Page 27 of Stone: The Precursor

and bid me to come to you,

to praise you with your saints,

forever and ever. Amen.”

Our amens are said simultaneously, and I laugh at the fear in his eyes. I shake my head. “You think the blood of Christ will save you? You believe he will hide you in his wounds? Defend you from evil? He wants nothing to do with garbage like you.” His eyes widen, and he starts to cry harder, hanging his head. I turn his neck to the side and spot what I need to see. The brand.The side profile of a dog with the letters MZ burned inside. They are no more than cattle to El Jefe.I stand and walk over to the one I want. The fat bastard in charge.

“I want this one.” He stares up at me with hatred. Hatred that I’m sure is mirrored in my own gaze. He reeks of sweat, unwashed bodies, and bravado. Good. I need to release some frustration tonight. It will be fun to watch him bleed and beg.

I hoot twice, and the little girl slowly exits the forest and waves timidly at me. I tell her in French to wait by the truck. She sits down, huddling, waiting.

Easton hauls up the youngest, and Cade takes the other two and loads them up into another van waiting with Onyx inside. He will take care of them.

Another 18-wheeler pulls up, identical to the one parked. It’s ready to exchange the human beings in the back. The door opens, and a short, curvy, beautiful, black woman climbs out, dressed in dark jeans and a dark shirt. Brown curly hair is tucked under a trucker hat. An old school medical bag bangs against her hips as she walks.

I nod to her, and she nods back. “Stone.”

“Livia.”

She stands next to Scout, and he looks at her. His jaw is tight as he crosses his tattooed arms. He’s angry. She stares up at him like he’s a hero, and he looks at her like he wants to swallow her whole. The exchange between them makes me raise an eyebrow. Then it disappears, and then she shifts away. It’s subtle. I’ve known Olivia for a few years. She’s Dr. Campbell’s daughter. She’s also a doctor. Her father has no idea that she’s involved with the Legion Lords, helping to check on the men, women, and children that we rescue. We’ve tried to stop her, but once she found out what the Mestizos were doing, she committed to helping.

“What’s the status?” She asks, all business. “We need to get them checked out.”

Scout answers, “150. Dehydrated. Seventy women. Twenty men. The rest are children ranging from 2 to 16.”

“Any other signs of injury?”

Scout nods and says softly, “Three possible SAs. Children.” Livia’s eyes close as she inhales. When her eyes open, they’re haunted. “Four of the men are pretty banged up.”

She walks towards the back of the truck that Cade holds open for her. When she approaches, she hugs him, and Scout growls. “What the fuck is she doing here, Stone?”

I see it on his face: the jealousy. Then I turn back to watch Cade helping Livia into the truck, his hands on her hips. He steps forward, and I push him back. “Cool it.”

He shoves my hand away and scrubs his hands over his face, and then raises his head to the sky.

“I can’t stop her. And we need her.”

“She doesn’t belong around this shit.”

He turns his glacial eyes to me. I’ve known him for years. Met him in the army, along with Cade and Easton. After we all left and I went to jail, he, Easton, and Cade found Riggs and patched into the Legion Lords. His backstory is even more fucked up than mine.

“You’re right. She doesn’t belong in this shit.” She’s a respected doctor who is doing illegal shit to help save innocent people. We all know she’s putting a lot on the line. “But neither do they.” I gesture with my chin to the long line of women and children being helped out of the back of the trailer. They move like sheep, probably so conditioned to do what they are told. Cade, Onyx, and Easton help them into the back of the new 18-wheeler. The back is filled with food and sleeping pallets. It will hold them down until they reach the safe house we've created tohelp care for them. “Remember the goal is bigger than any one of us.”

He nods and walks away, and I can feel for him because I’m just as distracted by a woman, a woman who has no idea that a man is watching her, stalking her, imagining fucking her while she’s covered in her blood. A man who is good friends with her brother.

Onyx heads to me. “You need me?”

“Not for the rest of the night. Just take care of the three guards.”

“Done.”

Which means they’re already dead. Onyx is nothing if not efficient. He doesn’t enjoy extending a murder the way I do. He’d much rather use his silencer and get the job done quickly. Clean-up is his expertise. The bodies will never be found again.

“Is the big one loaded up?”

“Yeah, I put him in the van with the other two. Do you want me to drop him off at your place?”

“Yeah. I’ll find him when I’m ready.”