BANE: A Devils' Due MC Romance Novel (27 page)

"Yes. Sorry to disturb you."

"Just... Just make it quick, alright?"

I ended the call with a heavy heart. The course of action that I had to take was very clear, but sometimes - as it was at that moment - the clearest path wasn’t exactly the easiest.

"You good, bro?" Bolo expressed his concern.

"Yeah. Just give me a sec."

I walked towards the old man whose body - weak and weary and fragile - was still resting on the bark of the tree. I sat beside him.

"You want your freedom?" I asked him softly.

He nodded.

"Okay. I'll set you free, man. But please... do tell me about your grandkids."

"What?! Why?" he questioned with a lot of suspicion.

"I want to know how they are. I want to know how much they may have missed you."

Although tentative at first, he began to open up about them. "Alyssa, she's my first grandchild. She's ten now, but I can still remember the day she was born. I was the one who brought her mom to the hospital that day." Reminiscing about that time in his life made him smile. I smiled with him as I shared his joy. "Kristen... some think it's a girl's name... but he's a boy, he was born a year after Alyssa. The kid's a smart one. Always playful... as gregarious as a damn mosquito." He laughed while remembering him. "Arden is the youngest. He was born when..."

He didn't get the chance to finish his happy tale.

The jungle knife entered his cranium less than a second after I stuck it through the soft spot in the middle of his nape. A short, gagging sound later and it was over. He died with his eyes wide open. He didn't see it coming.

At least it was quick.

I placed the knife on the ground and stepped on its blade. I pulled it sideways to clean the blood. Bolo approached me from behind.

"I'll go get the shovel," he said.

"Just drag the body to the cove over there," I instructed, pointing to a small opening formed by the large roots of some nearby trees a few feet away from us.  "Then call the prospects and let them clean this up. You're coming with me."

"Where are we going?" he wondered.

"Dinner," I said as I gazed upon the moon that was beginning its ascent. "I'm starving, bro."

I never thought I'd see her again.

Six years ago, her family left town to start a new life in Boston. I've never heard from her since then. No email, no text, nothing. I couldn't even find her in Facebook as she most probably used a different name.

But there she was, standing in front of my desk, her beautiful green eyes watery with fright. She has grown so much in the years we've spent apart. She used to be skinny back then. Now, she was a woman in every sense of the word. And her beautiful face has become even more prominently divine, made even more seraphic by her fiery red hair that curled towards its edges.

Her luscious lips moved, reminding me of how delicious they were to taste... and settling with finality a question that never left my mind.

Yes, I was still in love with her.  That never changed.

"Clinton, did you hear a word I said?" she asked again with a semblance of panic.

"Huh? Uhm... yeah. I'm sorry Amy. I'm just...well... I didn't even know you were back in town."

"Clint, we can do the catching up later. Right now, I really need your help. This man... this Anton... he's a monster!"

I motioned for her to sit on the chair positioned beside her. I got her a glass of water which she consumed quickly. Poor girl. She just went through a horrifying ordeal.

I checked my computer terminal once again and verified if the initial data was correct.

"There are only two people named Anton who reside in town, Amy," I told her. "Well, there used to be two people. One died in 2014. The other, he's 12 years old so I guess that strikes him off the list."

"The Anton I met... he's at least forty, forty-five," she explained. "And that pouch. The powder. Is it what I think it is?"

"Yes. Positive. It's cocaine. Twenty grams. Street value of around twelve grand."

Her body collapsed into the backrest of her chair as terror gripped her even more.

"Oh no... I touched it... does that make me a suspect for drug trafficking?"

I smiled. My hand reached for hers. The tips of my fingers touched her forearm. It was just as warm and as soft as I always remembered it to be.

"Hey, don't worry about it," I assured her. "It doesn't make sense for you to report this if you are involved with it, right? Besides, you're talking to the deputy sheriff here. I'll make sure this doesn't bother you any more than it should."

She smiled back.

God! I missed that smile.

She withdrew her hand from the table and away from my touch. Amy... she has always been so... modest... so... conservative...

"Thanks, Clint," she said. "But this Anton guy? He'll surely come back for his dog! What if he discovers that the cocaine is missing? What if he'll... he'll... I dunno... kill me or something? That's what drug people do, right?"

"He's small time, Amy. Twenty grams? Using a dog as a mule? That sounds very amateurish to me. I don't think he's capable of hurting you. Chances are... he'll bolt Rogue Town as soon as he realizes that his cover's been blown and all. But I'll tell you what. I'll assign a cop to watch over the clinic while you're there. Will that make you feel safe?"

She nodded, still with her heartwarming smile.

"How long have you been back?" I asked her, pretending that I wanted to change the subject to calm her nerves. The truth was, I really wanted to know the circumstances of her return.

"Since last week. Thursday, to be exact."

"Nice. Are your folks with you?"

"Uhm... no."  A certain kind of sullenness possessed her pretty face, which informed me that it wasn't a topic she wanted to dwell on.

"Well, less than a week back and you already have a job. You're in a better position than half of Rogue Town's population," I remarked with a chuckle, belatedly realizing that it may not have sounded as funny as I thought it would. "Does that mean you're planning to stay here for good?"

"I guess. That's the plan, yes."

Thank you, God!

"Listen, Clint... it's been a really tiring day," she continued. "And it's getting late. Mind if we catch up with each other some other time? This day... it's been physically and emotionally draining and..."

"Yes, yes, of course," I cut her off. "Police Officer Montero will be stationed at your clinic starting tomorrow. Do get a good night's rest, Amy... and please... stop worrying!"

She gave me one last smile before getting up. "Thank you Clint. See you again soon, okay? Hopefully, in a less stressful situation next time around?"

"Of course, of course... it's nice to meet you again Amy. Very nice."

My eyes followed her as she walked out my door, he shapely ass bouncing up and down as she disappeared from my sight.

My oh my... how much she has grown.

My muse.

My high school sweetheart.

My Amy.

We may have parted in less than ideal circumstances, but now, she's back, and we can rekindle the love we once shared... a love that never ceased to burn in my heart.

A knock at my door removed me from my rumination.

"You have a call on line one, Sir," Samantha, one of the junior officers, informed me.

"Line one? Who is it?" I asked as my hand reached for the phone on my desk.

"Your wife, Sir," she answered.

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