Free Tribal Law by Jenna Kernan

inches. Was this Escalanti’s man? The promised contact who would take them to the barrels of chemicals Dryer wanted so desperately?
    â€œDid you get a name?”
    â€œPablo Nota. When he asked about the flatbed, I asked if he’d ever driven and he basically told me to shut up.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you call me?”
    â€œBecause the weather is crappy and I knew you’d be home soon. I didn’t want you answering the phone when you were driving.” Mia had her arms folded, shivering in her polar fleece jacket.
    Selena didn’t know if she should be happy or terrified at Nota’s visit. If this man was one of the gang members, then they didn’t know about the shooting and they might still take them to the supplies of chemicals. Then this entire nightmare might be over. But how it might end frightened her right down to the bone.
    She slipped a hand into her pocket to phone Gabe.
    Mia stood in the snow, watching her older sister.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” asked Mia.
    Should she tell her? Selena just wanted to protect Mia, but she didn’t know if the best way to do that was to tell her or not tell her.
    â€œIs he coming back?” asked Selena.
    â€œAny minute. Dad told him when you finish your route.”
    Selena wondered if Gabe could really catch them or if, by involving him, she had just signed his death warrant along with her family’s.
    â€œYou want me to stay?” asked Mia.
    No she wanted Mia as far away from here as possible. Selena was tempted to tell her sister to pick up Tomas and their mother and drive as fast and as far as she could.
    Selena met Mia’s worried stare. “No. You go on.”
    â€œYou know something, Leenie. Tell me.”
    She shook her head. “I can’t.”
    Mia glanced at the house. “Then be careful and you tell me if I can help.”
    Mia lunged forward, hugging Selena tight.
    â€œBe careful,” she whispered and kissed Selena’s cheek. Then Mia climbed into her truck, gave Selena a long look and then backed out of the drive. Selena hadn’t even reached the front steps when her father opened the front door to greet her. The gash on his head had scabbed, but beneath it was an ugly purple lump.
    â€œMia tell you?”
    She nodded and he stepped back, allowing her past. Then he closed the door behind her.
    â€œIt was Escalanti’s guy,” he said. “The lab needs regular transport. Two or three barrels a week to keep up production, or they might move the whole load with our flatbed, but that’s more dangerous because if we are stopped they lose it all. They could also use our big rig to move the meth lab, though he didn’t suggest that. Makes no difference because we won’t be moving any of it. With luck we’ll know where they’re hiding it this afternoon and we can end this. That’s assuming that your hotshot chief of police doesn’t get us all killed before then. As I see it, Escalanti has more men in his gang than Cosen has on the force.”
    Selena’s skin tingled as if tiny creatures walked over her skin. She tried and failed to suppress a shudder.
    â€œGabe said he’d take care of us.”
    Her father laughed. “I’ve been taken care of by him once already. That boy is taking care of himself and his career. He’s hot as a pistol, that one. He’d be the next governor if he wasn’t Apache. Only man I’ve ever seen rise quicker is his older brother, our future tribal council chairman. Man, I’d like to see them stumble just once.”
    But Gabe had stumbled, she realized. Last night with her, just as he had when he’d asked for her hand.
    Selena felt trapped. She glanced toward the road, thinking of Gabe. Wishing...
    Her father’s voice broke into her thoughts.
    â€œYou know it’s over between you two, right?”
    Her heart squeezed and a cry of denial stuck in her throat. But she knew the