Highway Song: A Smokey's Roadhouse Novel (19 page)

“
Barring construction delays, it
’
ll be here by noon. I figure two, just to be on the safe side.
”

“
That
’
s great! We should get our stuff ready to transfer, so we can head out ASAP.
”

“
We were just waiting for you and Amy to wake up. Figured you had a late night.
”
He smirked, but I was in such a good mood from the news that I decided not to pop him in the kisser.

“
Have y
’
all eaten?
”

“
Yeah, hours ago. We
’
re almost ready for lunch,
”
Axel said. The others looked at him, and Cole shook his head.
“
What?
”
he asked.
“
I didn
’
t have the same sleep aid you all did.
”
He mimicked drawing on a joint, and then looked pointedly at me.
“
Or you,
”
he added. I didn
’
t set him straight. None of his business. But he and the others ought to have known nothing happened last night. Hard to hide it in the close quarters of the bus.

Amy came back with a basket of tortilla chips and some homemade salsa, which she set in the middle of the table.
“
Smokey says you guys earned him an extra seven hundred dollars last night. He thought you
’
d like a snack. Anyone want a beer?
”
It was early, but none of them would turn down free beer. She went to draw it.

After she delivered the round of drinks, she went back to the kitchen and got our breakfast. She
’
d added bacon and pancakes to my order, and she had a big plate herself.
“
I don
’
t know why I
’
m so hungry,
”
she said, as she sat down. With her eyes on the plate, she missed the significant look the guys exchanged. I rolled my eyes at them.

After wolfing down my meal, and while Amy was taking the dishes back to the kitchen, I brought up the elephant in the room.
“
You guys, I
’
m not going to stop asking until I get an answer. Where
’
d you get the weed?
”

I made a point to look each one in the eye as I waited for an answer. Finally, Cole said,
“
Oh, what the hell. It was legal stuff. That biker, Jake, sold it to us.
”

“
What do you mean, legal?
”
I asked.

“
He and some of his crew made a run down to Colorado. They got it from a legal store, man. Didn
’
t make much profit on it, either.
”

Alarms went off in the back of my mind. Jake didn
’
t have any reason to treat my band like friends. He had to have had an ulterior motive.
“
Anyone sick this morning?
”
I asked, too sharply.

“
Why?
”
asked Ike.

“
Jake doesn
’
t like me. Why would he go out of his way to bring you guys pot? And by the way, how did you pay for it?
”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Mark shrink. So he
’
d used some of our last cash to buy pot for the guys. What the fuck? Was he being influenced by Ike, too?

No one answered. Fuck this. I needed to have a talk with Smokey.

Amy
 

I
was carrying out two mugs of coffee when Rex intercepted me near the bar. I handed him his, and he thanked me with an absent expression before setting it down on the polished mahogany.

“
I need to talk to Smokey,
”
he said.

“
About?
”
Maybe it was none of my business, but Rex had an angry glint in his eye, and I didn
’
t want a confrontation between them.

“
I found out where my guys got the pot.
”

“
So?
”
I still didn
’
t see why it was such a big deal.

“
So, Jake and his buddies made a special trip for it. They brought it across the Colorado border. I want to know why.
”

It did seem odd. Colorado pot was expensive, if they
’
d bought it legally. Of course, it wasn
’
t legal in Wyoming. Not the kind you smoked, anyway. I couldn
’
t see why Jake would do the band any favors, either.

“
Tell you what. Let me take care of it. Smokey
’
s touchy, and if you confront him, he
’
ll support his club.
”

“
This is my beef, Amy,
”
he objected.

“
Please. Going in there belligerent isn
’
t going to get you anywhere. Let me do it.
”
I stood toe to toe with him, staring him down. After a tense minute, he backed down.

