Mustang Sally came up behind them and hugged them both tight.“It was tough getting past those bumps, but now…we’re home free.”
“Keep fighting, Walker.You won’t be sorry.”Eli made room for Sally to join him and Alanso.Together, the three of them were the poster children for his wildest fantasies.
“What’s the problem?”Ms.Brown asked quietly.
“Joy and Dane know my father.They should understand what he’s capable of and what lengths he’ll go to in order to get what he wants.I’m afraid that being with me makes them—and Arden—targets.Besides, the two of them are so much…better…than me.In every way.They deserve to be happy and together, without me to fuck that up or drag them down to my level.Hell, I just screwed my own stepsister and loved every second of it, for god’s sake.Who does that?”
Ms.Brown cringed.Though apparently not only at his language or his Hulkish mannerisms.Because she said, “Careful who you offend, dear.”
“You know there was a time when I would have called Eli my brother, right?”Alanso asked, his Cuban accent thickening as it did when he got heated, not that it happened often.
“Yeah.But that’s different,” Walker responded reflexively.
“How?”Eli asked.“My dad adopted him.And Sally.And all the rest of the Hot Rods.And here we are, getting it on.It took me a long time to move past that too, I swear.In fact, I almost waited too long and drove Alanso away.Even after he and I stumbled across the Powertools crew leading by example, I still resisted.Don’t make the same mistakes I did.Save yourself that pain.Keep Joy and Dane from experiencing it, too.Because they love you even if they haven’t told you so and youwillhurt them if you keep going down this road.”
Tom and Ms.Brown nodded, beaming with pride over their son.He’d turned into a hell of a leader.Could Walker really follow his example?
Before he could express more of his deep-seated doubts, a shrill ring cut through their conversation.Amber bounced Noah when he roused at the sound.
Walker looked to Gavyn, along with everyone else.
“That’s the shop phone.I have it forwarded here after hours.Let the machine get it.”Gavyn waved them off.“We have more important things to do right now.Like getting you three back on track.”
Except when the answering service kicked in, the voice projected through the home automation system was familiar…yet…not quite right.The person speaking was in distress or—more likely—nervous because they were inexperienced at being a soldier in Angus’s wars.
“Hi.My name is Rivet.I’m looking for some, uh, friends of mine named Joy, Walker, and Dane.I heard you might know them.I really need to talk to them.”
Everyone stared at Walker.Including Gavyn, who said, “You going to get that?”
“Fuck no!”he roared.“I don’t want anything to do with Angus and his pissant club members.”
Rivet, one of the young up-and-coming guys—hell, hardly more than a skinny-ass boy, really—hesitated, then continued.“It’s important.Please.Please tell them I need their help.”
“Are you sure we can’t answer that for you?”Quinn asked, clearly uncomfortable turning away someone who sounded like they were scared and probably in danger.That was exactly the reaction Angus would try to elicit.
“No fucking way.”Walker sliced his hands through the air.
“There’s something I need to tell them.It’s urgent.I don’t know how much time I have left before I have to go back or I get caught…” Another pause before Rivet continued in an even more hushed tone.
Damn, he was good at this.Angus had probably sprung for some acting lessons.Or maybe Clive was standing there with a baseball bat, threatening to break Rivet’s legs if he didn’t lure the three of them and Arden away from Hot Rides, where they’d been safely entrenched for weeks.
“I don’t have a number where they can reach me without someone listening in.I’ll try again if I can and in the meantime, I’ll be at the burger joint in the center of Middletown for a couple more hours this afternoon.Then I’ll have to disappear for a while, if it’s not too late by then.Please.Please tell them.You’re my only shot.”Rivet took one last shaky breath, then hung up.
Everyone in the room gawked at Walker, waiting for him to explain.
Of course, that’s when Joy must have showed up because she called from the hallway.“Walker?Is that Rivet?Is he here?”
She jogged into the room, whipping her gaze around, her hair nearly as wild as her eyes.
“No, that kid was leaving a voicemail.”Kyra went to Joy and put a steadying hand on her back.
“Forget you heard that bullshit.”Walker crossed his arms.“Angus is playing dirty.He knows you’ll fall for Rivet’s act because you’re soft.”
Joy lunged for him.If Trevon and Wren hadn’t intervened, she probably would have blackened his other eye to prove him wrong.“I’m tougher than you think, Walker.Strong enough to say…that’s it.I’m done with you.You’re not the man I thought you were.”
“I’ve been trying to tell you that for years, Joy.”It still crushed him that she’d finally realized it.
“If Rivet needs help, I’m going.”She stood up straighter.“I know what it’s like to be desperate to escape Wildfire and that whole life.Rivet has even more reason…”