handled carefully, and with patience.
******
I’d never seen this José cat come into Checks with Elle. Outside of him and Larry coming to “regulate” (Larry’s words) on me, I’d never seen José a day in my life. Now, I needed him. All I had to go on was the kitchen. I parked my bike across the street from the restaurant so I was facing the employee parking lot. I would see anyone who came out. This was my third night in a row watching for José to walk through those back doors.
Three days of quiet time alone with my thoughts. Not what I needed right now. Most of those thoughts were about Elle and everything that had happened over the past few weeks. She’d been discharged from the hospital, after spending almost two weeks there. The shooting was covered up. Burns made sure of that by having half the cops in Missouri in his pocket. If Elle hadn’t been admitted to the hospital, nothing would’ve happened. Skinny would’ve cleaned the bodies up like always. Elle going to the hospital meant a gunshot wound would be reported. Burns took care of it, but he had to give the police something, so he gave them that kid Elle protected.
Skinny and me had been disappearing people together for three years. It may not seem like a lot of time, but it was a lot of bodies and that tended to bond two people. Despite the fact that he was crazy as hell, he was part of the original MM and knew what we’d lost. He knew my plight as it was his too. When I took Elle to the hospital, he stayed back and handled the fallout. He knew as well as I did what was about to happen as soon as I walked into the ER with Elle in my arms. I don’t know what he did, but I owed him big time. There was no blowback on me. Nothing. I waited for the cops or Burns to call or show up on my doorstep, with handcuffs or a gun, depending on who came to deal with me. It never happened though. I waited over two weeks before I called Dig to meet up. If Burns was going to do something, he’d have done it already. So it was just the cops I had to worry about, and I wasn’t worried about no cops.
I kept tabs on Elle while she was in the hospital. I had a nurse call me when Elle woke up. I paid the same nurse to provide me daily updates on her condition. I gave the nurse enough money to cover Elle’s stay at the hospital, and a bit extra for her time and effort. A little money goes a long way when you want something bad enough. I knew Elle couldn’t pay those bills, and I had cash stashed all over. Money I never had a reason to spend. Not until Elle.
Although she was out of the hospital, I knew she hadn’t gone back to work. I wasn’t sure how long she’d be off. I drove past her apartment often, and the Monte Carlo never left. I saw Chris’ truck there sometimes. An old Bronco was there a few days ago. It was early afternoon, and I’d only intended to drive by and see if Elle’s car had moved. I’d sat down the street for an hour before watching Larry emerge from her apartment, and get in the Bronco. Fucking Larry. I’m pretty sure there was no way in hell Elle would ever get with Larry, but that didn’t mean I liked seeing him come out of her apartment. Fucking douche.
I was still ruing over the douche when the back door of the restaurant opened. Finally. I pulled myself together, pushing all thoughts but the task at hand aside. A tall Mexican came strolling out, and got into a Yukon. I revved my bike, and rolled into the parking lot as he was pulling away. He recognized me straight away, rolling down his window as I approached the side of his car. I idled the bike for a second, nodding my head toward the empty lot across the street where I’d spent the last three nights. I pulled away before he could respond. The only response I was accepting was compliance. I wore my cut to make sure he knew who I was, and what I was capable of.
I parked my bike behind a vacant building and walked to the passenger side of the Yukon. “Go for a drive,” I told
******
I’d never seen this José cat come into Checks with Elle. Outside of him and Larry coming to “regulate” (Larry’s words) on me, I’d never seen José a day in my life. Now, I needed him. All I had to go on was the kitchen. I parked my bike across the street from the restaurant so I was facing the employee parking lot. I would see anyone who came out. This was my third night in a row watching for José to walk through those back doors.
Three days of quiet time alone with my thoughts. Not what I needed right now. Most of those thoughts were about Elle and everything that had happened over the past few weeks. She’d been discharged from the hospital, after spending almost two weeks there. The shooting was covered up. Burns made sure of that by having half the cops in Missouri in his pocket. If Elle hadn’t been admitted to the hospital, nothing would’ve happened. Skinny would’ve cleaned the bodies up like always. Elle going to the hospital meant a gunshot wound would be reported. Burns took care of it, but he had to give the police something, so he gave them that kid Elle protected.
Skinny and me had been disappearing people together for three years. It may not seem like a lot of time, but it was a lot of bodies and that tended to bond two people. Despite the fact that he was crazy as hell, he was part of the original MM and knew what we’d lost. He knew my plight as it was his too. When I took Elle to the hospital, he stayed back and handled the fallout. He knew as well as I did what was about to happen as soon as I walked into the ER with Elle in my arms. I don’t know what he did, but I owed him big time. There was no blowback on me. Nothing. I waited for the cops or Burns to call or show up on my doorstep, with handcuffs or a gun, depending on who came to deal with me. It never happened though. I waited over two weeks before I called Dig to meet up. If Burns was going to do something, he’d have done it already. So it was just the cops I had to worry about, and I wasn’t worried about no cops.
I kept tabs on Elle while she was in the hospital. I had a nurse call me when Elle woke up. I paid the same nurse to provide me daily updates on her condition. I gave the nurse enough money to cover Elle’s stay at the hospital, and a bit extra for her time and effort. A little money goes a long way when you want something bad enough. I knew Elle couldn’t pay those bills, and I had cash stashed all over. Money I never had a reason to spend. Not until Elle.
Although she was out of the hospital, I knew she hadn’t gone back to work. I wasn’t sure how long she’d be off. I drove past her apartment often, and the Monte Carlo never left. I saw Chris’ truck there sometimes. An old Bronco was there a few days ago. It was early afternoon, and I’d only intended to drive by and see if Elle’s car had moved. I’d sat down the street for an hour before watching Larry emerge from her apartment, and get in the Bronco. Fucking Larry. I’m pretty sure there was no way in hell Elle would ever get with Larry, but that didn’t mean I liked seeing him come out of her apartment. Fucking douche.
I was still ruing over the douche when the back door of the restaurant opened. Finally. I pulled myself together, pushing all thoughts but the task at hand aside. A tall Mexican came strolling out, and got into a Yukon. I revved my bike, and rolled into the parking lot as he was pulling away. He recognized me straight away, rolling down his window as I approached the side of his car. I idled the bike for a second, nodding my head toward the empty lot across the street where I’d spent the last three nights. I pulled away before he could respond. The only response I was accepting was compliance. I wore my cut to make sure he knew who I was, and what I was capable of.
I parked my bike behind a vacant building and walked to the passenger side of the Yukon. “Go for a drive,” I told