Chapter 29
Flynn
I tossed the empty bottle of transmission fluid in the trash, washed my hands thoroughly, and then got into the Mercedes-Benz that I’d spent the better part of two days repairing. The car was damn sleek, with dark leather upholstery and all the bells and whistles.
I usually preferred classics like Bailey’s car, but damn, this was a nice piece of machinery.
The engine was so fine-tuned the car idled almost silently. I put my foot on the brake and shifted into Reverse. All good. Then into Drive. Then to Neutral and back to Park. So far, so good. No warning lights. No hitches in the shifting. Maybe this damn transmission was finally good to go.
I got out of the car and went over to the diagnostic machine. One last set of checks that we didn’t have any leaks, and I’d be able to close up.
I checked the time. Yeah. Damn. Bailey would be hitting city limits soon. I wanted to be home and freshly showered by then, even if he could let himself in with his key. It would be a damn shame to put off our reunion by even a minute because I’d taken too long on this damn job.
I grabbed the cart that held the diagnostic computer—and a tablet displaying the surveillance footage from the cameras Axel and Gray had installed around the junkyard. I rolled it toward the car and reached for the cable to connect it when a flicker of movement on the other screen caught my eye.
I glanced over on reflex, not really expecting to see anything. We’d captured quite a few animals on candid camera since setting it up. Axel was determined to catch a cute little kitten that had been slinking around the back corner.
That’s the only reason I looked there first. Axel’s cat colony—those too wild to catch and rehome through his new foster program—lived in that area of the junkyard. The dogs were kept walled off so they wouldn’t bother them.
Sure enough, a shadow moved over there. I leaned in, trying to get a closer look. It was too big to be a kitten.
The shadow shifted, and suddenly, I made out the shape of a man crouched by the fence.
“Oh, fuck no,” I growled as he glanced furtively around, face washed out by the camera’s infrared lighting.
I didn’t need a clear picture to know exactly who that was.
I darted around the car and out the door, breaking into a sprint as I hit the parking lot. The guys had all gone out for a few beers. They’d invited me along, but I’d wanted to finish up my work before the weekend.
Snake must have been watching the place. Watching for an opportunity. Clearly, he didn’t think I’d see anything from the shop.
Without the cameras, I wouldn’t have.
I ran, determined to catch the fucker in the act. It occurred to me that I should have called Holden first, but I’d acted on instinct, and now I was running too hard to make a call. I’d just have to restrain Snake first.
I reached the fencing and discovered the square cut out of the wire. Axel was going to be pissed. He’d just fixed the last one.
I bent down to examine it, but the hole was too small for me to climb through. I cursed and quietly jogged back around to the front gate, sending up a silent prayer that Axel trusted me enough he hadn’t changed the code.
I reached the keypad and punched in the number. The gate locks released with a click.
I pushed the gate open as silently as I could, slipping in and then navigating my way through the dark. There was one wide alley through the junkyard, but many narrower offshoot paths to other sections.
I didn’t have to work hard to find Snake, though. I heard Sugar’s deep warning barks.
She might be walled off from the cat area, but she’d still heard him and set up a warning.
“Good girl,” I murmured, starting in that direction. “Good fucking dog.”
Loki and Oreo joined her, their barks bouncing around in the darkness. As I got closer, I heard a crooning voice. “Shh, doggies. I’ve got treats. Come have a taste, you ugly fucking mongrels!”
My heart plummeted into the pit of my stomach. Oh god, no. Please don’t let them eat anything he offers!
I put on a burst of speed, shouting as I went.
“Sugar! Taz! Oreo! Loki! To me. Come to me!”
I rounded a corner, and there they were, dancing around, barking. Oreo was sniffing at the ground.
“Oreo! No!”
The border collie whipped toward me, tail curling in. I slapped my thigh and tried to make my voice less threatening. “C’mon, guys. Come to Flynn! Come over here!”
The dogs trotted toward me, their barks dying into whines and whimpers.
Snake emerged from the darkness. “You got those fuckers trained. Lucky thing. Thought I’d have to poison them.”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I growled, stepping forward to kick dirt over the chunk of meat he’d dropped.
“Easy, brother. You’re here now. We can do this much easier.”
“I’m not your brother.” I tugged my phone from my back pocket. “And I’m sure as fuck not letting you rip off these guys.”
“No? Well, you’re out here with me. Who’s to say you didn’t help me with the whole thing?”
“The camera footage, for one thing.”
Snake whipped around, eyes up. “What? I cased this place good the first time I came out here. There were no fucking cameras.”
