrios said sarcastically, “I think we can handle it.”
    “No need to get ugly, gentlemen. I was only trying to be considerate.”

Chapter Seven
    Upon hearing Bernie’s account of the warden’s activities and Jerric’s testimony, the Council unanimously agreed to support an undercover investigation of Warden Guarros. They placed Bernie in charge, instructing him to keep them informed and not to take further, aggressive action without their direct approval. He agreed, signed the necessary paperwork, and he and Jerric headed home.
    As Bernie pushed the door to Darrios and Evan’s office open, Jerric ran in ahead of him and announced, “Guarros is goin’ down! He’s out!”
    Darrios and Evan exchanged looks, both of them fighting smiles as they watched the young man dancing around, chanting that repeatedly. Bernie sighed then smiled and nodded.
    “We have the full support of the Council. “They’re sending a sheriff tomorrow to escort ‘the condemned man’ to prison,” Bernie said, referring to Brendan.
    Darrios groaned.
    “What’s wrong, Darrios?” Bernie asked. “I thought you and Brendan cooked this whole thing up to begin with.”
    Leaning back in his chair, Darrios rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “We did, but now that it’s official I have to tell Maggie...and Aunt Gin.”
    “I don’t know who I’d be more scared of,” Evan muttered, snickering.
    Darrios glanced out the window at the endless farmland, bountiful with crops, enjoying the peace it brought him, if only for the moment. He stood, stretching. “Well, let’s go guys. We might as well get this over with.”
    Bernie and Evan stared at him.
    “We?” Bernie asked.
    “Are you crazy?” Evan asked.
    Bernie shook his head. “I’d rather face ten moltergs than be anywhere near you when you tell your wife you’ve arranged for her baby brother to go undercover in Midland Prison. Mmm mmm, not me, brother. You are one hundred percent on your own.”
    Evan pointed a finger at Bernie and smirked. “What he said.”
    “Cowards,” Darrios muttered, stalking out.
    ****
    Darrios hoped Brendan would be with Maggie when he got there. At least then he’d have some backup. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped onto his porch, hearing the sound of Brendan’s voice along with Maggie’s. Brendan looked at him expectantly as he came through the door. Darrios gave him a knowing nod before pulling his wife into his arms.
    “I missed you,” he said, nuzzling her neck. She returned his embrace, smiling.
    “We missed you too,” she said, nodding her head toward the playpen in the center of the room.
    “Where did that come from?” Darrios asked, releasing Maggie. He slid his hand over the wood finish.
    “The baby? Dude, that was all you,” Brendan said jokingly.
    Darrios rolled his eyes. “The playpen.”
    “Sandra and Evan loaned it to us. Evan was willing to get rid of it for good, but Sandra insisted they’re having more children.”
    “Good, I hope that happens soon. He needs something else to do besides ride my ass.”
    “Trouble in paradise?” Maggie asked.
    “Naw, just a difference of