“You good, man?” I asked before we got out of the car.
“Yeah, I guess I’m a little nervous. I’ve never been to anything like this, and I don’t know what to expect,” he admitted.
“Nothing to worry about. They’re just going to talk. No one’s going to start shooting in broad daylight.”
We followed the group into a small diner that was roughly a block or so from where Copper was meeting Luca. “You guys order something to eat and wait here. If things go downhill, I’ll send a signal to Bronze. If that does happen, follow his orders and be mindful of the general public. The main goal is to get out of there as quickly and safely as possible; we can worry about retaliation later if it even comes to that.” With that, Copper, Judge, and Batta walked out the front door and climbed on their bikes.
46
Avery
Itossed and turned all night. When my mind finally stopped running in overdrive long enough for me to fall asleep, my thoughts haunted my dreams. Thankfully, Braxton only woke up once and that was because his pajamas were soaking wet after his fever broke.
“Mommy, where’s Kellan?” Braxton asked when he woke.
“I’m not sure. How is your tummy?” I asked.
“Good,” he said and wrinkled his forehead. After a moment, he announced, “I’m hungry.”
“Okay, let’s try some toast for breakfast.”
“Can it be cinnamon toast? Please.”
“Sure, sweetie. Let’s go see if Riley, Nana, and Papa are up.”
I wasn’t surprised to find my dad and Riley in the kitchen. Dad had always been an early riser and Riley loved mornings. While Braxton was distracted by my father, I quickly peeked outside to see if Kellan’s truck was in the driveway, and my stomach sank when I saw that it wasn’t.
“He left last night, peanut,” he said quietly. “Did something happen between you two after we went to bed?”
I shook my head. “Nothing that was his fault.”
“A lot happened yesterday. No one would blame you if you needed some time to process everything.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said and started making breakfast for the kids.
A few hours later, the doorbell rang and I was surprised to see Leigh standing on my porch. “Sorry to stop by unannounced, but I need some help preparing a big meal at the clubhouse. Layla was supposed to help me, but she woke up sick this morning. Any chance you’re free?”
“Uh,” I mumbled and glanced over my shoulder. “The kids are here, so—”
“Your mother and I can watch the kids for a few hours,” my father interrupted. “Leigh’s been such a big help to all of us. I’m sure you’re itching to repay the favor.”
I was. I would’ve felt awful if I’d had to tell her I couldn’t help. “I just need to put on my shoes and grab my purse,” I told Leigh.
When we arrived at the clubhouse, I was surprised to see the parking lot empty. The few times I’d been there with Kellan, there were several bikes and a few cars parked out front. “Is anyone here?”
“Yeah,” Leigh replied quickly. “The clubhouse is never completely empty.”
I wasn’t sure I believed her when we walked inside and it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Leigh continued on through the clubhouse as if everything was as it should be.
“Avery, you remember my niece, Harper?” she asked as we entered the kitchen.
“Hi,” Harper waved.
I smiled and nodded. “Of course, I do. What brings you to Devil Springs?”
She gave me a small smile and cut her eyes to Leigh. “Avery,” Leigh started and clasped her hands together. “I sort of lied to you, and for that I’m sorry. Layla is sick, and I could use some help, but that’s not the reason I asked you to come to the clubhouse with me today.”
Her confession caught me by surprise, but I knew Leigh wasn’t the kind of person to do anything with malicious intent. “Okay, well, why did you ask me to come with you?”
