He laughs and struggles to sit up. I stay in my seat because, half-dead or not, he’d probably jam the stubby pencil on his nightstand into my neck if I tried to help him.

“All right. What’s on your mind?”

“First, have any details of the night you were shot come back to you yet?”

He goes completely still and closes his eyes for a few seconds before answering. “Nothing, brother. It’s all black.”

“What’s the last thing you do remember?”

“You think I didn’t go over this with the doctor, the cops, Priest, Steer, and everyone else?”

“Humor me.”

He closes his eyes again and sits back. “Talking to Tawny on the phone.”

“So, you have talked to her. People say she’s been missing for a while.”

“She’s not missing. At least, she wasn’t.”

As far as I know, she still hasn’t been by to see Sway. I need to find Janice later and ask if she’s heard from her mother. “What does that mean?”

He gestures to the bandage engulfing half his skull. “I’ve been preoccupied.”

“But you talked to her? That night?”

“We talked.” He shifts his gaze away. “Or fought. I can’t remember.”

“Don’t get mad, but is there any chance she shot you?”

His face darkens. Whatever their issues are, Sway’s protective of Tawny. Always has been. Or maybe he feels guilty for all the times he’s cheated on her. “You drop that line of thinking right now, Z. I’m not fucking around. Breathe a word of that to anyone, and I’ll fucking kill you.”

“Easy. This conversation is between you and me. But I need you to be honest. And I need you to seriously consider the question. Is it possible?”

This time, he seems to really weigh the odds of his wife of over twenty years pulling the trigger. “Nah, Tawny woulda shot me in the dick for sure. She always said that’s where my brains were, anyway.”

“Can’t blame her there, brother.”

We both have a laugh, which helps to smooth over the awkwardness of accusing his wife of trying to murder him.

I shift forward, indicating the first uncomfortable part of our conversation is over with. Not that this next part will be any easier. “All right. Club business talk. Have you had any indication Vipers have been moving in on your territory?”

His eyes turn cold. “Who said that? Shadow? He trying to stir that bullshit up again while I’m down?”

“Is that a no?”

“I don’t know. He never brought me enough proof. After National, I wasn’t about to start trouble anywhere without a damn good reason. I wanted off Priest’s radar.”

“And now you’re on it.”

“Tell me about it.”