Page 11 of Road to Absolution

CHAPTER 4

Wild Twists of Fate

Alone in my hotel room, I was trying to get my head in the right place for the fight when my cell phone rang. No TV was on. It was quiet. Maybe too quiet. That’s why I smiled when seeing Tuck’s mug on the screen. I answered, “What up, Loser?”

There was no normal comical response about me being an asshat who lived fat, but I could hear Tuck and V talking, totally unaware they had called. Hoping they’d eventually hear me, I teased, “Helloooo.” With no response, I carried on with, “If I have to overhear you two having sex, I’m going to be pissed because I’m not getting laid at the moment.” I cringed as I realized… “I take that back. I won’t be pissed, but I will be disturbed because I so don’t want to hear Tuck-the-Fuck, well, fuck. I don’t need his grunting forever burned into my mind.”

No response.

“Hellooooooo?”

I was about to hang up, but then I heard something about ‘out of lockdown.’ My spine straightened. Those were words I’d heard Diesel say before. Then I heard even more concerning comments about ‘luring in the enemy who took some art’ and how ‘a rat at the clubhouse knew too much about this art’s weak spots.’ None of it made a lick of sense, but it was definitely about the Redemption Ryders.

My heart raced because friends and family just didn’t get closer than how close my wife and I were with Tuck and V. “Hey! Guys! I’m serious! You okay?”

I listened, but nothing.

So, I called Viola.

“Hey, Bestie,” she happily answered until I interrupted.

“Are you guys okay?”

“What?” She sounded confused.

“I know something’s up. Check your husband’s phone.”

I heard a shuffle of material, then her quiet growl, “You dimwit! You literally butt-dialed him.” Then, “Ummm, what all did you, uh, hear?”

“Enough to say cut the shit and tell me what’s going on.”

“Fuck,” she grumbled. Then attempted, “Mavy Wavy, just because you’re hot as sin doesn’t give you the right to eavesdrop.”

Sitting on my hotel bed, I grinned. “Thank you for the compliment, but you called me. Your mind-fucking gifts won’t work this time. Spill, Vixen.”

“Uh…” Panicking, she reverted to trying the same strategy. “Just because you’re the best boxer in the whole world—”

Tucker’s voice sounded off in the background. “Remind him of my five on tonight.”

Then I heard a whack!

“Ow,” cried out Tuck. “Ya know, you’re very bitchy when you’ve been busted.”

Whack!

“And abusive,” he said, not quite as loud—or confident.

Even though I was quietly laughing, I tried a growl, “V. Answers.”

“I can’t,” she whined. “Club business and all.”

I argued, “You ain’t no biker. Why do you get special privileges?”

Pfft! “Do you know me? Like, at all?”

My head wobbled with a nod. “This is true. Okay, as your bestie, which we all know holds major clout, because you are nothing if not a bad-ass bitch, I’m upping my security level. Talk-to-me.”

In the background, Tucker whispered, “What’s happening?”