Chapter 5 #2
“You guys heading home?” he asked, glancing between us.
“Not yet. Mark’s got fight night shit to organize, and I still have some things to look into for Rory. I have to find out who the witness is,” I stated, eyeing Marco as he wandered off to talk to Hammer, who was sparring in the cage with Dom.
“Is she doing okay?” Faris asked, making me scoff.
“She’s gotten herself thrown in the hole, but I think she’s okay. Why?”
“I was just asking. It’s weird without her around now,” he chuckled, and I narrowed my eyes, his hands coming up. “Hey, I’m not moving in on her.”
“I’d slit your throat.”
“Very aware,” he said with a small grin. “Are we going to war with the Psychos over this?”
“I honestly don’t have an answer for you. I don’t want to drag the crew into it, but—”
“Hey, I don’t mind taking shots at them over a girl you want. I’d shoot at them over a stolen sandwich,” he laughed, giving me a pat on the shoulder. “I’ve got your back, even if you start a war over a fucking girl.”
“Thanks, man,” I said dryly, pouring myself a glass of whiskey and leaning back against the bar.
“Where’s the rich kid?”
“He’s at Rory’s having dinner with Josie. She’s pretty upset about the house being empty. Caden’s been crashing with Skeet, and Luke and Jense have been at Jensen’s,” I sighed, and he gave me a nudge.
“Why don’t you go and see her? I know it’s not the same, but she might like it,” he suggested, and I shook my head.
“I’ve got shit to do.”
“Like what? Track down a witness? You can do that any time. You deserve to stop for dinner,” he insisted.
“Respectfully, fuck off for the night, okay? Mark can handle the fight stuff, and the rest of us will make sure he doesn’t fuck up his wound in the process.
You let us bail for family business all the time, and she’s basically Donovan’s mom at this point, so go and check in with them. ”
I blew out a breath, giving him the side-eye. “You sure?”
“Positive.”
“Fine. Don’t burn the place down while I’m gone,” I muttered, downing my drink before walking over to Marco. “Hey. I’m heading out to see Josie.”
He gave me a dirty look, but I could tell he was fighting a grin. “So I’m not allowed to have the night off, but you can?”
“You can come too, if you want,” I grumbled, but he tapped the clipboard he had in his hand.
“It’s fine, I want to get the fight schedule sorted before Hammer leaves. You go.”
“If you need me—”
“I won’t shove a needle in my arm in your absence,” he said with a hint of irritation, and I sighed.
“I don’t expect you to. I’m just worried.”
“Don’t be, it didn’t set me back,” he promised, but I knew he was lying. I’d overheard him talking to Tyler about it this morning and how it had been good to feel like that again.
I really had to keep my eye on him.
“You call me if that changes,” I warned, and he waved a dismissive hand at me, turning back to his clipboard.
I motioned to Hammer to watch him before leaving, grumbling as I climbed into my car. I missed my bike, but who knew how long it would take to fix?
The drive was uneventful, and I let myself in at Josie’s, finding her sitting at the kitchen table with Tyler. She glanced up when I walked in, surprise on her face.
“What are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d stop by on my way home. Did Karl make more of that?” I asked, and she quickly got to her feet and walked into the private kitchen, telling Karl to fix me a plate.
I sat down, and Tyler frowned. “Where’s Mark?”
“He’s still at the warehouse. Did Josie get a call from the prison?”
He sighed, his shoulders dropping. “Yeah. We can’t visit her.”
“She was probably defending herself. I doubt she’d fuck it up on purpose,” I assured him, thanking Josie as she brought me a plate and a soda.
“No word from Caden?” I asked carefully, and Josie grimaced.
“He’s downstairs in the gym. I don’t know what to do with that boy.”
“Should I pin him down and tell him she didn’t betray him until he believes me?”
“He’s stubborn and won’t listen. I’m really disappointed in the way Skeeter’s handling it, and it’s not helping Caden. I really thought he’d have her back and help her. I want the truth, Hunter. Did she kill Max?”
I glanced up at her from my food, popping a piece of potato in my mouth and eating it before answering. “No. He’s probably just being a snake underground. There’s no proof a murder even occurred, so whoever claimed to have seen it is lying. You really think Rory could take down a grown man?”
She eyed me, not believing me in the slightest. “I think everyone underestimates that girl. She’s been through a lot, and desperate people do desperate things.”
“She’s not a murderer,” I said firmly, cutting up some roasted carrot and eating it, hearing a snort as Caden appeared in nothing but his gym shorts with a sweat towel around his neck.
“Get the fuck out of my house, Rivera.”
“At least let me finish dinner first,” I grinned, eating more potatoes.
He fumed silently as he stalked over to the fridge for a bottle of water, glaring at me while he chugged some.
“Caden, enough,” Josie sighed, taking a sip of her wine. “Eat some dinner.”
“I’m not sitting at that table with him. I can’t believe you’re fucking letting him—”
“You will not talk to me like that!” she snapped, surprising all three of us from the way we all glanced at her.
“I understand that you’re hurt and confused, but I’m not your enemy here.
Hunter has been run ragged doing trips back and forth to make sure Rory’s alright.
He claims he and Rory weren’t in a relationship of any kind, so you need to sit down, eat dinner, and be nice for five minutes. Please.”
I shoveled the rest of my food down, pushing the plate back. “Thank you for dinner. I might take my leave. I don’t want to cause a problem.”
“Fucking liar. You love causing problems. Like showing up at the Shed to pick a fight with Skeet,” Caden said with a bark of laughter.
“I confronted him because someone shot Marco and made me crash my bike. Of course I considered our attacker to be Skeeter. He’s a spiteful asshole when he thinks the world’s out to get him.
He didn’t do it, so I have no further reason to be a problem.
If you were smart, you’d stay away from him.
You don’t understand how dangerous things are right now.
If it wasn’t Skeet shooting at us, it was the Soldiers, which means they’re making moves.
Do you understand there’s a war going on? ”
“If you stopped—”
“I’m not even the problem here, the Soldiers are.
Stay home so your damn mother doesn’t have to lie in bed at night wondering if you’ve been gunned down somewhere,” I snapped, turning to leave.
Josie called after me but I kept walking, almost making it to my car before Tyler grabbed my arm and stopped me.
“Dude, slow down. I’m coming with you.”
“You really need to stay here too, man. I meant what I said to Caden. Shit is going down, and you don’t want to be caught up in it,” I warned, shaking him off.
“We’re already caught up in it. Besides, I can’t sleep by myself,” he huffed with embarrassment, and I scrubbed a hand over my face before looking at him.
“You really need some sleeping pills.”
“I’ll pay you.”
“Jesus Christ, I don’t want your money. Go get your keys, I’ll wait,” I said in defeat, getting a suspicious look in return.
“You promise?”
“Yes. You’re getting the nickname Velcro,” I growled, crossing my arms and leaning back against my car to show I was waiting.
He narrowed his eyes but took off to grab what he needed, the garage door opening soon after so he could back his car out.
I grumbled about clingy assholes as I climbed behind the wheel of my car, rolling the window down to talk to him when he was beside me.
“We’ll head to mine. You lead so I can keep an eye out for anyone who might follow us.”