“Thanks. I needed to hear that.”
“I understand.” She motioned her head toward the TV as she said, “How ‘bout we start the movie? It might help take your mind off things.”
“That’s a great idea.” As we started toward the sofa, I looked down at Cat as I asked, “What are we going to watch?”
“Encanto!” she answered excitedly. “It’s my favorite.”
“She loves all the songs.”
“We Don’t Talk About Brunois my favorite,” Cat announced.
“It is?”
“Um-hmm.” Cat nodded. “It’s Thatch’s, too.”
“Thatch?”
“The guys call him Viper. He says it’s because they think he’smean as a snake, but he’s not,” Cat explained. “He’s the best.”
“I’ll be sure and remember that.”
“Okay, kiddo. Let’s get this movie going.”
Cat nodded, then plopped down on the sofa. Rebecca placed the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table, then sat down next to Cat. I followed suit and sat down in the recliner next to them, then watched as Rebecca grabbed the remote and started searching for the movie. She was studying the television screen as she said, “Lynch said you came with Kiersten’s dad.”
“I did.”
“I haven’t had a chance to meet him yet, but I’ve heard good things about him.”
“I get the feeling he keeps to himself a lot.”
“So, you don’t know him well?”
“Not exactly.” I wasn’t sure how much I should say, so I tried to keep things simple. “He helped me out of a tight spot.”
“Oh.” She glanced over at me with a confused expression. “I got the impression that you two weretogether.”
“It’s complicated.”
A knowing smile swept across her face. “It always is.”
She turned her attention back to the screen, and after a few more clicks, she found what she was looking for. With a relieved sigh, she started the movie, and it wasn’t long before we were all captivated by the screen. It was nice to have a moment to catch my breath, but sadly, it didn’t last long. I’d just taken my first bite of popcorn when Lynch came to the doorway and announced, “Prez needs to see Everleigh.”
“Is everything okay?” Rebecca asked, sounding concerned.
“Yeah, it’s all good. I’ll have her back in a few minutes.”
I had a feeling Lynch wasn’t being completely honest, but there was no way in hell I was about to question him. He was three times my size with bulging muscles and a fierce expression, so I simply stood and walked over to him. He remained silent as he guided me down the hall to a large wooden door. That’s when my panic set in.
It started with a slight discomfort in my chest, like I’d had too much caffeine, but within a blink, I could hardly breathe. I felt the urge to run, to leave that clubhouse altogether and find a place to hide. The panic grew even stronger when Lynch opened the door, and I saw what was waiting for me inside that room.
Holy hell.
BILLY
The brothers wanted answers,so I gave them answers.
I told them every detail of what happened the night I found Everleigh and how she’d survived the brutal shooting. I even shared how Doc and Viper had come out to my place to give me a hand with her—something Viper clearly hadn’t shared with everyone. I told them all about her experience with DeLuca, including how he’d threatened to kill her father if she didn’t work to cover his gambling debt.