Leave a Trail (Signal Bend #7)(75)

Since then, they’d held decoy meetings before their weekly meetings so the cartel wouldn’t know the bugs had been discovered. The Horde had not yet found a way to use that deception to fight back against the Perros and maybe exact revenge for what Julio Santaveria and his men had perpetrated on the Horde.

Sighing heavily, as though the thought behind Badger’s question took more energy than he could muster, Isaac looked over the table. “If Santaveria knows that the bug is recording bullshit, then we’re sitting on a different kind of bomb, and we’ll have no f*cking idea when it’ll blow.”

Still working it through, Badger tried another idea. “What if it’s not the Perros? What if it’s just Sam?”

Len sat forward and put a hand on Badger’s arm, as if to restrain him. “No. We’re overthinking this, getting ourselves wrapped around the spokes. No reason for Santaveria or Sam to blow the B&B. Sam is fighting a war in LA. Not here. And Santaveria wouldn’t’ve cleared the place out first. We’re trying to see a conspiracy, and we’re snatching at straw. Who has any reason at all to want to blow the B&B? To what end?”

“You got an answer to that yourself, Len?”

“Maybe I do, boss. We had trouble in our own yard. People stirring up against us. Don Mariano. Jimmy Sullivan. Mac Evans. Others. Maybe they were just trying to hurt us.”

“One of our own? Killed Beth?” Though the idea had been raised before, it had been quickly set aside.

With it under serious consideration, Show’s face showed shock and outrage in equal measure.

“Maybe that was a mistake. Maybe they thought with the place empty, she wouldn’t be there.”

Isaac shook his head. “Somebody would’ve needed to turn the oven on, though. I don’t see anybody in town putting Beth’s life at risk. It’s not somebody that close. But you’re right. We’re stretching pretty far to find a reason for Sam or the Perros to do it.”

It came to Badger as Isaac finished that sentence. “Somebody who maybe thought the town would see it as more club violence—and remind them of the fire before. Who thought it would turn the town against us all the way. Somebody with an interest in making us weak. Somebody who just saw the town standing with us after all, when he thought we’d already lost them. It is Seaver. It’s got to be Seaver.” Echoing in the back of his head, Badger heard the Sheriff asking Where’s the fire?

Again, the table went still and silent, tension crackling, at Badger’s words. Then Isaac turned to Dom.

“Brother, you and Lilli have got to get some clarity on that code. And dig deeper into Seaver. We need to know what that uniformed f*ck is up to, and we need some kind of f*ckin’ leverage we can use. Badge makes a strong case.”

Dom nodded, looking pale and stressed. The burden that Isaac had laid on his narrow shoulders was heavy—the Scorpions, the Perros, the Sheriff, all of it high priority. The Horde’s enemies were many and formidable these days.

Isaac scanned the table. “In the meantime, we are still on our best behavior. Do not let your guard down, brothers.” He sighed. “Let’s wrap this up with some good news. It’s in short enough supply. Badge— your old lady. She’s home. Doin’ good?”

His old lady. Was Adrienne his old lady? He liked the sound of it. But they’d never talked about the future, except to say they wanted to be together ‘forever.’ He couldn’t ask her for more yet. She was too new in her post-father, post-fire, clean-slate life.

But he saw no need to correct Isaac. Before he answered, though, he glanced at Show, who was regarding him with interest but without malice. Show was on their side. In the time that Adrienne, Shannon, and the babies were all home, in fact, the six of them had become a pretty tight group. Show and Badger, in full protector/caretaker mode, were a team now.

“Yeah. She’s home, we’re set up. She’s doing pretty good. Better every day.” He thought about this morning, holding her up, feeling her come, and he smiled.

Isaac gave him a sideways look that made him think his smile had been more revealing than he’d intended. “Excellent. And Show. How’s your brood?”

Badger shifted his gaze to Show and found the big man staring steadily at him. That smile had indeed been too revealing. But then Show cleared his throat and answered Isaac’s question. “Rose and Iris are back with their mom. Shannon and the twins are doing good. Kids are finally starting to plump up.” He looked around the table. “You can come over and see ‘em now. And we got their christening in a couple weeks.”

“Shannon’s good?”

“Yeah, she is. It’s an adjustment, no doubt about it, but we’re good. Real good.”

“Nice to take a minute and remember why we do this shit. And I think it’s time we put guards with our women. Lilli, Shannon, Cory, Tasha, Adrienne. All the kids. When we’re not with our own, then they have a buddy.”

Show said, “We can’t spread that thin, Isaac. Only have two Prospects.”

Isaac glowered, but he nodded. “Badge—any problem with Adrienne hanging out with Shannon and the twins?”

“I doubt it. They’re together most of the time now, anyway.”

“Good. Double A, you’re on Show’s house. We’ll put Thumper with Tasha. Cory can stick with Lilli— I’ll talk to them both—and we’ll put Kellen on them. Nolan can shoot, too. He’s a good shot.”