The Blood of Brothers: A Sycamore Moon Novel (Sycamore Moon Series Book 2) by Domino Finn Page A

operate. See all the gears in motion to make sure the whole thing works."
    The explanation didn't satisfy Diego. "This is no test. El Paso could vouch for us. This is a hit, man."
    Now it was Gaston who scoffed. "If the Pistolas were gonna try to take us out, they would have done it when they had us outnumbered and surrounded."
    "I'd like to see them try," said West, chuckling.
    "We rode in to that meet with our weapons hot. They didn't want to take the chance. They outnumber us but we outgun them. They knew we'd be ready." Diego shook his head. "Think about it. A small load. Heroin going the wrong way. Guns. And only one Pistola driving instead of two. This is a test all right. A test to see if we can fight them off. We're not meant to get to Albuquerque intact."
    Trouble crept into the faces of the other men, and for once they didn't immediately reject the idea.
    "There's nobody behind us," said Omar. "I personally saw the Pistolas cross back into California. I waited a while. No one followed."
    "It's not what's behind us that I'm worried about," said Diego.
    The four of them sat silently, each considering the angles. When the lone California outlaw finished pumping, he approached them. Manolo had the sort of playful smirk that meant trouble.
    "Everything cool, bros?"
    Gaston nodded.
    "Get off your bikes, at least," said the Mexican. "Get some water. Get out of the sun. We still got a long ride."
    "We're fine," cut in Diego.
    Gaston studied him. The possibilities dawned on him as well. "Let's hurry this up," he told Manolo. "I wanna get as much out of the daylight as possible."
    The other man shrugged and tightened his bandanna. "Have it your way, ése . I'm gonna take a quick leak. Then we'll go." He ambled away grinning, enjoying a private joke that hadn't been told.
    "Fuck me," said West, scanning the street. "I think de la Torre's right. He flipped the duffel bag around his shoulder so it hung on his chest and unzipped it, getting a grip on his assault rifle while it was still hidden within. As Curtis and Trent came out of the store, West whistled them over. They were laughing about something but noticed West's stance and quickly readied themselves.
    Gaston's boot went up and down, stomping the dirt as he worked the problem. "I don't know. Attack us in Arizona? I don't think they have the balls."
    Diego nodded. "They might, but they'd have more friends in New Mexico."
    They all nodded absentmindedly, watching their surroundings for any signs of danger.
    "Fuck it," said Gaston. "We can't ditch the escort. If we do that, then we might not have El Paso's backing anymore."
    "Damned if we do, damned if we don't," said West.
    Diego didn't like the expressions his brothers wore. "So we just ride with targets painted on our backs?"
    "Look. Whether we like it or not, we're gonna be judged by this run." Gaston turned to Omar. "Hey, kid. How about you ride up ahead? As far as you can get. All the way to Albuquerque. Keep an eye out for anything waiting for us."
    Omar turned the throttle. "Okay, but I think we're just being paranoid." He had never even turned off his hog. Without worrying about the rest of the details, he sped off, trying to get as much distance between them as possible.
    Diego knew the kid worked hard to impress the other bikers. He just worried about the kind of life he would have in twenty years. The thought hit Diego that he should be worrying about his own life. He was in the same situation. He faced the same dangers.
    Even worse, because he wasn't a wolf.
    "As for everyone else," continued Gaston, "let's give the escort some extra leeway and spread out. Stay locked and loaded."
    West clenched and released his jaw, a visual cue of the adrenaline in his veins. "Damn. I wish Clint was here. That redneck can shoot."
    "You, Curtis, and Trent have the ACRs. That should equalize any odds. And we've got a ranch off the highway before the state line. I figure we'll make it at least that far safely. We can pick up some