I glared at Rafe. “We’re actually on the same page on this one. I’m definitely not staying with you.”
Jude sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Do you have anywhere else you can stay? Family? Friends?”
I hesitated, then shook my head, feeling like a loser. Who didn’t have anywhere to go? Who didn’t have a single person in the world to act as a safety net when everything went to shit?
“Then Nolan’s right.” Jude shot Rafe a glance that said,Shut up or I’ll kill you. “You should stay with us for a bit, at least until we can send a message to that asshole Vic.”
“I’m not staying with you,” I said. “I have a job, a life. I’ll be fine.”
I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt because the truth was, I didn’t have a life. Not really. I had one very shitty remaining job, zero friends, a family I wasn’t allowed to talk to, and a former boss who was clearly into some very shady stuff.
Nolan swore and took out his phone.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Calling a locksmith,” he said. “At the very least we’re going to replace those shitty locks on your door.”
“I can’t afford a locksmith.”
“You’re not paying,” Jude said.
“I can’t let you?— ”
“No onelets usdo anything.” Rafe’s voice was cold. “We do what we want. The end.”
Somehow his words made me both annoyed and a little turned on. Or maybe I was just tired. Maybe I just wanted someone else to deal with my messy life for once.
The fact that it was the Bastards was a warning sign I ignored.
Stupid me.
15
JUDE
“Think that fucker’s in there?”Nolan asked as I pulled into the parking lot at the Dive.
“I wish.” I pulled the Rover to the front. “But I’m going to take a wild guess and say no.”
The squat one-story building had no windows, but it didn’t take a psychic to know the place was probably empty. Other than the rusty blue Honda — Lilah’s car — parked at the side of the building, the lot was barren, although it had been plowed, snow piled high at the edges.
“Damn,” Nolan said.
I felt his frustration. After seeing what Vic had done to Lilah — chasing her through the snow, practically killing her, forcing her to be scared in her own apartment — I’d been looking forward to an up-close meet and greet.
“It’s better this way,” Rafe grumbled, stepping out of the car. “We don’t need local trouble — and we especially don’t need local trouble on account of Lilah.”
I had a feeling we were already in trouble on account of Lilah — and not just because of whatever was going on with Vic — but I kept that part to myself.
Nolan and I piled out of the Rover and joined Rafe on the cracked concrete in front of the main entrance, a nondescript wood door that looked as poorly constructed as the rest of the place, so ugly it was an affront to my senses.
“I’m tempted to bust this piece of shit down,” Nolan said, looking at the door. “Make a point."
It wasn’t a bad idea, but kicking in the door at the front of the Dive, which faced the road, wouldn’t be smart. We might be in the mix with Lilah and Vic but no reason to invite more trouble.
“Let’s check the back,” I said, starting for the side of the building.
I was relieved when Rafe fell into step beside Nolan. Captain Sandoval had tamed Rafe for a while, but he’d gotten further away from reason since the incident that had ended our career with the SEALs. We made our own rules now and Rafe was even less inclined than Nolan and I to add more rules to the list.