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“Kate told me that you’re a corporate lawyer. So the conflict that you’re used to is in a boardroom, and sorted out with words.”
“Uh, yeah,” Becca said. “Like grown-ups do. You know, civilized people?”
“That’s just it, Becca,” Boomer said. “These men that we’re dealing with, aren’t civilized people. They’re the kind of men that aren’t just willing to kill someone for what they want, but they’re actually eager to kill someone, for any reason they can think of. Sometimes it’s just to show their friends that they’re willing to do it.”
“You remember what happened in that alley, Becca?” Griz said. “You and Kate got cornered by three of them. They were going to…”
“Yes, yes,” Becca said. “Don’t remind me. I was there, I remember. I was scared out of my mind.”
“I understand this is a lot to have thrown at you,” Boomer said. “A lot of very intense stuff that you’re not used to. And it probably drags up some pretty awful memories of that attack in the alley.”
“You could say that,” Becca said.
“Becca, I realize you don’t know me from Adam,” Boomer said, “but believe me when I tell you, if I could make this all go away for you with a snap of my fingers, I would. The last thing I want… that any of us here want… is for anyone to get pulled into this life that hasn’t chosen to be in it.”
Becca looked at him. Yes, he was big, and scary, and his beard was long enough to swing from like a rope, but behind all of that, she believed him.
In fact, Boomer had a kind of a father figure quality to him. A scary, giant beast of a father figure, but still, it was there. She wanted to trust him.
And it wasn’t that she didn’t want to help. She wanted to see the driver thrown into a cell for the rest of his days for what he’d done. But this was too much, expecting her to join in on some violent crusade of vengeance. The cops should handle this, not a bunch of outlaw bikers.
“Look, I’m not trying to make your lives difficult,” is what she said. “I just don’t want to be party to a crime, or especially not a part of any violence. I especially don’t want my sister caught up in it. The last few months, it seemed like there wasn’t much of that sort of thing going on, at least, not that Kate saw. But now you’re talking about World War Three in the streets and I don’t want me or my sister anywhere near that. I don’t want either one of us involved.”
“That is a very fair concern,” Boomer said. “But the sad fact is, you are involved. This did happen. And all we can do, is try our best to deal with the cards we’ve been dealt. I promise you, I will make it as easy on you as possible. That we will get you back to your normal life of boardrooms and doing business deals over martinis as quickly as we can.”
Becca stopped to think it over. As much as she hated to admit it, the gray Wookie had a point. And a part of her had known that from the very beginning; it was just that she was already dealing with so much chaos in her life, that she didn’t want to have to deal with this as well.
But the right thing to do was to be a big girl and figure out how to navigate this mess. She didn’t want to do it, but she had to, so she might as well get on with it.
“I never drink martinis when talking business,” she finally said.
“No?” Boomer said.
“Gin, vermouth, your brains go right out the window. You need to keep your head when you’re negotiating, you know?”
Boomer smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“So what do you want from me?” Becca said.
“Here’s what I’m asking,” Boomer said. “Give me one day. Twenty four hours. You come with me, and Wyatt, and Griz, and just talk with our people, so you can get an idea of what it is that we’re dealing with here.”
“Oh, no,” Becca said. “No, no, no. Bunch of scary biker guys, all staring me down while I’m trapped in their… clubhouse or whatever it is? No way.”
“Becca, I will personally guarantee your safety,” Boomer said. “No one will touch you while you’re in our clubhouse. They’d have to kill me first.”
“And me,” Griz said.
“That’s all very… nice, I guess,” Becca said, “but I…”
“You’ve had plenty of meetings with people before, I’m sure, that were much more intimidating than us,” Boomer said.
“Not really,” Becca said.
She was about to continue her protests, when her phone buzzed. It was Kate, calling from the hospital.
“Kate?” Becca said into her phone. “What happened? Is that lady okay?”
“No, she’s not,” Kate said. “She didn’t make it, Becca.”
