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Regardless, she was ready to rid herself of the box. Given Zaiden’s relentless pursuit of it, she no longer felt comfortable clinging to it.
* * *
When Zaiden returnedto his room he called Nathan, and they discussed the heist. Nathan suggested they needed a less conspicuous way to transport the bike than Zaiden’s suggestion of a truck. They needed a way that the neighbors wouldn’t get suspicious over…at least until they were well gone, and they could ditch whatever mode of transport they used to get it.
Zaiden remembered Juliette mentioning that Chains was a wrecker…with a truck, when she’d offered him a drink and they’d been talking on her porch.
That’s it. I’ll use his truck.
All that remained was to uncover the identity of Chains and locate the whereabouts of his truck. Upon hearing Zaiden’s plan, Nathan concurred that it was indeed the most sensible course of action. They agreed to coordinate their efforts to ensure a smooth execution of their plan.
Unbeknownst to Nathan, Zaiden had neglected to mention the crucial box he needed to retrieve before proceeding. Without it, the relentless pursuit of the law would be inevitable once the evidence surfaced. “I’ll have to find out who Chains is and where he lives. It shouldn’t take me too long,” Zaiden said.
“Understood,” Nathan replied. “Keep me posted.”
“Sure.”
“But don’t take too long or I’ll swing ’round and steal it for myself,” Nathan said, then laughed.
When Zaiden ended the call he didn’t doubt that Nathan would do that. There was no honor among thieves.
Zaiden was feeling good about his plan. All he needed to do now was locate Chains, find out which truck was his, and where he parked it when he wasn’t using it. He intended to stake out the Jokers MC but thought that would be too risky, with all the members coming and going, one was more than likely to spot someone looking suspicious no matter how well he tried to hide. He decided that Juliette’s would be an easier place to watch and wait to see Chains, hopefully in his truck, otherwise he’d follow him on his bike to where the truck might be parked. He just hoped that it wasn’t at the Jokers club because that would be the end of his plan to steal it.
Using Chains’ truck to steal the bike was a stroke of genius, Zaiden thought. Everything was starting to come together for once in his life. With the box and the bike he’d have everything he needed.
He could dump the truck somewhere after taking Juliette’s bike, and possibly even let Juliette blame Chains for the theft. Even Nathan, who typically preferred to take charge of his own planning, had acknowledged it as a well-thought-out strategy.
* * *
Growing anxious,Zaiden pondered over the delay in retrieving the box. He reasoned that even if Juliette had a hoarding tendency, his actions – presenting her with trinkets – should have convinced her not to keep the box. The uncertainty was testing his patience.
To distract himself, he decided it was a good opportunity to learn more about Chains. He set off towards the cowboy bar he’d been to when he first arrived in town.
He chuckled when he saw the same people, dressed in the same outfits as the last time he was there. Nothing had changed except for the bartender. Someone else was serving” a burly man with a bushy mustache and a friendly smile. Zaiden ordered a beer, then casually broached the topic he was really interested in.
“You know a guy named Chains?” he asked, his voice carrying just the right amount of nonchalance.
While awaiting a response, his eyes flickered around the room, studying the other patrons. He couldn’t help but speculate whether Chains might be present among them. The thought of Juliette being attracted to any of the current occupants was baffling. Truthfully, he found it hard to fathom anyone developing an interest in the people present in the bar. However, he was well aware that everyone had their own tastes.
The bartender tilted his head, a slight frown creasing his brow as he served up a frothy beer to Zaiden. He thoughtfully rubbed his chin, giving Zaiden a scrutinizing once-over before breaking into a chuckle.
“Chains, huh?” He wiped his hands on a rag, leaning forward onto the counter. “Sure do. Why?”
Zaiden took a slow sip from his beer, letting the cool liquid slide down his throat as he considered his response.
“Old friend,” he answered, offering the bartender a half-smile. “Just trying to catch up with him again. It’s been years.”
The bartender acknowledged that with a slow nod but remained silent.
Zaiden lingered, hoping for a response, but the silence stretched on. Deciding to press further, he asked, “Is he still living in the same place?”
“Nah, he moved over to Riverside,” the bartender replied.
“Ah, yeah. I did hear that,” Zaiden responded, even though he had no idea where Riverside was. He didn’t want to give himself away, particularly if Chains happened to drop by and the bartender passed on their conversation. So, he quickly finished his beer, thanked the bartender, and exited the bar, planning to find a local who could provide directions to Riverside.
* * *
As Zaiden madehis way back to his bike noticed a familiar person lurking nearby it. Instantly, Zaiden stopped, pressed his back against the coarse brick wall so he wouldn’t be seen, and watched. He recognized the man as the biker from the same bar when he had first arrived in town. He couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing near his bike.
