The Plug's Wife Read Free Page B

though?” Scrap asked, his head hanging low.  He had been the first to react at the vineyard when he heard the assassin’s death call to Jesse.  But by the time Scrap had run the length of Summer and Jesse’s wedding aisle, dodging the scattering guests, and returning shots, it had been too late.
    Scrap bit into his lip now, the bunched skin of the raised scar that ran from his left eye to the corner of his mouth tingling like it always did when he was stressed.  Every time he closed his eyes now, Jesse’s death scene was printed on the backs of his eyelids.
    “I don’t even think she knows she took one to the back and shoulder, but obviously that collapsed lung needs healing.  As close as the second dude was, I’m surprised she lived. He could’ve really gotten her in the dome if he wanted to,” Mitch said, pinching the bridge of his nose.  His mind was muddled with thoughts.  Either the second shooter was a bad shot or he didn’t want to kill Summer at all . It was that simple.  Mitch felt like he’d just ran a marathon.  He was tired and running on very few hours of sleep.  Even the night before he hadn’t rested fully since he’d spent it with Jesse, calming him down when he got a case of the wedding jitters.  The bonding time had helped the two men work through some of the business issues that had put a strain on their friendship recently. 
    Mitch flopped into one of the small waiting room chairs, physically and mentally exhausted.  He couldn’t even stand to look the crew in their faces anymore.  These men, who probably never cried in their adult lives, were sporting red-rimmed and swollen eyes, pinched mouths, and worry lines streaking their foreheads. 
    Mitch understood their pain.  After all, he had been Jesse’s right hand.  Jesse and Mitch had come up together as kids.  Although Mitch hadn’t always agreed with Jesse’s business decisions, but he always respected his friend as a man.  In fact, Jesse had been Billy, Doon, Scrap and Marco’s boss since they were little kids.  Jesse had served as a big brother to many young guys who were hungry and lost on the streets.  He showed them first how to make money, then how to save money, and later how to invest that money.  He treated his crew like family rather than employees.  The way they all saw it, Jesse wasn’t trying to keep dudes on hand-to-mouth levels.  For that reason alone, they all had genuine love for him.
    Mitch worried about Billy the most.  Mitch eyed the six-foot, two-inch, ebony skin giant now as Billy paced the room, his jaw wired with rage.  Mitch knew Billy’s mind was busy at work.  That’s how Billy was—more patient and calculating, but also more deadly.  Mitch didn’t want to imagine right now what Billy would do when he found out who was responsible for killing Jesse.  Billy was a hothead and once the fire began to rage inside of him, there was little one could do to put out the flames.  Some said Billy wasn’t right in his head, and there was probably some truth to that, but he was as loyal as they came and that’s all Mitch ever cared about.  Billy had always been Jesse’s main muscle; he was never usually more than ten steps away from Jesse.  Mitch knew Billy would never forgive himself for allowing Summer and Jesse to convince him to be a member of the wedding party instead of serving as their personal security detail.  It was only a matter of time before Billy’s ugly side reared its head.
    “Okay, let me ask all ya’ll big men a question.  Ya’ll ever think about how this whole shit went down?  I’m just saying, I’m a big mouth girl and I accept that, but I think this shit had to be a set up!  I know Summer told me that JB was real particular about who knew about their wedding plans.  Plus, it was all the way out here away from the hood in no-man’s-land.  Somebody from inside had to give up the goods about the location and such!” Caralina trumpeted her theory to the