away, asshole. ”
Miller stood up. He walked to the
table and grabbed a can of gasoline and a lighter. He poured gas on the leather
cut and made a small line. He lit the gasoline on fire and the leather cut
burst into flames.
The Coast Road MC guy started to
yell and thrash. “ Let me
go! I ’ ll fucking kill you! ”
“ Blaine, put this out, ” Miller said.
Blaine stepped to the fire and
unzipped his jeans. He started to piss on the fire, putting it out with a
sizzle sound and smoke climbing.
“ There ’ s your cut, ” Miller said. “ Your guys will appreciate that.
Along with your fucking head, because that ’ s
all they ’ re going to get
back. ”
Miller hurried forward and took out
a knife. He put it to the guy ’ s
throat and started to cut.
“ Miller!
Miller! ”
Miller looked back and gritted his
teeth. It was Erik standing in the doorway.
“ What
the hell do you want? ” Miller asked.
“ There ’ s someone here for you. ”
“ What? ”
“ A
woman is here. ”
“ For
me? ”
“ Yeah.
She ’ s at the gate. She ’ s crying, man. ”
“ Who
is it? ”
“ I
don ’ t know, ” Erik said. “ But she ’ s got a baby with her. ”
Miller backed away from the Coast
Road MC guy. He just stared at Erik.
A woman. With a baby.
A hand touched Miller ’ s shoulder. “ Hey, brother, go to it. ” Blaine put a hand to Miller ’ s wrist. “ Give me the knife. I ’ ll
wrap this up here. ”
Miller let the knife go and Blaine took it. He then moved forward, eyes on Erik, on the door. Behind him, he heard Blaine.
“ Okay,
motherfucker, I ’ m going to
fuck you with this knife. ”
Then came the sound of skin being
cut and the guy screaming.
But that all slipped away for
Miller.
He left the garage and started to
run. The front of the lot felt like a mile from where they were taking care of
business.
Erik stayed with him. “ Hey. Talk to me. What is this? ”
“ It ’ s Jerry ’ s … the chief ’ s family. ”
Erik then cut in front of Miller. “ Whoa. Wait a second. You ’ re going to let them here? What
if it ’ s a set up? ”
“ It ’ s not, ” Miller said and shoved Erik out of the way.
When the gates came into view,
Miller bellowed, ordering the prospects to open the gates. There was no reason
for Ella and the baby to be stuck outside.
Miller stopped running and watched
as the car crept forward. He put a hand to the hood and the car stopped.
Through the windshield, he saw Ella. Their eyes met and Miller rushed to the
door. He tore it open and gave Ella his hand. He pulled her from the car and
before even saying a word, he saw her face. The swollen cheek on the left side
of her face.
“ No, ” he said. “ Fuck no. ”
“ I
didn ’ t know where to go, ” Ella whispered. “ I ’ m
sorry I didn ’ t call. I don ’ t know if I should be here. ”
Miller touched Ella ’ s face. “ You belong here, darling. Jesus Christ, Ella. He
did this? ”
Ella nodded. “ He found out about the papers. I …”
A baby cried.
Miller let Ella ’ s face go and opened the back
door. There was the baby. Beck. Miller stared for a few seconds. The
baby kicked its little legs and waved its helpless arms. Beck turned his head
and looked at Miller, crying out again. Miller climbed into the car and grabbed
the car seat. He fumbled around until it became unhooked from the base. He slid
out and held the car seat in one hand.
“ I
was able to grab some stuff, ” Ella said.
Miller looked at the prospects. “ Both of you. Get her shit and
follow me. Right now. ” Miller then looked at Erik. “ Hide
her car. Put it around back. ”
“ On
it, brother, ” Erik said.
Miller started to walk.
Shay came walking up to him, a lit
cigarette hanging from his lips. “ Holy
Christ. What the fuck is this? ”
“ Hey, ” Miller growled. He plucked the
cigarette from Shay ’ s
mouth. He dropped it and crushed it. “ There ’ s a fucking baby right here. No
smoking.
Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Martin A. Lee, Bruce Shlain