“
Okay. But I want assurances that doesn
’
t happen again.
”

“
Rex, chill. We
’
re leaving in a couple of hours. How would it happen again?
”

He pressed his lips together and nodded.
“
Okay.
”

I went into the glorified closet Smokey called his office and leaned over the desk, propping both hands on it and squeezing my boobs in with my arms. It gave Smokey a great view of cleavage, which I knew he appreciated despite his devotion to Sylvie. I waited until his expression softened from curmudgeon to tired old man, to happy old man.

“
Smokey, you
’
ve got a problem.
”

“
What? Oh, sorry, Amy. I didn
’
t mean to
…”

“
Not that problem. Did you know Jake
’
s dealing?
”

“
Dealing what? Oh, shit, you mean
…”

“
Yeah. Rex and I caught the whole band getting high out in the bus last night. You know what could happen to this bar if the highway patrol happened to drop in to ask why that bus has been here for the past four days?
”

“
That little fucktard. If I
’
ve told him once
…
Thanks for telling me, Amy. I
’
ll take care of it.
”

“
Okay. You might want to speak to Rex. He
’
s pitching a fit about it.
”

“
What
’
s his problem?
”
Smokey asked, turning curmudgeonly again.

“
Not sure. But he doesn
’
t want his band involved, and he and Jake don
’
t see eye to eye anyway.
”

“
Yeah, I got that memo. I
’
ll talk to him.
”

Rex was waiting where I
’
d left him when Smokey followed me out of his office. Rex opened his mouth, but closed it again when I gave a small shake of my head.

“
Rex, I hear one of my boys is causing some problems. Don
’
t worry, I
’
ll set him straight. But if your band has any of it on them, I need them to get out of here. I don
’
t want any of it on this property. This isn
’
t only my living. It supports some of the widows of the original members, too. I can
’
t afford to lose it to DEA.

Rex visibly struggled for a moment, before he managed to get himself under control. From his expression, he was indignant that Smokey had turned it back on him. But in the end, common sense won out. Maybe Jake had offered it to the guys, but no one twisted their arm to buy it or smoke it. And Smokey was within his rights. My crazy thoughts took that moment to wonder about Smokey
’
s nickname. I reined them in and smiled encouragement at Rex.

“
You got it,
”
he said.
“
I
’
ll make
‘
em flush it if they have any left.
”

“
No, don
’
t do that! We
’
re on a septic tank. Have
‘
em take it out into the back lot and bury it.
”

“
Fine,
”
Rex answered. But his teeth were clenched. He went back to the table and began talking in a low voice to his bandmates.

“
Thanks, Smokey. And I heard the bus should be here between noon and two. We should be out of your hair shortly after it arrives.
”

“
You sure about leaving, honey? I have a feelin
’
Jake and his two or three rabble-rousers aren
’
t gonna be with the club for long, Rooster or no Rooster. They
’
re trouble. We don
’
t need trouble.
”

“
Why, Smokey,
”
I teased,
“
I thought
‘
Trouble
’
was your middle name.
”

“
Maybe forty years ago, sweetheart. Not now. I
’
m just an old biker who wants to ride peacefully into the sunset.
”

I sobered.
“
That
’
s exactly why I
’
m leaving. So you can.
”

Half an hour later, a dozen or so members came in arguing. They didn
’
t seem to notice or mind there were witnesses to their dispute. They disappeared into the back room. Ten minutes after that, Jake and four of his friends stomped in, too. They threw me looks of contempt and also disappeared into the back room. Uh-oh.

It seemed I
’
d been pegged as a snitch, the worst betrayal a club member could do. But I wasn
’
t a member
—
not even an old lady. They couldn
’
t mete out the punishment for a snitch, could they? I wasn
’
t sure.

Loud voices pierced the closed door. I sent a worried glance to the table full of band members. They needed to leave, before things got ugly.

“
You guys should go out to the bus. I don
’
t know what
’
s happening in there, but I don
’
t like the sound of it,
”
I said.

Rex got up immediately.
“
Come on, let
’
s get out of here. And by the way, if any of you are holding, you have to get rid of it.
”

Ike was the only one who objected.
“
Like hell,
”
he said.
“
I paid good money for it.
”