Chapter 25
brIAR
The squad returned to the farm the next morning. Apparently they didn’t pick up on any suspicious activity for the rest of the night and morning.
It felt much safer having everyone back together. I understood why John said that the home is where the squad is. I’d never felt like I truly belonged anywhere more than I do with them. It solidifies that it’s not the places we find our home in, it’s the people.
The next few days are spent formulating a plan for drawing out Sub-Rosa and trying to figure out a plan for delivering the message to Callum and what will happen thereafter. I’ve been nervously listening and trying not to let my fear of Callum change my mind about helping them.
He’s a terrible man who needs to be stopped no matter what.
The guys filled me in that his group stationed out here have been responsible for many deaths and even one of their prior squadmates.
The fact that he’s involved in the black market and moving illegal weapons just means he’s going to continue hurting people, and we can’t allow him the chance to do that.
We remain holed up at the farm, continuing surveillance and staying quiet until Bensen gives us the all-clear that we can resume target practice and return to town without bringing danger to the civilians.
As boring as it sounds, it’s actually not so bad.
Movie nights with the squad and tucked in Roman’s arms hasn’t been anything I’ll complain about.
“We’re going out tonight, Squirt.” Roman draws me against his chest. We’re tangled in the sheets and a stream of daylight is filtering in through the tear in the trash bag we have taped over the window.
I long to stay wrapped up in his embrace like this every morning…or afternoon. I have no idea what time it is anymore since we do most things at night now. It’s been a shock to my system, but it’s also been sort of fun to live like a secret agent.
“We are?” I whisper drowsily. Roman brushes his hand over my face, coaxing my eyes open to see his ridiculously handsome face. His morning hair is my favorite, all tousled and soft like he’s a normal guy in a sleepy town.
He nods, eyes barely open like mine are. “Bensen hasn’t seen any activity from Sub-Rosa, and we’re clear to stir things up again in town.” He winks at me, and I chuckle.
“Let’s not cause trouble, but I wouldn’t mind going out. Where to?” I nuzzle into his chest, and he gently holds me. I wish he was this soft around the others. He still puts on that cold front, like he’s indifferent to me when everyone is watching. But at least he isn’t calling me Whoreton anymore.
“The Rose Diner,” he says, and it makes me flinch.
It’s just now occurring to me that it’s called Rose’s Diner. That can’t be a coincidence. I pull away from him and quirk a brow.
Roman smirks. “Smart girl. Exactly what we’ve been thinking, but we haven’t been able to prove shit.
We think it’s their gate, but after all this time we’ve had nothing to show for it.
” He slowly sits up and glances down at me.
“We’re going tonight, and since they’ve been escalating their tactics, it’s time we did too. ”
Oh, I don’t like the sound of that. I frown and sit up. “Escalate how?”
It’s incredibly uncomfortable sitting in the diner after Roman ran me out of it when we first met. We’re all even sitting in the same booth. Although I seem to be the only one who feels weird about it because the guys are as rowdy as ever.
Roman grins at me from across the table, interlocking his foot with mine and making my cheeks flush. God, this man does things to me. My mother would roll over in her grave if she knew this is where I’m at in life right now.
Lana is working again tonight. She looks like a completely different person from the first time I met her. Her eyes are sunken and her hair is frazzled like she’s been skipping brushing it. Has she been crying?
My stomach drops as she sets down six coffee mugs for us. I catch eyes with her, and she’s just as venomous, giving me a glare that sinks below my flesh and into my bones.
Did she know one of the men killed in the field?
I haven’t built the courage to ask Roman if he killed any of them.
I know he likely did, and it wouldn’t change my opinion of him given that he already showed me the guy he killed in the lake.
But now that I’m seeing her state, I wonder who they were as people.
What could’ve led them down this dark path?
“I’ll be back to take your orders,” she says with a raspy voice. Her eyes connect with John’s before she walks back to the kitchen behind swinging doors.
Taylor and Gale stop chatting and Bensen looks at John, nodding. I feel like I’m playing catch-up, trying to follow their nonverbals. But obviously they caught on to the same thing I did.
Roman glances at the kitchen window cutout that overlooks the counter before returning his attention to the table. “It seems safe to say that she’s definitely rooted with them. Just like Hailey.”
