He opened the door of the SUV and indicated Brody should get in. Just then, he heard a loud and friendly voice behind him.
“Brody! How’s it going, man? It’s been years since I saw you last!” The man cuffed Brody on the shoulder. Then he stepped closer to Gary and stretched to his full height. He reached into his own holster and pulled his gun, holding it down by his leg. He said a little more quietly. “I got the same call you did, Gary. Boss said to tell you this one is mine.” He reached and t
ook the wooden cask from Gary’s outstretched hand. “You want to make a big deal of it?” he asked Gary.
The big brute finally spoke. “Boss told you to come, too?”
The second man reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He held it out to Gary. “You want to give him a call to verify?” Gary reached for the phone and Wes held it out of his reach saying, “But I give you fair warning. If you want to make him take his attention off that little brunette and the blow job she was giving him, you go right ahead.” He chuckled. “Let’s just say he was a little busy.” The man made an obscene gesture with his own hand.
Then he motioned to Brody, who was still silently watching the exchange.
“Get in the car,” he said brusquely as he motioned to his own car which was parked beside them.
Brody weighed his options. He could either go with the big brute that had nearly kicked his ass or take his chances with this guy. He chose the latter. He walked around to the passenger side of the car and got in. Wes slid in beside him and started the car, backing slowly out of the parking space. He drove down a few blocks and parked again, watching his rearview mirror.
“We only have a few minutes, so I have to make this short. You’re all in danger. I need to talk to you all together. Can we go to your house and do it?”
“How do I know you’re not the danger?” Brody asked.
“If I was, I wouldn’t have just saved your life.”
Brody nodded, still unsure. He held up both hands in surrender. “Whatever you say.”
“Where’s Lou?” the man asked.
“At the doctor’s office with John. Then they’re going to the pharmacy before coming to pick me up.”
“Let’s see if we can head them off, shall we?” Wes asked of no one in particular as he backed out into the street again.
****
Lou waited patiently while John had his cast removed. He walked out of the doctor’s office with full use of both feet, only slightly limping as they walked out the door together and into the pharmacy next door.
“What did you need in here?” John asked.
Lou pretended to blush. “Some girly stuff, if you don’t mind,” Lou said, batting her eyelashes at him.
“Does that mean you want me to get lost?” John asked.
“Only in the nicest way,” Lou replied. “Couple of minutes?”
He pointed his finger at her sternly and said, “I’m going to be one aisle over, so don’t go far.”
“I promise,” Lou replied as she walked back toward the pharmacy counter. She quietly said to the clerk, “May I have a pregnancy test please?”
“Sure thing, Hun,” the clerk answered as she slid the test into a brown paper bag. Lou paid for it and walked back toward the front of the store. John joined her at the door, placing his arm companionably around her shoulders.
“Get what you need?” he asked absently, taking in his surroundings.
“Yep,” she smiled back at him.
She opened the door of the Jeep and slid her package beneath the front seat. She jumped as a brown sedan pulled up beside them and Brody stepped out. Her hands started to shake as she recognized the man driving.
“Get in the car, Lou,” Brody said, picking her up and lifting her into the front seat, then sliding in behind her. John scrambled into the back seat, realizing the seriousness of the situation even though he had no idea what was going on.
“What’s going on, Brody?” Lou asked.
“I have a funny feeling we’re about to find out,” he mumbled as they pulled out into the street. He verified the sedan was following in his rearview mirror.