“Let’s go get some action, bro,” Kendrick said, and he and Lou headed out of the house.
“You’re going to have to sit him down, Tex. You know that,” Frankie said to him.
Tex leaned back in the chair, took a slug from his beer, and nodded.
“Let them burn off some steam. I’ll talk to them tomorrow or whenever they show back up here and are sober,” he said and Pierce chuckled.
“I’m going to bed. Don’t sign us up for anything for a few weeks. This one did me in and I need recovery time,” Pierce said and Tex nodded, then left the room leaving Frankie and Tex alone.
“I don’t know, Frankie. Things are changing. Pierce could have taken a hit to his neck if that shot was just a hair off and the vest didn’t catch it.”
“We all took fucking hits this time. It could’ve ended for all of us there. Maybe taking more time and choosing the fucking missions we want, and having more intel on them would be better. We ain’t getting any younger.” Tex swallowed a slug of beer and then exhaled. “I remember when thirty was knocking at my door. Now I’m two years from forty,” Tex said.
“I’m right fucking behind you. You don’t need to tell me. Things are aching that never ached before.”
Tex chuckled.
He leaned back and exhaled, then rubbed his face.
“Changes are coming, Tex. It just ain’t the same anymore. Maybe we should consider doing the side work for Brady, Slogan, Harley, and their friends from New York?”
“I don’t know if that’s my thing. It isn’t like we need to work. We got a lot of fucking money,” Tex added.
“We need to do something or we’ll lose our fucking minds and become fucking weak. Maybe we can expand that security detail for Ford and the sheriff’s department. It won’t take us too far and definitely not out of the fucking country. The money isn’t bad and we can wear plain clothes. No fucking uniforms. We could all train the men and women involved in the programs?” Tex said to him.
“We should consider it. Maybe talk about it more this weekend.” Thunder struck loudly and rain began to pour down.
“Damn, I think it’s going to be a bad one.”
“And those two jackasses went out driving in it. Hope the bridge doesn’t flood out again.”
“Those crazy bastards would find a way to cross it.”
Tex laughed.
“One more beer?” he asked Frankie.
“Two more and then bed.”
* * * *
“Come on, baby, don’t come now. Please just wait until we get to Aunt Ella’s place. It isn’t too far,” Vye said aloud and tried breathing through the contractions. They were bad. They were close together. She panicked as she rounded the corner just as lighting struck, and a tree fell down in front of her, slamming against the windshield. She screamed and jerked the wheel before hitting her head on the steering wheel. She was stunned a moment. She reached up, touched her fingers to her forehead, and felt the blood as water started to come into the car.
The car was moving sideways. She was going to be taken away and pulled into the water below. “Oh, God, no!” she cried out to the darkness. She undid her seatbelt and pulled the shoulder bag with her money inside over her head, but as she went to move, she felt dizzy and the contractions intensified.
“I’m going to die out here and so is my baby. Oh, God, help me. Help me,” she cried out. Suddenly she saw headlights, and then men getting out of a truck. The tree was over the hood of her car and glass was all over her lap and the coat she wore.
She was petrified. When the man with the brown crew cut hair approached, along with another one with long blond hair, she felt lightheaded. He got the door open.
“What in God’s name are you doing out here this time of night?” the blond yelled out, then squinted at her, apparently seeing the blood on her forehead.
“Help her, Kendrick. She’s hurt, and the bridge is flooding out. It’s going to take the damn car,” the other one yelled.
“Come on, honey,” the other one said as more lightning struck and thunder rolled. The blond reached for her as the car rocked, water splashed up onto them, and she felt her water break. Her eyes widened and she tightened her hold on him. He lifted her out like nothing and then carried her across the deep water and to their truck. They got her inside.
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