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Liam’s phone rang suddenly, the sound of it piercing through my highway hypnosis. I jerked awake, charged with energy, as Liam answered the phone.
“Huh? Really? Okay, we’ll meet you there.” He repeated directions to himself.
Adrenaline flooded my system by the time Liam hung up. The world around me seemed clearer, sharper. There was something in the air, I could sense it. We were getting close.
“So?” I said.
“The Laughlin chapter got the guys. They set up a fake DUI checkpoint on the west bound side and questioned every driver that tried to pass through.”
My heart jumped. “And Lisbeth?”
“Lisbeth is safe.”
For now, I couldn’t help but think. My foot sank down on the gas pedal.
Aspen’s hand darted out for my arm. “Slow down!”
“It’s okay,” Liam said. He grabbed Aspen’s shoulders from behind. “Carmen, I see you’re only going fifteen above the speed limit, but your speedometer goes up to one-twenty.”
I grinned at him. “Then, let’s see if we can really go that fast.”
The desert whipped past our windows at frightening speed. Ten minutes later, signs for the next rest stop started popping up at the roadside. That was where Lisbeth, True North, and the Laughlin Skull Kings were waiting.
Liam tapped my shoulder when we passed the sign reading Rest Stop: 1 mile ahead. I eased off the gas and turned off of the interstate. A long, winding road led us to a near-abandoned rest stop with only a few cars—and many motorcycles—in the lot.
We were the first Canyonites to arrive.
I parked, and Liam unbuckled himself and got out immediately. Aspen and I were seconds behind him. We walked toward the congregation huddled in the picnic area. My eyes scanned the crowd for Lisbeth.
“Liam!” her voice screeched. Her petite body broke away from the crowd and ran toward us. Evidently, she found us first.
A man stepped forward to grab her wrist, jerking her to a stop. “Not so fast!”
That voice sounded familiar. His facial features grew clearer as I closed the distance between us. Then, I realized where I’d seen him before.
“Father Alan?”
The rest of the crowd turned to look. For some reason, I felt uneasy watching them, and it was hard to figure out why. The True Northers weren’t at all what I expected. Rather than baggy jeans and bandanas, they were dressed in silk ties and trousers. Father Alan himself had foregone his vestments in favor of a black Italian suit with a bright red pocket square. Diamond studs glinted in his earlobes.
Or just plain ol’ Alan, I mentally amended.
“Carmen,” Alan said. “Nice of you to join us. These are my friends.”
When he waved his hand behind him, I finally realized why the atmosphere seemed so off. The Skull Kings and the True Northers were intermingled, contradicting the biker vs. gangbanger stand-off I’d expected.
“What’s going on?” Liam growled.
“While we were waiting on you, I had a very interesting conversation with your Laughlin president,” Alan said.
A tall Skull King stepped forward. He had a long, white-blonde ponytail and tattoos of spitting cobras spiraling on each arm. “’Lo, Olsen,” he said, giving him a brief nod in greeting.
“Hey, Jameson” Liam said faintly. “What’s up?” His eyes traced carefully from the two men to Lisbeth, who shivered a few paces behind Alan, too petrified to move.
Alan began straightening out the cuffs of his jacket. “I had some associates working for me in Canyon City. Perhaps you’ve heard of them? The Scorpions?”
Liam gripped his hands into fists. “Yeah. I’ve heard of ‘em.”
“Then, I don’t have to remind you of the fact that your chapter was responsible for putting them out of commission. Now, this changes the entire landscape of my business model.” Alan put his hands into his pockets and took two slow steps forward. “Luckily for the both of us, Jameson has volunteered his chapter to replace the Scorpions.”
“What?” Liam said.
Aspen’s hand shot out for mine in the dark. I squeezed her fingers.
“It was part of the deal to get your sister back,” Jameson said gruffly. His cobra tattoos rippled when he crossed his arms. “So, you’re welcome.”
“But I’m sure there’s a little something in it for you, right?” Liam said with a sneer.
“Of course there is!” Alan interjected. “Drugs and gambling practically go hand in hand. Now that the Scorpions are caput, I have no reason to keep my business in Arizona—”
“Business? Why don’t you call it what it really is. You’re nothing but a racketeering, drug-dealing, human trafficking—”
Aspen put a hand on Liam’s shoulder, reminding him of why we were really there.
“What it all boils down to is this,” Jameson said. “Alan needed some muscle, and we’re more than willing to provide it in exchange for a kickback.” He grabbed Lisbeth roughly around the waist and shoved her toward us. “Your sister. And a cut of the profits.”
Aspen and I rushed forward to collect Lisbeth. Meanwhile, Liam began shaking with rage. “Noah won’t be happy to hear this.”
Jameson lifted his eyebrows. “If he has a problem, tell him to take it up with me and my crew.” He extended his arms, indicating not only the Laughlin Skull Kings but the True Northers as well.
We were forced to glower in the dark as they began to make their way back into the parking lot. The Skull Kings rode out in a blaze of burnt rubber and engine smoke, the True Northers slammed themselves into several generic cargo vans, and Alan slid into the backseat of a black Mercedes-Benz. Soon, the four of us were left alone, brimming with even more questions than answers.
But at least Lisbeth was safe.