“But you’re not going to.” Nate’s words were a statement, with just a hint of question.
“No,” I told him. “We’re going to ask around, find out where he works and lives, and go from there.”
“Then let’s do that.”
“I was planning on heading to Channing’s bar before Quinn pissed me off.”
“Get used to it. I assumed you brought him with to try to get close to him?”
I nodded. “I could’ve told him to get lost, but yeah.”
“You’re not thinking of being friends with him, are you?”
“No, but if he’s around us, he’ll relax. We can get a better window into how he really is.” A guy shows you his real self when you push him out of his comfort zone. Nate was still looking at me weird. “What?”
“What if it doesn’t work? What if we actually have to pretend to be friends with him?”
I grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “Then it’s your turn up to bat. There’s no way in hell he’ll buy that Logan or I suddenly want to be friends with him.”
“What about Matteo?”
“He won’t be here long enough, and the less dirt I can put on his hands, the better.” We watched the two. Matteo still had Quinn blocked and up against my Escalade. Quinn stuffed his hands in his pockets and glared at me.
Nate shuddered. “Let’s just find something at that cabin. I don’t want to have to go through that.”
“Come on.” We were only a block away. Locking my Escalade with the push of a button, I called, “Our first stop’s just over there. Follow us.”
Channing’s bar was dark inside, lit with neon signs. Swanky and dirty somehow described the interior, and also the few guys bellied up to the bar. We’d passed some Harleys in the parking lot, but I already knew Channing’s bar had become a biker bar, so I wasn’t surprised to see the leather on each guy—top of the line stuff. They turned to watch us. I couldn’t blame them. We didn’t look much like them, with our preppy clothes, but they didn’t scare me.
I nodded to the bartender. “Channing here?”
She scanned us, her top lip curving in a sneer. “Who’s asking?”
But Channing had already heard me. He came to his opened office door, which was set off to the side of the bar counter. “Ka—” He began, then seemed to remember who was in his bar and corrected himself. “Mason! What’s up?”
“Can I talk to you?” I pointed to his office.
“Sure. Yeah.” He turned to the bartender. “Ang, can you get the rest of the guys whatever they want? On the house.”
Surprise lit her face. “Sure thing.”
I followed him back into his office and leaned against the far wall as he closed the door. I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up a finger, hitting the switch on a large fan set in the corner. When the sound filled the room, I sat down in one of the chairs across from his desk. “So you don’t just use that when it gets hot in here?”
He shook his head, taking his seat. “Those guys aren’t dumb out there. If they hear something that could help their club, they’ll use it.”
“They’re one-percenters?” I didn’t mean the kind my dad was.
“Yeah.”
“Good to know.” They were the one percent of motorcycle clubs that did illegal shit.
He leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk. “What are you doing here?”
“I texted Brandon, asked him if you were at Manny’s.”
“He said I wasn’t.”
I nodded. “So I guessed you’d be here.”
“Okay. What’s going on, though? Sam okay?”
“Caldron saw Sam at the carnival. He tried to hurt her again.”
“You serious?” He wiped his hand over his face. “Wait. Sam was at the carnival?”
“Your girlfriend hasn’t told you? Sam and Mark got jobs there.”
“What?” His eyebrows shot up. “Mark’s her stepbrother, right?”
I nodded.
“What the fuck is she doing working there?”
I didn’t want to get into it, so I just said, “Change of scenery. It was mostly Mark’s idea, but that’s why I’m here. I need to know where Caldron works and his address.”
“Oh.” He reached for a pen and paper. “That’s no problem. He lives on a place a few miles outside Roussou. It’s an abandoned farm, but his house is mostly known for partying and drugs.” He wrote down the address and slid it over to me. “And he works in Fallen Crest, actually.”
“Where?”
“For your dad, his landscaping business over there.”
“You serious? My dad?”
“Sure am. He comes here at night sometimes.” He pointed to his closed door. “And keep his name quiet when you leave the office. Those guys are sometimes his friends, other times his enemies, depending on whether he owes them money or not.”
“Will do, but this just got a lot easier now that I know he works for my dad.”
“You’re going to get him fired?”
“The opposite.” I smirked, standing up.
He followed me to the door. “You’re going to promote him?”
“Something like that.”
I reached for the door.
“Wait.” I looked over to see him frowning. “You’ll owe your dad then. I know you don’t like that.”
I opened the door this time, looking at where Adam was sitting. He and Nate were at a far table, while Matteo had bellied up right alongside the bikers. My eyes were only for Quinn, though. “I’ll have to find something else to make us even.”
