CHAPTER FORTY
SARAH
I wake up to the sound of crickets. Not the worst way to wake up.
I shiver a little, missing James’s warmth beside me. He stayed with me until I fell asleep, then slipped out of the tent to help Michael with dinner.
I pull the blanket higher over my naked body, the cool night air creeping in around the edges. I smile when I spot James’s dad’s pocket watch sitting on top of my copy of The Secret Garden.
It feels perfect. Two pieces of us, together.
I look up at the ceiling of the tent, the yellow fabric glowing faintly from the campfire outside. I hear muffled voices, laughter, and the soft crackle of burning wood. It’s comforting. Maybe Alicia’s already here.
I sit up, still feeling a little lazy. I grab my panties, bra, skirt, and an old shirt, dressing quickly against the chill.
My boots thump softly as I slide them on.
Then I pull my green jacket from my pack and zip it up to my neck.
If it’s this cold inside the tent, outside isn’t gonna be much better, fire or not.
I unzip the tent, fighting with a loose braid that must’ve come undone while I was sleeping, or during the wild sex James and I had earlier this afternoon.
“James, why didn’t you wake me up for dinner—”
The words die on my lips.
No. No, no, no.
This can’t be real.
It’s the nightmare I had two nights ago. Except this time, I’m awake.
I freeze in place, my hand falling away from my braid. My mouth hangs open, and my tongue feels as dry as sandpaper. I don’t blink. I just stare at the bonfire across from me.
James and Michael are on their knees, ankles bound, hands tied behind their backs. A thick rope gag muffles any sound they try to make.
Michael’s face is a mess. Blood trickles from a deep cut on his forehead, streaking down his cheek and neck, even pooling in his ear. James doesn’t look much better. His right eye is already swollen, the skin dark and angry from a hit.
Everything inside me goes ice cold.
They aren’t alone.
Three men sit around the bonfire, sprawled across two big logs like they own our camp.
My breath catches, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. I don’t need an introduction. I already know who they are.
The Reed brothers.
Tyler and his brothers never had faces in my nightmares, but I know it’s them. And now, they’re here.
One of them sits by the fire, his boot so close to the flames I half expect it to catch fire.
In his hand, he shuffles Michael’s deck of poker cards, tossing them into the flames one by one.
Some land in the grass; others curl at the edges as they burn.
He’s got a short black beard, close-cropped hair, and a denim jacket buttoned all the way to the neck.
The second man sits on a log behind James and Michael.
He looks like the youngest of the three, and he’s got black hair too, though it’s mostly hidden under a cap.
His elbows rest on his knees, gun in hand, with no sign he’s putting it away.
Unlike the others, he isn’t wearing a jacket. Doesn’t seem to feel the cold at all.
And that’s when I see the last one.
He’s sitting on the edge of the log closest to me, head tilted down, but I can still see him clearly.
He looks about James’s age and maybe even taller than him, his legs stretched out, showing off black boots polished enough to catch the firelight.
His black hair’s slicked back, making his pale skin look even more ghost-like in the firelight.
A black leather jacket hangs off his shoulders, unzipped to reveal a white shirt stretched tight over a broad chest.
He’s just as strong as James. And in a fair fight? I honestly don’t know who’d win. That says a lot, considering James is the strongest man I’ve ever met. Stronger than Michael. Stronger than my dad was, too.
A smug smile plays on his lips. He isn’t looking at me. Not really. But somehow, I know he’s been waiting for this moment, waiting for me to find them here on my own.
Then he lifts his eyes and meets mine. “You left my city before we met.”
Tyler.
“Me and my brothers make trades, you know?” he says. Then he nods toward the youngest. “That’s Oliver.” He jerks his chin at the card-tosser. “And Russell.”
His tone’s casual, as if he’s just chatting over drinks at a bar, not standing in front of my tied-up boyfriend and brother.
“This is what I live for. I let people stay in my towns, my city, in exchange for things. Little things, like a matchbox.” He pulls one from his pocket and holds it up between his fingers.
“Simple, but powerful enough to keep someone from freezing at night. And in return, they give me loyalty. Respect for my rules.”
He rolls the matchbox between his fingers, slides out a match, and strikes it. The tiny flame flares to life, flickering between us. He tosses the lit match into the fire and watches the flames swallow it up.
