Page 75

It took Taz, me and Arturo and his men some time to round up what was left of the Frogs. According to Taz we’d killed all of them except Sheriff and Koala. We herded them into the front yard, tied them up like pigs being led to the slaughter and dropped them in the dirt.
We had some of Arturo’s men looking over them and I hurried back inside to kneel by Beam’s side.
“Arturo has his doctor inbound.” Lizard explained. “But I found some pain meds here that should hold out until the doctor gets here in about half an hour. From what I can see the bullet passed through his shoulder. Thankfully, he’ll sleep for now.”
I nodded then sat on the side of the bed to push some hair from Beam’s forehead.
“You have to be okay.” I told him. “I can’t lose another partner, you got that?”
I didn’t expect an answer.
Sighing, I pulled the sheets up to his shoulder and stood.
“Go check on your girl.” Lizard told me. “I’ll stay with Beam.”
Nodding, I exited the house again to find Taz sitting on the front step, watching the two men we’d captured.
I sat beside her.
“How’s Beam?” Her voice was raspy.
“Bullet passed in and out.” I explained. “He’s sleeping now—waiting for the doctor.”
“That’s good.”
Silence.
“Taz?”
“Mm?”
“What are you going to do with these two?” I asked.
In that moment, some of Arturo’s men went through the front yard with body bags over their shoulders and disappeared out the front gate.
“I don’t know.” She replied. “What I want to do to Sheriff is strip him naked and drop him off in the Outback so he can have his own version of the fucking hunger games. Koala—I want to double tap him to the chest and call it a day.”
“But you’re not going to do that.”
“The night is still young.” She growled.
Silence.
“Nothing I do to them short of death will make them leave me alone.” She murmured. “I don’t want anymore blood on my hands, Storm. But I’m in the position where I don’t think I have a choice.”
“Sure, you do.”
“Then tell me what to do.”
When she looked at me, her eyes were teary and sad, and it broke me.
Caressing her cheek, I leaned in and kissed her forehead.
“I don’t know what to do with Darby either.” She sighed.
“Darby is taken care of—Tex says there is a warrant out for his arrest.” I told him. “Does that make the weight lighter.”
She nodded.