I couldn’t stop my face from twisting.“That, uh… tastes like alcohol.”
Raven burst out laughing.“That is a very accurate description.”
Alice poured herself one and announced, “I’m about to kick all your butts at pool,” before strutting off toward the table like she’d already won.
“What were you two talking about?”Mom asked, glancing between Raven and me.
“Raven said she knew Ender and I were going to end up together,” I said.
Mom looked at Raven, mock-offended.“And you didn’t think to cluemein on that?”
Raven shrugged.“Didn’t want to jinx it.I just liked the idea of Ender and Clove.”
Mom lifted her glass and clinked it against Raven’s.“I like it, too.”
I took a longer drink this time, the burn not bothering me nearly as much.Raven and my mom were okay with me and Ender.That mattered more than I realized.
All I needed now was for Ender to walk out of church and tell me the Northbound Reapers were handled.
If only.
Chapter Thirty-One
Ender
Brinks, Thorn, and Nickel were already seated.
They didn’t look hurt.Didn’t look rattled.Didn’t look like men who’d just walked into another club’s territory and barely made it out.
They looked the same.
That should’ve been good.
It didn’t feel good.
Wrecker didn’t waste time.He never did when things mattered.
“Let’s get right fucking into it.”His voice cracked through the room like a starter pistol.Everyone shut up completely.
He nodded once at Nickel.“What the fuck happened?”
Nickel leaned back in his chair, arms folding over his chest.Too calm.Too measured.I hated it.“Not a whole fucking lot,” he said.“We got there around seven last night.It was Yogi and three other members.Crank, Jester, and Sheen.”
A ripple went through the room.
“Only four total?”Slayer asked.
Nickel tilted his head.“Yes.But also no.”
Brinks leaned forward, elbows on the table.“The club’s mostly fucking nomads.”
“How many?”Fox asked.
“From the sounds of it?”Brinks shrugged.“Over thirty.Spread all over.Pipeline jobs.Security gigs.Running wherever the fuck the money is.”
“Jesus Christ,” Wrecker muttered.
Nickel nodded.“Yeah.Pretty fucking crazy.”