“I’m not your fuckingbro, Derek. I never was.”
“My father treated you like his own son. You were part of our family,” Derek says.
“Until I wasn’t. Besides, the price of being part of that family turned out to be way too high.”
I dash into the garage and move to the utility sink to get some paper towels for Remy’s bloody lip and nose, grabbing some from the dispenser and wet them. While I’m wringing them out, my gaze falls on a wadded-up piece of fabric on the counter laying behind some oil cans like it was tossed there.
Blue and white floral.
The blood drains from my face.
Flashing before my eyes is the memory of a man in a ski-mask jumping over my bar with a blue and white floral pillowcase in his gloved hands, collecting patrons’ wallets.
The garage around me spins, and when I stare at my brothers, all my illusions shatter.
Walking in a dream state, I return to the three men.
“Yeah, shewillsee me, and you won’t do a damn thing about it. If I find out you do anything to her, you’ll deal with me.Understand?” Keno growls in a deadly voice I’ve never heard him use before.
Derek is still playing peacemaker, standing between Keno and Remy, who is now leaning over the trailer, blood dripping from his face.
I pass him the paper towels without a word, then move to Keno. “Let’s go. It’s not worth your time.”
Keno nods and takes my hand, and we head to the truck. He opens my door and then goes around to the driver’s side.
I glance through the rear window.
Derek puts a hand on Remy’s shoulder, but he shoves Derek off.
Keno slides behind the wheel, and we pull out without a word. He glances in the rearview mirror, then meets my eyes.
“Don’t expect me to apologize.”
“I don’t,” I say.
The entire ride across town to my place, I turn the implications over in my head. If Remy and Derek are part of that ring, they have at least one other man. The new guy who’s been working for them? Probably.
If they’re the ones who’ve been robbing places, then they robbed the Gaslight knowing I worked there. They shot off two rounds, knowing I was standing right there, and maybe worst of all, one of them shot the VP of the Royal Bastards months ago, and Rock wants them dead.
They’ve been trying to find them, and if Keno puts it together, the club will kill my brothers.
I’ve already lost my mother and father. Could I bear to lose my brothers, too?
My heart is pounding in my chest, and I roll my window down.
Keno glances over. “You okay, babe?”
“I need some air.”
He turns in the alley behind the bar, and we unload my bike. I chain it up under the fire escape, and Keno steps to me, his hands landing on my hips.
“If they give you trouble, call me. I’ll deal with them. Understand?”
“Yes.”
“You okay?”
“Fine.” I manage a smile.