Page 24 of His Loyal Rebel

"Priest thinks it's best if you lay low at the clubhouse until we have a bigger grasp of the situation. Cops are hanging around the area six streets deep. It took all day for me to get here without having a tail. We'll have to find a way to get you inside, and then Tarkio will make sure nobody but members can get inside the clubhouse." Rick took a bandana out of his pocket, rolled and tied the material, and slipped it on his head.

"What about Twyla?" he asked.

"What about her?"

"If Big's aiming for me and he can't find me, he's going to make Twyla pay." The shithole he'd gotten himself into started filling up. "I can't leave her here unprotected."

"Tarkio can't afford to protect her. Cusclan will take that as a sign of war."

Whip ran his hand down his face, pulling on his beard. "I'll stay here."

"Bro—"

"Better yet, tell Priest we'll be staying at the cabin at the river." He pulled out another cigarette. "I'll have the mountainside at my back. Nobody can come down the trail without me knowing. I can keep her safe while we figure out how to deal with Cusclan."

"The police will notice us, escorting you out of town."

He slapped Rick's shoulder. "Don't worry about that. I'll get her there."

"Let me call Priest." Rick turned toward the house.

"Tell him we'll need supplies for the week." He looked at the door, knowing how Twyla would react once he told her that he was uprooting her life.

But there was no other option. He wasn't leaving her alone.

She'd already tried to shoot Big. Unless that was all a show.

A week would give him enough time to get the truth out of her.

Chapter 10

Twyla

Twyla followed the path from the Clark Fork River, keeping an eye on the sky. Smoke from the cabin swirled in the air. It was the only sign that Whip hadn't left her out here alone.

Water ran down her leg. She hefted the bundle of wet clothes higher on her hip.