“It’s simple, right? You get it, don’t you?” He glances at me out of the corner of his eye, but keeps his face turned toward the flames. “But sometimes… bad people come along and try to wreck that peace. Try to screw with what we built. Just because they don’t wanna follow the rules. Outsiders.”
The matchbox drums lightly against his palm as he closes his fingers around it. The tiny rustle of matchsticks sounds too loud in the silence.
“I remember the first time I saw one. He was just a kid, same age as me. He wandered into Reed Brothers territory. He thought it wasn’t a big deal. Thought he didn’t have to follow our rules. Can you believe that? What an insult.”
His fist slams into his other hand.
“My brother showed him what happens when you don’t follow our rules.” He pauses, takes a deep breath, then exhales slowly. “But here’s the thing. We had no idea what that kid really was. An Outsider.”
The firelight dances across his face as he watches the flames burn. “Every Outsider’s dangerous. They’re violent. They hurt people…”
I bite down on my tongue to keep from screaming at him. I’m so sick of hearing that lie about Outsiders. That’s what gangs do—twist the truth until the good guys look like the villains.
Tyler nods toward James. “And that Outsider? He’s the most dangerous of all. He took someone from us.”
Oliver’s still looking down, gun in hand, but his fingers curl tighter around it. I can feel the anger coming off him. Russell stops messing with the cards. His head snaps up at his brother’s words.
“There used to be four of us. Did you know that?” Tyler’s eyes lock onto James. “I never got the name of the Outsider who killed my brother Kevin. But I sure as hell remember his face.”
The blood drains from James’s face. His whole body goes stiff.
Kevin. I remember that name.
The first man James ever killed. The one who tortured him when he was just a kid. The same man who left scars James doesn’t like to talk about.
“I know what you’re thinking, Outsider. How’d I find out, huh?
How did I know it was James Hill?” Tyler tilts his head, amused.
“Well, when Brandon never showed up with his delivery, I left Denver to go find him. And when I did…? Dead. Two bullets to the head. Dumped in the woods like an animal. And man, let me tell you, it felt like déjà vu, but the bad kind.” Tyler shakes his head.
“Then Aaron missed his delivery too. And when I tracked him down at that pharmacy? Same deal. Two bullets. Right in the head. Shit, I didn’t even go back to Denver after that.
Went straight to find Axel. And guess what?
Dead in a parking lot. Same fucking thing. Two bullets to the head.”
Tyler runs a hand through his hair, his breath coming harder now.
“Two bullets. Every damn time. Nobody does that, nobody shoots twice in the head. You know why? Because it doesn’t make sense.
One shot and it’s done. So who the hell wastes a second bullet?
” He lets out a bitter laugh. “The answer’s simple: nobody.
Nobody, except James Hill. That’s your signature, isn’t it?
” His eyes darken as he looks back at James.
“I’ve heard your name for years. The bloodiest Outsider out there.
And every story ends the same way—two bullets to the head, everybody dead. ”
James grits his teeth around the gag, sweat sliding down his forehead.
“But back then? I didn’t know your name. I just thought you were some nobody who got lucky pulling the trigger on my brother. But when I saw that same pattern here in Colorado, that’s when it hit me. You’ve been doing that since Kevin.”
Tyler stands and walks over to him, fists clenched at his sides.
“When I left Texas, I didn’t think much about Kevin’s death.
But I never forgot one thing. When we found his body, I couldn’t figure out why the Outsider shot him twice in the head.
But now I get it. He was still alive after the first shot, wasn’t he? ”
Silence.
“So, you shot him again. And now you do the same with everyone else.”
Tyler lets the words sink in before he turns to me and takes a step closer.
“When I sent Frank to the fire station, I went with him. There’s a hidden door in the basement that leads to underground tunnels.
That’s how I move through the city, keep eyes on every building.
” He pauses, his eyes locked on me now. “I stayed behind, down in the basement. I heard the last two gunshots and knew Hill had taken out Frank and his men. I was ready to come up and handle the Outsider myself, but then you showed up. You came down the stairs, smiled, and picked up a gold pocket watch that had fallen during the fight. It was dark. You didn’t see me. But I saw you.”
Oh my God.
That’s how he sees everything without being seen. That’s how he controls Denver.