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“You gonna be okay?” He searched her eyes.
She nodded. “Just please…don’t leave me, okay?”
“If I have to, I’ll make sure one of our guys is always with you,” he reassured her. “All right?”
“All right.”
“Don’t talk to anybody and don’t ask any questions. You understand?” he warned.
“Yes.”
“Okay. Come on.” He took her by the hand. They walked over to where the older man was standing.
“I’m going in. Talk to Wyatt.”
Cole nodded. “Okay, Mack. We’re gonna take a walk around, see if she can spot him.”
Mack looked at her. “We appreciate your help with this.”
Angel nodded.
He turned and walked off.
Cole looked down at her. “Come on.” He signaled to another member, who she noticed fell in behind them.
They walked through the crowd. Cole spoke to several guys that he knew. There was a bonfire, and they walked over and stood by it for a while. Cole made small talk with several more people. He didn’t introduce her to anyone.
Cole lit a cigarette and glanced down at her. “Nothing, babe?”
She shook her head.
He took a hit off the cigarette. “Come on.”
She felt his hand close around hers again. He led her around another time, and then headed back up to the building. They sat at a picnic table that was located a few yards in front of the porch of the clubhouse. Cole sat with his legs straddled over the bench and pulled Angel down between them. One of their guys walked up and set two bottles of beer in front of them.
“Thanks, man,” Cole said, sliding one over in front of Angel.
The guy sat down across from them. “Pike said Chuck’s here somewhere, but he hasn’t seen him in the last hour.”
Cole nodded. “We’ll deal with him later.”
Angel took a sip of beer.
Cole bent close to her ear. “Keep your eyes open.”
She nodded and looked around.
They sat there for almost an hour, but she never spotted him.
One of the guys walked up and leaned over Cole. “Mack wants you inside.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Cole turned to him. “Stay with her, Crash.”
“You got it, bro.”
Cole kissed her and got up. The other guy sat down, but didn’t speak to her. He was about the same age as Cole. He had long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. His beard was trimmed close to his face.
He drank his beer and pretty much ignored her. Angel tried to observe him out of the corner of her eye without looking directly at him. He caught her, and the corner of his mouth pulled up in a small smile.
Cole was inside the clubhouse for about half an hour when Chucky wandered over to the table. He leaned his hands down on the end of the table and glanced at the Evil Dead club members sitting with her, and then he looked at her. “Hey, baby. They passin’ you around?”
The guy next to her and the guy across from her both stood up. Chuck raised his hands and backed away. They stood there a minute staring at Chuck until he blended back into the crowd, and then they sat back down.
Angel reached for her beer, and her hand was shaking. The guy next to her, the one that Cole had called Crash, noticed.
“You got nothin’ to fear, darlin’. We’re watching out for you,” he assured her.
She nodded, wondering how much he knew and if Cole had told him everything.
A few minutes later she saw Cole and Mack emerge. They stopped on the porch, talking. Cole lit a cigarette, blew the smoke out and looked over at her. He raised his chin in acknowledgement. She saw his gaze slide to the brother next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Crash shake his head at Cole.
Cole nodded back once.
He and Mack continued talking. From this distance she couldn’t hear any of their conversation.
***
Mack looked over at Cole. “Anything yet?”
“Naw. Doesn’t look like it.”
“You sure she isn’t making this shit up?”
Cole could hear the irritation in Mack’s voice. He shook his head. “She’s got no reason to lie about it.”
“I hope not.”
Cole looked at him, understanding that if Angel was lying, it wouldn’t go well for her. He nodded and looked back at her. Just then he saw her face go still, and she slowly lowered her beer. He followed her gaze to a group standing by the fire.
She turned, looked at him and nodded.
Cole’s left arm came up and tapped Mack on the chest.
Mack looked over at him, and then followed his gaze to Angel.
Cole tossed his cigarette to the ground, stepped off the porch and walked over to her. He stood at the end, leaned down, palms on the table, and looked in her face.
She turned and looked toward the group again.
He turned his head and looked over his shoulder, following her gaze. “See him?” he whispered.
Angel nodded. She whispered, “Yes. The one with the bandana around his head.”
Cole glanced back, spotted him, and nodded once letting Angel know he saw him. He looked her in the eyes. “We get closer. You take a good look. You gotta be sure, you understand? If it’s him, squeeze my hand.”
She nodded.
He straightened up. “Let’s take a walk, boys.”
They all got up.
