“Good evening.” I nod back with a big smile, while Brooks next to me just stares. With a nod toward the stage, I add, “Looks good.”
A sort of hum comes from of the back of Billy’s throat. “Are you guys here to check out the competition?” He leans slightly forward and squints.
I take a sip and shake my head. “Nope. Actually, Koslov sent us.”
“That damn Russian,” he mutters.
Shaking my head, I place my beer on the table. “It’s not like that. Someone murdered Hayes. We learned he worked for Vanderberg and understood that you were supposedly in contact with his organization. We just want to know if it’s true before we ask him some questions.”
My palms are wet with sweat, because I don’t know if we’re offending him with this question. Koslov said he was in touch, but if he’s loyal to Vanderberg, we could get in a lot of shit. I plaster a smile on my face to appear nonchalant.
“The accountant?” He rubs his chin with his index finger.
Fuck, this guy immediately knows who Connor is. Why was Layne’s husband involved with so many shady people?
Billy raises his eyebrow and reaches for his whiskey glass. “Are you suggesting Vanderberg had something to do with it?”
The smile falls from my face. “No. No, not that.”
“So you’re not keeping all the options open. That’s not wise, Young.” He chuckles.
Fuck, I’m just bullshitting and it’s not working, but we’re still in the fucking dark. I take a deep breath. “You think I should keep that option open?”
“With a guy like Vanderberg?” He takes a sip of his whiskey and a grin appears on his face. “You’d be stupid not to. Hayes did Vanderberg’s finances. Oh, the shit he must have known…” The Kid wiggles his eyebrows.
“Vanderberg is a real estate businessman?” I act dumb.
A deep laugh rises from his lower abdomen. “Of course. And you only own a few nightclubs.” He winks at me. “You can start asking questions if you want, Young, but remember you’re waking a sleeping dog. It’s your club, your life. But consider whether you’re willing to take that risk.”
“Are you saying…?”
“I’m not saying shit. Your reputation precedes you. I just want you to think things through before acting.” Nonchalantly, he shrugs and brings his glass back to his lips.
I frown. “Are you trying to protect me, or are you trying to protect him?”
“I’m not protecting anyone at all. I’m just saying, checking out the docks is always worth your while.” He takes a sip and then continues, “Those containers can be more interesting than you think. Glad to have had a talk with you.” With a nod to his security guard, our conversation ends.
Brooks and I get up and walk toward the exit of the club. We’re done here.
Outside, Brooks lights another cigarette and I gesture to him. This is the kind of situation where I need one. Thank God my best friend is a chain smoker, because in situations like this I’m on the verge of becoming one myself. “What the fuck was that conversation about?” I raise my eyebrow at Brooks.
“No idea.” He just shrugs.
We smoke the cigarettes in silence, both lost to our thoughts. Then we start our engines and drive home.
Nineteen
Iwakeupearlyin the morning and carefully place my feet on the floor. Kyler is sprawled on his back behind me in the bed. His left hand rests on his chest and the right hangs beside the bed. The sheets fall to just below his navel. I tiptoe to the bathroom where I dress as quietly as I can and brush my teeth. Upon entering the living room, I immediately see Rebel peacefully asleep on the couch. A cascade of hair, spread across the pillow, partially obscures her face, and only the tip of her nose is visible from beneath the blanket. A smile appears on my face. On a stray piece of paper, I write a note to her.
Carefully, I place it on the coffee table. At the outer door, I put on my shoes and open the locks as gently as I can. Then I step outside.
Once I’m on the walkway, I close my eyes and breathe in deeply. I hop down the stairs and walk around the bar, deeper onto the property of the Renegades. It’s almost exactly the same as I remember it. The terrain is gently rolling and covered in grass, which is quite barren at the moment because of the drought. First, I visit my parents’ grave, which is in the small cemetery at the back of the property. It’s been ten years or more since I’ve been here, as I haven’t set foot on this property since I left. I wipe some dry sand off the graves and sigh.
“They took good care of you,” I say as I sit my butt down in the grass and start telling them about Rebel, my life over the past ten years, and what happened a few months ago.
When I have nothing more to say, I get up and leave the cemetery. When I pass through the imposing cast-iron gate, Iturn left, eager to see if Kai and Abby’s house was exactly as I remember it.
While walking over, one memory after another comes to mind. How we used to play soccer here as kids; Kyler, Paxton, and me. Sometimes Jack and Lizzy were there too, but after their father died, they moved away. We never saw them again after that.