“Surprise,” I said lightly.
“Goddamn it. I thought if I could just get around the dogs…” He shook his head. “Fuck it. Doesn’t matter. You’re gonna help me, Dozer, because it’s the smart thing to do.”
I tensed at the old prison nickname.
“It’s sure as hell not.” I hit the Call button, and the line started to ring. “I’m calling the owners. Did you know the guy who runs this junkyard is dating the sheriff?”
Snake’s eyes widened, and he ran at me. He took a flying leap—and it wasn’t a bad tackle. But I had a hundred pounds on him. I stumbled back but kept my feet.
The phone went flying, skittering over the ground.
Snake snapped his hand toward me, silver blade glinting.
I grabbed his wrist and twisted it until he dropped the knife with a cry, then swept his feet out from under him. He dropped to his knees, and Sugar jumped on his back with a snarl, taking him the rest of the way down.
“Shit! No!” he cried. “Don’t let her fucking eat me!”
Sugar took hold of his jacket and gave it a good shake, jerking Snake around like a rag doll. Loki darted in and grabbed a sleeve. Oreo locked his jaws around a shoe and tugged at it.
Taz was fiercest of all, getting in his face, snarling and snapping inches from his nose.
“Please!” he gasped.
“You going to stay where you are?” I asked as I picked up the phone I’d dropped in the scuffle. The call had cut off.
“Yeah, man. Yeah. I promise! Just get them off me!”
I whistled sharply, then again when the dogs didn’t acknowledge me. “C’mon, Sugar! Come here, girl. Show everyone what a good girl you are.”
She released him with a final warning growl and trotted over to me. I patted her head. “There we go. Everyone, calm down.”
The other dogs followed her lead, one by one, until only Taz was snarling and snapping. Snake tried to swat him away, and Taz bit his pinkie hard enough to draw blood.
He yowled. “Get this fucking demon the fuck off!”
I grabbed Taz and held him against my chest, making soothing noises. “Okay, listen. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to sit there nice and calm while I call the guys.”
“Don’t do that, man. Just let me go. I’ll leave, okay? These fucking dogs are a holy terror I can’t get past. I give the fuck up.”
“Yeah, no. I don’t think so.”
I raised the phone, and Snake rushed to say, “I know a lot of shit about you. What you did. Who you really are.”
I hesitated, phone in the air. “So?”
“So, I heard you’re dating the youngest brother. You really think they want him with a fucking killer?”
His words were like a kick to the chest. All my fears. All my worries. So easily made into a threat.
“Fuck you, Snake. I oughta let these dogs tear you apart.”
“But you won’t,” he said. “That’s not you.”
“Thought I was a fucking killer?”
He spread out his hands, looking apologetic. “I don’t want to tell them, but you’re not leaving me much choice. I can’t go back to prison, man. Let me go, and they’ll never know. I won’t come back.”
I didn’t believe him. He’d been too desperate to get access to the junkyard. Someone had leverage on him. It was only a matter of time before he came back with more weapons. Maybe next time, he’d just shoot the dogs instead of hoping to poison them.
Maybe he’d bring a whole crew and take out anyone in his way.
I couldn’t take the chance.
“The guys don’t care what got me into prison,” I said. “They believe in second chances.”
“Sure.” He snorted. “That’s what they say, anyway, when they think you knocked over a liquor store or some shit. When they find out you killed, though…” He shrugged. “Sorry, brother, but they’re going to kick you out of here so fast your fucking head spins.”
My thumb hovered over the Call button. My stomach churned. What if he was right? I’d lose Bailey. I’d lose everything.
“Work with me, man, and we can both leave here with the means to start a good fucking life. Hell, you can even take the dogs, if you want. Maybe that cute little piece of ass will leave his brothers for you, huh? He probably loves that big dick you’ve go—”
I balled a fist and swung, rage screaming through me. Nobody talked about Bailey like that. Nobody questioned his fucking loyalty.
Snake flinched back, and my stepdad’s face suddenly rose in my mind. My fist connecting with the side of his head like a sledgehammer. Him falling to the ground with a silent thump.
Never waking up again.
I pulled my punch, jerking to the side, and grazed Snake’s shoulder instead.
“Fucking hell!” he shouted as he fell back to the ground, clutching at it.
I hadn’t hit him hard enough to do serious damage, but it scared me how close I’d come. I stabbed the Call button with one finger, heart still pounding, stomach churning with nausea.
I could have killed another man. Just like that.