I lift my head in surprise. Hailey? “Wait. Is that why she warned me about Grahm? That’s why he…” I let my words trail as I remember how beat up she was. She could hardly even walk to her car. His hoodie I found that had blood on it comes to mind.
My chest constricts.
“Did Grahm do that to her on the night of the party?” I ask, swallowing thickly as I look at Roman. Gale and John are sitting on either side of him with grim expressions.
“I bet it was Hogan. He was known for being rather violent. Grahm just doesn’t seem like he’d get his hands dirty, but he may have helped.
” Roman stares at the mug of coffee in front of him.
None of us have taken a sip. I guess that shows how comfortable we feel eating or drinking here now that it’s pretty much confirmed they are a part of Sub-Rosa.
Lana wouldn’t actually poison us though, would she?
Taylor shifts next to me and stands, lifting his hand to his hip. “We should check it out in the back, Lieutenant.”
Roman nods, and the rest of the squad moves to follow Taylor. I slip out from my seat so Bensen can get up, and then I stand awkwardly by the table.
“I thought we were going to have dinner and escalate, not fully blow the top off this thing,” I whisper shout since the squad is already in stealth mode and pushing through the double doors.
Roman shrugs as he pulls out a little packet. It’s black and has the letters DF on it. He tears the top off it. He pours it into a mug of coffee and I watch as the liquid turns blue. “See that? She started it. We’d all be dead if we took a single sip.”
The blood drains from my face. She really tried to kill the whole squad. I hesitantly lift my eyes to the many windows. It’s getting dark, and the diner is surrounded by fields.
“They aren’t going to do anything with weapons while we’re here, Squirt,” Roman chides.
I shoot him a worried look. “And why the fuck not? This seems like a choice location.” I shudder as a chill runs down my neck. Callum could be out there right now, watching.
“Because Sub-Rosa doesn’t want to draw any attention to their existence.
There’s a reason why they’ve been so tolerant of us in their town.
And that attack in the field the other day?
That was the first time they’ve acted out like that.
There were no establishments besides our auto shop in the area, and Callum must’ve called the order.
They’re not going to damage their own building and draw the eyes of the town to them.
” Roman sounds so sure, and I have to hand it to him, it makes sense—the last thing secret organizations want is any sort of attention.
They want to move in the dark and stay hidden.
“Empty,” Bensen calls out from the kitchen.
Roman nods toward the swinging doors, and I follow him over. We step through and find a pot of boiling water and the back door open.
There’s nothing here that would make me suspect Lana and the chef. It looks like the normal commercial kitchen you’d expect to see in a diner.
Taylor folds his hands behind his head and leans on the metal counter. “Great, that was a wash. But I think it’s safe to say that Lana and the chef are definitely in on it. Whether or not they are actually a part of Sub-Rosa or just crooked civilians remains unclear.”
“I won’t be eating here anymore.” Gale folds his arms and gives the kitchen a disgruntled frown.
Roman shrugs. “Well, let’s go get some food from the gas station before heading back to the farm then. I promised Squirt dinner.” He shoots me a heated look that the others might interpret as a glare. But they don’t know the side of Roman that I do.
After Bensen and John finish ensuring there aren’t any secret doors or a basement in the diner, we all head back to the motorcycles.
I’m embarrassed to admit how much I enjoy clinging to Roman when he drives. It’s an excuse to hold him and rest my head against his back.The helmet keeps me from hearing his heartbeat, but listening to the same song as we ride is a good substitute.
For the drive to the gas station he plays “Titanium” by David Guetta. My lips curl up, and I can’t help but laugh. “Seriously?”
His voice cuts in over the headset. “My hype song.” The amusement in his voice makes me giggle more.
I squeeze him tighter and try to forget that our lives won’t stay this simple and normal for long.
We pull up to the gas station and park on the side of the building that’s not lit up by the streetlights.
It’s the only place to get gas in town, so it’s relatively busy.
A few pickup trucks are parked out front with a handful of people in the backs of them.
Heading to a party I’d presume. I grin because you don’t see this in the city. Only out in the small country towns.
Five of us head in while Taylor hangs back to watch the motorcycles and check his surveillance apps.