accounting for what they should add for the weed.”
I look at the middle-aged man in front of me. “They must not like you.”
Before he can answer, I grab his arm and snap it backward at the elbow. He cries out in pain, and I see movement in the bus.
“Sit the fuck down!” Wyatt yells at the people in the vehicle.
“They sent you here, knowing I would fuck up someone. I can’t imagine what you did to get the short end of that stick, asshole,” I say and shove him toward the bus. “Tell your new leader how the Village is about to prove just how self-sufficient they are. No one goes in or out until we get our fucking money.”
I nod at Wyatt, who tosses a throwaway phone at whoever is driving the bus.
“You call when you decide to pay up or if you want to vacate Elko. Otherwise, get fucked.”
The guy shuffles over, flinching at whatever Wyatt growls at him. The bus’s old engine roars to life and lurches forward before circling to return to the Village.
Turning to the men, I say, “Send out a message to every business in town and in the surrounding areas. No one sells or buys from the Village. Also, we’ll pay bounties to anyone who spots the Volkshalberd sneaking around town.”
“How long do you think they can last in their compound?” Drummer asks, fingering the gun at his hip.
“They never planned to pay, so they’ve had time to prepare for the lockdown. My guess is they can survive for a few months, assuming they ration their food and supplies.”
“What if they still won’t bow?” Wyatt asks, needing to cause trouble.
“Then we sneak onto the compound and kill a few important people. Send the group into disarray and make them desperate for a deal.”
“And if that still doesn’t work?”
“I don’t know, Wyatt. I guess we just murder every man, woman, and child. Will that satisfy your bloodlust?” I ask and turn away. “For fuck’s sake. It’s like dealing with bratty children sometimes.”
Lowell must smirk at Wyatt because my nephew tells him to fuck off. I ignore their shit and keep walking toward Anders.
“Are you ready for this?” I ask him quietly so the other men can’t hear.
“Of course.”
His quick response again annoys me. The guy refuses to see the big picture.
“Your girl is about to get hungry,” I say in a hard voice. “The Village’s crops haven’t been enough to feed them in a decade. The weather’s too hot, and they’ve gotten used to coming to town for supplies. Are you okay with how she’s about to pay for her elders’ bullshit?”
Anders nods, thinking he’s got the balls for this shit. But he also eats like a fucking bear. Every time he pigs out on a full rack of ribs, he’ll think of his weirdo girlfriend going to bed hungry.
Anders can’t outlast the Village’s elders. No doubt, the top people will keep well fed.
Even in their community of enlightened fuckers, they live like us assholes in the outside world. Shit always rolls down, and I suspect Anders’s woman is on the bottom.
PART 8: SO LONG AND FAREWELL
LANA
Whenever I text my sister in Shasta, I sound like a broken record. I’m happy. My heart remains full. I’m having a ton of fun every single day with the girls. I’m head over heels in love with Bronco. The sex is incredible. That last one is probably too personal, but it just needs to be celebrated.
Even after almost two months in Elko, I continue to float on a cloud. Bronco can still give me that half-smile, arched-brow look that I feel between my legs. The moment I have him alone, I immediately want to drop my panties.
I never imagined sex could feel so good or that I’d ever need another person so much. No matter what Bronco’s doing, if I text him for help or a kind word, he makes time. I never feel alone, even if I don’t get to see him all day.
The girls and I keep busy during their school break. We start going horseback riding twice a week. Summer and Sidonie teach Desi and me on what to do. My baby gets the hang of it fast, but I bounce so much in the saddle that I need to ice my crotch later. Bronco does his very best to distract my pussy once he arrives home.
Topanga is always willing to watch Carina, so Bronco and I get time alone with the older girls.