Page 41 of Mouse Trapped

I hadn’t considered living arrangements. Brushing my hands through my hair, I don’t take long to consider it. “I don’t mind moving, Sam. That’s a great idea.” I like the kid, but not so much I want to keep sharing a bed with him.

Truck’s putting away the pool sticks. “Guess that’s my afternoon sorted,” he grumbles, but there’s a twinkle in his eye as in that roundabout way he offers his help.

In the end, Truck and Drew move my shit as I go to compose and print the leaflets Prez suggested, then take them into town and visit the stores. All are happy to display them after a few dollars change hands.

That night, Prez calls the brothers into church.

“As you might have noticed, Mouse is back with us.” There are a few chuckles and comments at that. “He’s at last come to his senses and is ready to ask for help.”

“Got cowboys attacking the reservation?” Joker puts in. They’re all well aware I go back to the Rez.

“Don’t see how you could help if we had,” I reply drily, “if anyone’s a bunch of cowboys, you lot are.”

Blade points his knife toward me. “Careful, Brother. It’s you that wants help.”

But most of the others are laughing. Drummer shouts for quiet, then points at me. “Fill ‘em in, Mouse.”

Where do I start?“I met a woman…”

“Knew it!” Viper and Rock bump fists across the table, then hold out their hands, and money’s passed down the table to them.

“Called that!” Blade turns to Dollar, who shrugs and gets out his wallet.

“Always a fuckin’ bitch at the bottom of it,” Shooter observes.

“Nothing wrong with that.” Peg’s comment is echoed by Wraith, Heart, Bullet, Viper, and Rock. Even the prez is nodding while the single men look on incredulously.

“So who do we need to kill?” Road asks sounding resigned.

Drummer bangs the gavel, then growls, “Can we get fuckin’ started? Want to get a bit further than hearin’ Mouse has got himself a woman.”

“Is she a Mac or a PC?” Shooter enquires. Drum gets him to shut his mouth fast with one look.

It was quite amusing, even my lips quirked. “Neither, she’s flesh and blood.”

“Need some tips on what to do?” Bullet raises his hands, making a circle with his forefinger and thumb with one, and using a finger of the other, makes a show of pushing it in and out of the ring he’s formed. “Part A goes into part B just like this.”

I sigh. “If I do, I’ll come and find you, Brother.” In truth, their assholery is touching. It’s their way of showing they care.

At last they quiet down, and I’m allowed to tell my story which is basically a repeat of what I told Drummer earlier.

Heart raises his eyes. “Get me the names of the cops who arrested her. I’ll run them past Marc, see what she knows. Could be ones who are overeager to get immigrants off the streets.”

That’s something I hadn’t thought of. I raise my chin in thanks.

Blade’s knife stops spinning when it’s pointing toward me. “I’ll come with you to visit the motherfucker who rammed her.”

Peg’s fast to raise his hand. “Me too.” He starts flexing his muscles.

“Need to use persuasion, not force,” Drummer reminds them as he did me. He runs his hands down his beard, then suggests, “Maybe he was mistaken? Maybe he was going too fast, she stopped when he thought she was going to cross. Yeah, yeah, Mouse, I know that wasn’t the way of it, but it would enable him to save face.”

“Want me to see what funds we can free up?”

Prez stares at Dollar for a moment. “Don’t want to pay the asshole if we don’t have to, but if it comes to that, could be useful.” Then he looks at me. “Movin’ this along, I’ve put a call in to get Devil to contact me. I’ll let you know when he does.”

Wraith’s staring at me, his head slightly tilted. “You really ready to marry a woman you’ve only seen a couple of times, and one of those behind bars?”

I purse my lips, breathe in through my nose, then let the air out on a sigh. “I would have gone back the first time, ’cept for her need to be squeaky clean. You know what the cops think of us.” I don’t need to explain. “So I kept away, but kept thinkin’ about her. Couldn’t get her off my mind. Truth, Brothers? That’s why I spent time on the Rez, tryin’ to get my head straight. She’d ridden on the back of my bike, kinda felt right havin’ her there.”