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I’ve known Shawn for a long time and he always, but always, has information to pass on. I don’t know why he’d lie to me. I just know without a shadow of a doubt that he knows something, and he isn’t passing it on. I’ll give him another twenty-four hours and if he doesn’t come good by then, we’ll be having a different kind of conversation.

Heading out to the mechanic's shop, I try to put the pieces of the puzzle that are Jamie's accident together. First of all, there are just too few pieces. She’s driving, she’s on the right side of the road, there are no hazards, she is hit head-on by a truck larger than her vehicle. There are no tire marks to indicate that the oncoming vehicle had a malfunction, braked hard, skidded, or tried to avoid the collision. No one stayed around after the accident to check on Jamie’s condition. The driver vanished and has never been seen again.

I’m sure Wraith had it figured from the start when he said it was no accident. Now those pieces don’t add up either. What could Jamie possibly have done to make someone want her dead? That’s what this accident says. Someone took a larger vehicle and rammed her head-on. That is not a warning shot, that counts as a headshot.

Arriving at the shop, I park around back and as I get out of the SUV, I see Jamie’s truck for the first time since the accident. Holy fuck! She was lucky to walk away from that.

As I stand in front of it, I marvel that anyone could survive such an impact. Smoker’s voice startles me as he comes up beside me.

“There was an angel sitting beside her that day.”

“I think it was sitting on her lap, not beside her. How on earth does someone walk away from that?” I glance at Smoker and then back to the vehicle.

“I’d say that crumple zones had a lot to do with it. You notice that the oncoming vehicle did little damage to the passenger side? With my limited knowledge of crash scene investigation, I’d say that she was targeted pretty good. I spoke to a cop from the scene, and he thinks due to the lack of tire marks, someone was drunk or asleep and drifted across the centerline. I don’t buy it.”

Smoker walks to the front of Jamie's truck and points at several indentations among the damage.

“See these marks? They show the set of push bars on the front of the other vehicle. There’s no paint or chrome plating transfer in any of those marks. Also, look at the size of those indentations. That’s twice the size of conventional bull bars. I know people make homemade shit for their vehicles, but to make something that size? They were intended to maim or kill. You don’t put shit like that on something without a reason.” Smoker shakes his head and then looks at me for my thoughts.

“Hell, I defer to your expertise and knowledge on this, but you're echoing Wraith’s comments from day one. He said right from the start that this was no accident.”

“I agree, Fury. Someone was out to kill your woman, and you need to find out who and why. If they’ve gone to all this trouble, they aren’t going to be happy that she’s up and about already. I’ll lay you odds of a hundred-to-one that they know she’s on her feet.” Smoker tips his head to me and I feel my gut twist knowing he’s right.

“I take it that there’s no point in trying to fix that?” It looks like it is beyond salvation, but I have to ask.

“Not a chance. It’s a write-off but she can leave it with us, and we’ll sell it for parts. She’ll get her insurance payout, buy it back for a few dollars and then let us make some money for her. That’s my suggestion.”

“What do you suggest I get her as a replacement, Smoker, bearing in mind what we know?” I don’t know what kind of vehicle she could drive to stay safe from someone this intent on doing her harm.

“Bearing in mind that we know, Fury, someone will try again? A military Humvee is about the only thing I know that could stand up to this kind of punishment.” He looks at me and I see he isn’t joking.

“Do you know where I can get one?” I match his seriousness with my own.

“As a matter of fact, I do. You’ll need around thirty thousand dollars to buy it and maybe another ten thousand to make it right for her. It can be done, but will she want to drive around in something that big? It will certainly make a statement.” Smoker looks doubtful, but I’m already sold on the idea.

“How long before you can get one and have it ready?” I ask.

“If I push everything else to the sidelines once it’s delivered, five days. Five days to get it here with any extra parts from my contact. Ten to fourteen days, tops.”

“Get on it. Sooner if you can. Money is no object on this one. I’ll pay whatever it takes to speed the process up.”

“Okay, Fury. I’ll get on the phone right away and see what he has available for immediate delivery.” Smoker heads inside and I walk back to the SUV, giving Jamie’s truck one last glance.

Driving back to the clubhouse, it takes all my willpower to stay away from Jamie’s house and the practice. I know she isn’t at the house and I know she won’t be allowed at the practice, but I don’t know where else she could hide out.

My cell rings and seeing it’s Smoker, I take the call via Bluetooth.

“Smoker, what’s up?”

“Great news if you can stretch your budget to forty-five grand.”

“For Jamie, I can go higher, but what have you got?” I can feel the excitement bubbling through me.

“Well, my guy has an armored Ford pickup ready to drive and available for sixty grand. As I’m offering him a cash sale and immediate delivery, he’s willing to do me a diamond deal at forty-five. Can you do that?”

“I have the money, but I’m not sure how fast I can get it from my account. Damn, I think I have a limit on withdrawals to secure a higher interest rate. I reckon I can withdraw ten grand at a time without incurring penalties. Regardless of that, I’ll get the cash.” I knew that would bite me in the ass at some point.

“The shop via the club can buy the pickup and you can pay back the club in installments to save those penalties. I’m good to get it then, yeah?” Smoker sounds almost as excited as I feel.