He followed my gaze, understanding in his voice. “I was wondering about the newbie. Keeping him close?”
“Something like that,” I said again, giving him a quick nod. “Thanks for this. I owe you.”
“No, no.” He shook his head. “Sam came to my fight because Heather really wanted her there. If anything, this is just me making us even. You wouldn’t have this problem if you hadn’t been forced to come that night.”
“Still, thank you.”
“Be smart, whatever you’re going to do.” The guys at the bar glanced over, and Channing lowered his voice. “You’ve got a lot going for you. I wouldn’t want anything to jeopardize that.”
I knew what he meant, but as long as I had family here, as long as Sam wanted to come back and see her family, I’d have to deal with Caldron.
“I know,” I told him. “Thanks again.”
I stepped out, giving Nate the nod. “Let’s go.”
He and Quinn followed, the latter being only too eager, but Matteo still had a full beer in hand.
“Matteo,” I called.
“What?” He saw us at the door. “Hold on.” Holding a hand in the air, he tipped his head back and chugged the entire bottle. He finished with his new friends cheering him on and grinned, patting the two closest to him on the back. “That’s how we do it where I’m from. I’ll see you guys later! It was nice meeting you all.”
Nate leaned close, his voice quiet so Adam couldn’t hear behind us. “He’s like a big Mastiff. Friendly to everyone and the size of a real-life boulder.”
I laughed. “Why do you think I love playing with him on the team?”
“I get it. I hated him freshman year, thought he was replacing me. I love the guy now.”
I did, too, but he wasn’t Logan. I was ready for my brother to come home.
SAMANTHA
I was finishing my shift by taking the garbage out at midnight when I felt someone behind me. Dropping the bag, I whirled around. I didn’t know if I was going to launch myself at them or run, but my knees were bent and ready to do one or the other.
I did neither.
It was Kate.
I felt the old disdain automatically rise up. Mason’s psycho ex-fuck buddy. I wouldn’t have recognized her except for the cold hatred in her eyes. She’d filled out, gaining a few pounds since high school, and she wore a low-cut red corset. Her blond hair was pulled back in two French braids, and she wore heavy makeup with raccoon-style eyes and bright red lips. Glitter on her lipstick matched the glitter spread over her chest. She took me in as I stared right back at her.
“No,” I told him. “We’re going to ask around, find out where he works and lives, and go from there.”
“Then let’s do that.”
“I was planning on heading to Channing’s bar before Quinn pissed me off.”
“Get used to it. I assumed you brought him with to try to get close to him?”
I nodded. “I could’ve told him to get lost, but yeah.”
“You’re not thinking of being friends with him, are you?”
“No, but if he’s around us, he’ll relax. We can get a better window into how he really is.” A guy shows you his real self when you push him out of his comfort zone. Nate was still looking at me weird. “What?”
“What if it doesn’t work? What if we actually have to pretend to be friends with him?”
I grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “Then it’s your turn up to bat. There’s no way in hell he’ll buy that Logan or I suddenly want to be friends with him.”
“What about Matteo?”
“He won’t be here long enough, and the less dirt I can put on his hands, the better.” We watched the two. Matteo still had Quinn blocked and up against my Escalade. Quinn stuffed his hands in his pockets and glared at me.
Nate shuddered. “Let’s just find something at that cabin. I don’t want to have to go through that.”
“Come on.” We were only a block away. Locking my Escalade with the push of a button, I called, “Our first stop’s just over there. Follow us.”
Channing’s bar was dark inside, lit with neon signs. Swanky and dirty somehow described the interior, and also the few guys bellied up to the bar. We’d passed some Harleys in the parking lot, but I already knew Channing’s bar had become a biker bar, so I wasn’t surprised to see the leather on each guy—top of the line stuff. They turned to watch us. I couldn’t blame them. We didn’t look much like them, with our preppy clothes, but they didn’t scare me.
I nodded to the bartender. “Channing here?”
She scanned us, her top lip curving in a sneer. “Who’s asking?”
But Channing had already heard me. He came to his opened office door, which was set off to the side of the bar counter. “Ka—” He began, then seemed to remember who was in his bar and corrected himself. “Mason! What’s up?”
“Can I talk to you?” I pointed to his office.
“Sure. Yeah.” He turned to the bartender. “Ang, can you get the rest of the guys whatever they want? On the house.”
Surprise lit her face. “Sure thing.”
