But what if Snake tried to rob the place and pin it on me? I’d have to tell the brothers to step up the surveillance on the junkyard. What a fucking mess.
“You okay?” Knight asked. “That was some intense chat I interrupted.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Snake’s in trouble, and he’s bringing it to my door. Wants me to save his ass or go down with him.”
“Shit, you can’t let yourself get dragged into that bullshit.”
“I know.”
Knight waved Leo over. “Two more beers.”
Leo grunted in acknowledgment and reached for fresh pint glasses. I pushed my plate away, no longer hungry enough to finish my fries.
My greasy dinner sat like a rock in my gut.
“What do you want to do?” Knight said. “Talk to Matteo?”
“He knows, more or less,” I said. “I told him Snake was up to no good. He agreed not to place him with the Forresters, but he’s getting desperate now.”
Knight nodded. “He got kind of pushy about the roommate thing. I had to tell him someone else already moved in. I don’t think he bought it.”
“Nah, he didn’t,” I said. “Did Ren work out?”
The brothers had asked around, but it was Shiloh who’d come up with the best lead. Ren was a student teacher doing his classroom training at Riverton Elementary.
“Yeah, but he’s only here through the end of the school year. I’ll have to find someone else this summer.”
“Shit, that’s too bad.”
“It gives me time to figure out a better option, though,” Knight said. “Thanks for sending him my way.”
“No prob. If Shiloh likes him, he’ll be a good guy.”
“He keeps to himself, but that’s fine by me. I wouldn’t want to get mixed up with someone so young. Er, no offense.”
I laughed, unbothered. “I got over the age thing. Bailey gets me, and I get him. I think that is what’s important, you know? He’s still young, but he’s not naïve. He grew up in foster care, and his brothers have been through some shit. Bailey has lived in that shadow, but it’s like he shines right through it. Does that make any sense?”
“That you’re stupid in love with this guy? Hell yeah, it makes a lot of sense. But then, I already knew that.”
“Oh, shut it,” I complained as Leo delivered our beers. “I don’t know why I talk to you.”
He chuckled. “I’m happy for you, man. You deserve to be happy.”
I smiled uncertainly. “I’m trying to accept that.”
He clapped my back. “That’s a good first step.”
CHAPTER 22
Bailey
I crammed halfa slice of gooey cheese, Canadian bacon, and pineapple into my mouth with a half-starved groan.
“Ew,” Iris said, wrinkling her nose.
I hummed happily while I chewed and swallowed. “You’ve got no taste. If my girl Nova were here, she’d tell you that the tang of the pineapple complements the saltiness of the Canadian bacon, and?—”
“Makes your spunk taste better?” Sebastian cut in.
