“Of course.”
Something about the grins on their faces feels like I’m watching deals being made between devils.
“Very good.” Tate steps back, and two teenage boys come into view.
One has darker hair than the other, and when his eyes meet mine, I freeze. My tongue swells in my mouth as I recognize the boy I caught smoking behind the feed store last month when we were in town moving the first load of our things. The one who took the fall for me with the video game.
I still can’t believe I didn’t just turn back around and explain to the store owner what happened. It was a simple mistake that had nothing to do with me.
Has it really come to this? I fear my father’s wrath enough to commit a crime and let someone else take the fall?
Guilt swells in my chest as I frown at him, but he doesn’t look the least bit upset. If anything, I swear he’s smirking.
“This is my son, Kincaid.” Tate shoves one brother forward.
Kincaid’s eyes glow as they sweep me and my sister over. He must be my age. His brown hair shines copper in the sun, and his grin is perfectly white.
“And this…” Tate shoves the dark-haired boy forward. “This is my stepson, Dean.”
Dean.
I roll that name over in my mind. The boy who took the fall for me.
I dare to look up at him when he steps forward, and I find that he hasn’t taken his eyes off me. The corner of his mouth lifts in a devious smile.
He’s trouble, like the kind I recognized the first time I laid eyes on him. Trouble I can’t afford if I want to stay in my father’s good graces.
Trouble I might like.
4
Chaos
The only time I’veentered a church bearing a cross was to attend my mother’s funeral. The rest of my time spent praying is here, around an oak table with my brothers in their seats. This is my holy ground.
Steel is the last one to take his seat, which is rare. As the club’s president, he makes a point of being the first one to arrive. Today, his grumble tells me he’s on edge. And when his gaze skims the room, irritation pulls between his brows. With one hand, he pats the pocket he used to keep his cigarettes. It’s been a while since he quit, but patting that pocket is a habit he’s yet to kick.
Steel’s eyes stop on Venom for a beat. He’s at Legacy’s side, seated across the table from me. These meetings are usually locked down to ranked members, but since he was at the motel with me and Soul, Steel wants a full report.
“A shoot-out.” Steel wipes his palm down his face, tipping his gaze up to the ceiling while he tries to compose himself. “At a fucking motel in downtown Vegas.”
“They shot first.” Soul chuckles, and Steel levels him with a gaze that proves why he’s feared by every other club in the country.
Not that it fazes Soul.
“Just saying.” He shrugs.
“Fuck.” Steel leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I was clear. With the Feds up our ass and Zane trying to pin us for the Iron Sinners, we need to keep a lid on this kind of shit.”
“Cops were still five minutes out when our guys cleared out of the area,” Ghost says, leaning back in his chair. “We should be good.”
That relaxes Steel’s shoulders the slightest, even if it’s clear he’s still pissed when his eyes land on me. “Who’s the girl bringing trouble to the club?”
“An old friend.”
His gaze drifts to the window that separates church from the rest of the club. The bar is in clear view through the blinds. Willa sits on one of the barstools, drinking a beer, when I specifically told the guys not to serve her anything but water. I shouldn’t be surprised when the girl can get just about anything she wants.
She meets my gaze through the glass and smirks. Lifting the beer to her lips, she sticks her middle finger out as she takes a sip, flipping me off.
