Through A Glass, Darkly (The Assassins of Youth MC #1)(48)
Chiles stepped toward me, waving my deed. “What bodies might you be referring to?”
I snorted. “Nice try, Chiles. But the f*cking gloves are off now. You beat Mahalia and more of your wives. You should’ve been arrested a long time ago just for that. Let’s make a trade. I’ll keep quiet about the bodies and the wife beating, and you give me the mine. Oh, and let Mahalia Warrior and her daughter leave here quietly.”
He was definitely thinking about it. Dust Bunny had only found three bodies so far. He’d puked before giving up on the job. But three was good enough for me. Dust Bunny told me that past the barricades there was disturbed earth enough for several more bodies. I was just bluffing about the “dozens” to see Chiles’ reaction.
His reaction was swift. He nodded to Pipkin, who took four giant strides toward me, taking the safety off and pressing the gun barrel to my temple.
Chiles was even calmer now, if such a thing was possible. He talked like a ventriloquist with barely any movement of facial muscle. “I think it’s time for you to leave.”
I said, “I’ll take that as a no.” I moved slowly, the barrel glued to my temple, to get the duffle bag Dust Bunny had brought me. A few toiletries were in the bathroom, but I could always buy a new toothbrush.
Chiles intoned, “You have made a mistake that renders you unworthy to return to the presence of God. But I’m afraid that’s not penance enough.”
“Oh, yeah?” I dared to say, hefting the bag over my shoulder. “Those are mighty big words coming from a guy who buried a bunch of rivals in a gold mine.” And what’s preventing him from burying me there, too? My phone in my cut pocket kept buzzing obnoxiously. I hoped to hell it wasn’t Mahalia, and Chiles decided to take a look at it.
Chiles’ voice was chilling now as I inched toward the door. “God has given me a revelation about the principle of celestial marriage. No man may tear that asunder under risk of death. We are a peculiar people, Fortunati, and all of us will obtain the highest degree of exaltation in the celestial kingdom thanks to the new and everlasting covenant. We live the principle. We alone are absolved of all sin.”
“Well, that’s mighty handy.” I opened the door and glanced into the sandy yard that separated the cottage from the main house. Mahalia wasn’t looking out the window this time. I was sure she’d be under heavy guard from this point forward. “Chiles, you’re arranging a marriage between a creepy older pervert and an underage girl who doesn’t want to go. That alone should prevent you from entering any celestial kingdom.”
That got to him. Chiles roared, “The mainstream church has wrongly abandoned these holy principles! We will be avenged!”
“Yeah.” I snorted. “Abandoned them because they’re creepy and immoral.”
Chiles raised a hand and pointed like the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. “Out! Out, you infidel! The wrath of God will rain its mighty vengeance down on your head!”
So much for saving his life. Now I saw some shapes moving behind windows downstairs. Three or four heads were looking out, maybe from a kitchen window. They saw me do the Walk of Shame down the pathway at the business end of a pistol. I was halfway down the path with my hands held at waist level when Pipkin tore my Glock from my waistband. I started to spin around to protest, but his gun barrel convinced me to shut the f*ck up. Not that he’d risk shooting me with all those witnesses, but you never know.
I shoved my duffle into my saddlebag, and they allowed me to mount my scoot. “Good luck, Chiles,” I sneered. “You’re going to f*cking need it for all the bad karma you’re building up here.”
“I don’t listen to nonbelievers,” he shouted as I pulled the clutch and pressed the starter button. Since he was standing a good fifteen yards away, the rest of his asinine speech was drowned in the purr of my engine. Even Parley Pipkin stepped back, his gun arm still raised.
I flipped them both off. I know it was childish, but I did it.
I felt powerless as I drove toward the front gate. I didn’t want to risk stopping until I was safely outside. What. The. Fuck. Mahalia’s sister wife and some unknown kid had both reported us to Chiles. I shouldn’t have been surprised at that. What was more surprising was that Chiles hadn’t suspected before now.
The irony didn’t escape me as I went through the automatic gate that I was repeating past history. Just a month earlier I’d been riding up here, wondering what I’d done to incur a wrath that would stick me with the likes of Tim Breakiron. I’d messed with a superior’s woman, and I was repeating my past mistakes now. Why couldn’t I have left Mahalia alone? I might not have ever made the long dive to protect her from Breakiron’s bullet and I might now be out at the Altar of Sacrifice digging up my own stash of gold.
But fate had brought me to Mahalia, and I didn’t regret one action of mine. I’d get her out of there somehow.
Once past the gates, I pulled over to check my texts. There were only two from Dingo so I ignored those to text Mahalia, before Chiles confiscated her phone.
Sweetness. Your sister-wife told Chiles everything. In case you didn’t see, I’m out bad from Cornucopia. Hide this phone carefully so we can still communicate. Get out if you still can and come to me.
I doubted she’d have time to get out. Chiles would slap a guard on her as fast as a jackrabbit in front of a prairie fire. With a heavy heart, I read Dingo’s text.