Page 59 of Baker

I feared I wanted all of that to change.

TWENTY-FOUR - Baker

Andy’s insistence that she stay in California only left me with one option: telling the club the truth. Telling the complete truth about how things happened with Andy seemed impossible. For me to say it, I had to believe it. Believing I allowed lust to lure me into fucking her still made no sense to me.

While gathered in the clubhouse in a heated discussion about what we planned to do, the air between Cash and I thickened with tension.

“There’s a big difference between killing a bitch on the street and murdering someone in a third-floor apartment next door.” I looked at each of the men. “People get away with random killings all the time. No one gets away with murder.”

“As a matter of California law,” Tito said. “They’re both murder.”

“You know what I mean,” I snapped back.

I surveyed the group. Four of the men were in deep thought, seated at the couch. Cash, on the other hand, was pacing the floor nervously.

“I vote we kill the bitch,” he hissed.

“You’ve made yourself clear,” I said over my shoulder. “But, everyone has a voice.”

Reno stood and began pacing the opposite side of the room. “Out of the blue, this bitch shows up. Just so happens she gets a job next door. Just so happens she’s from Indio, and she gets this job in San Diego. Just so happens our clubhouse is one brick wall away from her office. Just so happens she moves in one brick wall away from your crib. Too many coincidences if you ask me.”

I alternated glances between Goose, Tito, and Ghost. “Anyone else have an opinion?”

“Knock her out with a chloroform rag, put her in a wetsuit, and take her out to sea with a surfboard tethered to her leg,” Reno said before any of them could respond. “Sharks will eat most of her. It’ll look like a surfing accident.”

“Trihalomethanes will show in the toxicology report,” Tito said. “The cause of death would be drowning, at least initially. They’d determine she was unconscious from inhalation of trihalomethanes, though. They’d view it as murder for sure.”

“Trihalo-what?” Reno asked.

“Trihalomethanes. Chloroform is a trihalomethane. If she breathes enough of it to become unconscious, she’ll have it in her bloodstream.”

“Got a better idea?” Reno asked.

“I trust Baker,” Tito said. “He’s never led us astray.”

“He’s thinking with his dick,” Cash snarled. “Not his brain.”

I stood. “I’m only going to say this one more fucking time.” I glared at each of the men. “I saw a cute bitch out my window. I followed her next door. I fucked her in her office. She moved into Preston’s old place. I fucked her in there. Then, I stopped fucking her. A week later, Cash brings it to my attention that the girl I’ve been fucking is the girl from the bank. Her hair isn’t brown anymore, and it isn’t curly. It’s straight, and it’s blonde. I didn’t recognize her. What happened between us was nothing but sex.”

Cash stopped pacing and locked eyes with me. “Died her hair and changed her look. Sounds like she’s working undercover.”

“Believe me,” I said. “I’ve looked this thing over from all angles. The management company put out a request to fill the position that was vacated when Preston was arrested. She’d been unemployed for six months, lost her house and her car, and moved from Indio to San Diego to live with her cousin. She applied for the job. She was hired. She rides a fucking bicycle to work. It’s coincidental.”

“She can’t recognize us,” Tito said. “We had masks. To think she knows who we are is paranoia.”

“I’m not paranoid,” Cash spouted. “That bitch told me she was going to make sure I fried for robbing her. She’s here to make good on her word.”

Ghost crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not looking to get life on the RICO act for an organized murder. I could do a dime on a bank robbery, though. Wouldn’t even be forty when I got out.”

He’d made a valid point. If a member of a motorcycle club killed a potential witness to a crime, they’d get life in federal prison. Being convicted of the bank robbery would bring a prison sentence of between five and ten years.

I glanced at Cash and Reno. “He’s got a point, fellas.”

Goose stood and looked at each of the men. “She was a mouthy Mexican. Now she’s a mouthy Mexican with a job next door. Personally, I think it’s funny. We’re kicking ass and taking names over here, and she doesn’t even know who we are. No one sees the irony in the fact that Brother Baker is slipping her the dick? It’s the ultimate fuck you. We robbed the bitch’s bank, and now Baker’s long dicking her. She’s getting double fucked. I say we leave it alone. We damned sure don’t need to be killing the neighbor. Shit, we already went through this conversation once, fellas.”

“So, as long as Baker keeps fucking her, we’re good?” Reno asked, his tone carrying a hint of sarcasm. “But what happens when he stops?”

“Nothing,” I said. “Because she doesn’t know who we are. Remember that. She has no idea. And, I’ve already stopped fucking her. More than a week ago.”