Dani checks her watch and sighs. “I hate to run, but my shift starts in less than an hour.”
“Thank you for the pizza,” I say, following her to the door. “And for driving all the way out here to see the new place.”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it,” she says, pulling me into a tight hug. “You’re doing good, Honey. This place is going to be amazing once you work your magic on it.”
I hug her back, trying to absorb some of her confidence. “I hope so.”
“Call me if you need anything.” She steps onto the porch. “And I mean anything, even if it’s just to vent about that shitty landlord. What a piece of work.”
“He was... something,” I agree, watching as she bounces down the steps toward her car.
“Love you!” she calls over her shoulder. “Bye, boys! Be good for your mom!”
The boys wave from the backyard, and then Dani’s gone, her car disappearing down the street.
I take a deep breath, surveying the yard, the house, the van still packed with all of our things. It’s overwhelming, the thought of unloading everything myself, but it’s nothing I haven’t done before.
Walking to the van, I pull open the back hatch and stare at the boxes and bags crammed inside. Most are labeled in my neat handwriting. Kitchen. Tommy & Jackson’s clothes. Books.
I grab the first box labeled Bedding and hoist it into my arms. It’s heavier than I expected, and I stagger slightly under its weight.
Whoa. That was a close one.
Finding my balance, I glance into the back of my overflowing van and sigh.
It’s going to be a long night.
CHAPTER TWO
DREAD
“I gota hundred riding on the Heat tonight,” Reign says, kicking his feet up.
I look over my shoulder at him sprawled in the worn-out recliner I salvaged from the clubhouse when Cora decided to redecorate. “You still betting on basketball?”
Reign shrugs, his eyes not budging from the ESPN highlights playing on the TV mounted on the wall. “Drafter Kong gave me two hundred bucks to bet with just for signing up.”
I shake my head and turn back to my Harley. “Dumbass. Those apps are designed to take your money.”
“Not if you win,” Reign counters, taking a swig of his beer.
The wrench in my hand clangs against the concrete floor as I reach for the new spark plug. My garage is my sanctuary. I’ve got a fridge stocked with drinks, a big screen TV mounted on thewall, and a comfortable recliner to kick back in. It don’t get much better.
I glance out the open garage door at the piece of shit minivan now sitting in the driveway next door. Faded blue paint, a dent in the bumper, and what looks like half of someone’s life packed inside.
“Have you met your new neighbors yet?” Reign asks, following my gaze.
“Nope. They just moved in today.” I turn back to my bike, twisting the spark plug into place. “Hoping they’ll take better care of the place than the last tenants.”
“That wouldn’t be hard,” Reign snorts. “The place looks like something from one of those hoarder shows.”
“No shit. Bringing down property values on the whole fucking street.” I tighten the plug. “Landlord’s a real piece of work, too. Said he’d fix that shithole up after the last people moved out. All he did was slap some paint on the front door and?—”
The words die on my lips when my phone on my workbench starts ringing and vibrating against the metal surface. I groan and rise from my stool, wiping my hands on a rag before I walk over to grab it.
Killer’s name is lit up on the screen.
I sigh. The club’s enforcer has been blowing up my phone lately, worried about me. Like I’m some little bitch who needs looking after.
