Clint scratches the gray stubble on his cheek. “What are you doing here, Finn?”
“I moved here. It’s not safe outside. Fucking Defenders everywhere.”
“You never wanted to be a Raider. How many times did Derek catch you trying to escape?”
“Turns out the grass isn’t greener on the other side.”
Clint smiles with that missing tooth of his. “Ain’t that the truth.” He crosses his legs. “When was the last time you saw Derek?”
It takes everything I have to keep my face blank. “A long time ago.”
“When?”
“When I escaped, after he tied me to a tree so he could ambush a convoy.”
“He tied you to a tree so you could stay away from combat—like you wanted.” His eyes slide down to my crotch. “And you were fine holding your end of the bargain from what I remember.”
I don’t bite, and I don’t try to deny it.
Clint says, “I know about your escape and how pissed off Derek was. I might’ve split up with my old gang before that, but my brother and I kept in touch whenever we could. Imagine my surprise when I got a letter a little over a year ago saying that you suddenly returned to him.” He leans forward with his elbows on his knees. “He didn’t even need to capture you or nothing—you just showed up one day. He wrote to me he was suspicious, so he was going to keep you in a cage for a while and get a better sense of the situation. It just so happened that I wasn’t so far from Derek’s location at the time, so I took my men up north to find my brother. You see, I was also suspicious about your return, little Finn, ’cause I could always tell you were a thinker.” He shakes his head. “Always be careful of thinkers. That’s why I only work with dumbfucks.”
The man guarding the door chuckles.
“It took me a while, but I managed to find my brother and his gang. They were too close to Unity’s territory, which didn’t surprise me with how careless Derek was. All I found were corpses. Some were already half-eaten by animals, but I could still identify Derek and your parents. Your pretty mom was shot right in her left tit. The cage that Derek mentioned in his letter was there, but the one thing missing wasyou.” He leans back,his fingers tapping on his knees. “Care to tell me how it all went down?”
I don’t, but I’m not getting out of this alive unless I make him believe me.
“We were attacked by Defenders. I was in the cage, and when the fighting stopped and I was the only survivor, they let me go.”
“Even though you were also a Raider?”
“I didn’t tell them that, obviously. My back was covered, and I was in a cage, so they thought I was a captive.”
“Then it was just a coincidence that you suddenly returned to Derek, and a couple of days later, he’s dead?”
“Yes. I could have died just as easily when the Defenders attacked.”
“I see. And whydidyou return to him?”
“I… I didn’t find anywhere to settle down. One place was fine, but someone noticed my tattoo, so I had to escape. I figured I’d better stick with what I know.”
He laughs and smacks his knee. “What you know? You mean spreading your legs? Nah, you’re lying to me.” He grabs my shirt and pulls me close, his breath thick with the scent of liquor. “There’s no chance in hell you decided to go back to Derek on your own, and the fact that you tried to lie about it speaks volumes. It can only mean one thing… you set Derek up.”
“I didn’t!”
He slaps my face. “I ain’t eating the shit you’re trying to sell me. You set my brother up, you and those fucking Defenders. And now you’re here with all these weapons and nova… what’s your plan?”
“Everybody here has weapons!”
He shakes me hard, and when my necklace rattles, he stops. “What’s that?”
“Nothing.”
He reaches inside my shirt and pulls out the pendant. “What’s this shit?”
“It’s nothing. A gift.”
He snorts. “Then why do you look like you’re about to pass out? Must be some hell of a gift.”