I followed him back into his office and leaned against the far wall as he closed the door. I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up a finger, hitting the switch on a large fan set in the corner. When the sound filled the room, I sat down in one of the chairs across from his desk. “So you don’t just use that when it gets hot in here?”
He shook his head, taking his seat. “Those guys aren’t dumb out there. If they hear something that could help their club, they’ll use it.”
“They’re one-percenters?” I didn’t mean the kind my dad was.
“Yeah.”
“Good to know.” They were the one percent of motorcycle clubs that did illegal shit.
He leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk. “What are you doing here?”
“I texted Brandon, asked him if you were at Manny’s.”
“He said I wasn’t.”
I nodded. “So I guessed you’d be here.”
“Okay. What’s going on, though? Sam okay?”
“Caldron saw Sam at the carnival. He tried to hurt her again.”
“You serious?” He wiped his hand over his face. “Wait. Sam was at the carnival?”
“Your girlfriend hasn’t told you? Sam and Mark got jobs there.”
“What?” His eyebrows shot up. “Mark’s her stepbrother, right?”
I nodded.
“What the fuck is she doing working there?”
I didn’t want to get into it, so I just said, “Change of scenery. It was mostly Mark’s idea, but that’s why I’m here. I need to know where Caldron works and his address.”
“Oh.” He reached for a pen and paper. “That’s no problem. He lives on a place a few miles outside Roussou. It’s an abandoned farm, but his house is mostly known for partying and drugs.” He wrote down the address and slid it over to me. “And he works in Fallen Crest, actually.”
“Where?”
“For your dad, his landscaping business over there.”
“You serious? My dad?”
“Sure am. He comes here at night sometimes.” He pointed to his closed door. “And keep his name quiet when you leave the office. Those guys are sometimes his friends, other times his enemies, depending on whether he owes them money or not.”
“Will do, but this just got a lot easier now that I know he works for my dad.”
“You’re going to get him fired?”
“The opposite.” I smirked, standing up.
He followed me to the door. “You’re going to promote him?”
“Something like that.”
I reached for the door.
“Wait.” I looked over to see him frowning. “You’ll owe your dad then. I know you don’t like that.”
I opened the door this time, looking at where Adam was sitting. He and Nate were at a far table, while Matteo had bellied up right alongside the bikers. My eyes were only for Quinn, though. “I’ll have to find something else to make us even.”
He followed my gaze, understanding in his voice. “I was wondering about the newbie. Keeping him close?”
“Something like that,” I said again, giving him a quick nod. “Thanks for this. I owe you.”
“No, no.” He shook his head. “Sam came to my fight because Heather really wanted her there. If anything, this is just me making us even. You wouldn’t have this problem if you hadn’t been forced to come that night.”
“Still, thank you.”
“Be smart, whatever you’re going to do.” The guys at the bar glanced over, and Channing lowered his voice. “You’ve got a lot going for you. I wouldn’t want anything to jeopardize that.”
I knew what he meant, but as long as I had family here, as long as Sam wanted to come back and see her family, I’d have to deal with Caldron.
“I know,” I told him. “Thanks again.”
I stepped out, giving Nate the nod. “Let’s go.”
He and Quinn followed, the latter being only too eager, but Matteo still had a full beer in hand.
“Matteo,” I called.
“What?” He saw us at the door. “Hold on.” Holding a hand in the air, he tipped his head back and chugged the entire bottle. He finished with his new friends cheering him on and grinned, patting the two closest to him on the back. “That’s how we do it where I’m from. I’ll see you guys later! It was nice meeting you all.”
Nate leaned close, his voice quiet so Adam couldn’t hear behind us. “He’s like a big Mastiff. Friendly to everyone and the size of a real-life boulder.”
I laughed. “Why do you think I love playing with him on the team?”
“I get it. I hated him freshman year, thought he was replacing me. I love the guy now.”
I did, too, but he wasn’t Logan. I was ready for my brother to come home.
SAMANTHA
I was finishing my shift by taking the garbage out at midnight when I felt someone behind me. Dropping the bag, I whirled around. I didn’t know if I was going to launch myself at them or run, but my knees were bent and ready to do one or the other.
I did neither.
It was Kate.
I felt the old disdain automatically rise up. Mason’s psycho ex-fuck buddy. I wouldn’t have recognized her except for the cold hatred in her eyes. She’d filled out, gaining a few pounds since high school, and she wore a low-cut red corset. Her blond hair was pulled back in two French braids, and she wore heavy makeup with raccoon-style eyes and bright red lips. Glitter on her lipstick matched the glitter spread over her chest. She took me in as I stared right back at her.
