“She has you wrapped around those delicate fingers of hers.”
“She sure does,” he agreed without shame. “Just like you got Drew around yours.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that.”
Deeks chuckled. “He already knows it, kid. He just ain’t telling you.”
“You bikers and your reverse psychology.”
The guffaw that came from him was cut short, and every person in the diner seemed to drop into a crouch in perfect unison as an almighty explosion of sound rent the air just beyond the open doors.
Chapter Thirty-Three
DREW
The screech that poured out from the diner had me jumping more than the car backfiring just beyond the parking lot had. Every man around me flinched, their heads spinning in the general direction of the bang as their hands shot to their guns.
The collective sigh of relief was almost as loud as the laughter that followed as everyone closed their eyes and remembered to breathe. I’d been standing next to Slater and Kenny, and it was only when I let myself relax that I saw Kenny had, in the split second of the bang, moved to stand in front of me. It had been a move that said more than he realized, and when he slowly turned to look at me with his slashed eyebrow raised, I found myself smiling warmly at him, while the music and party carried on behind us.
“You okay?” he asked with a little embarrassment tainting his voice as he ran his hand up the back of his neck.
I smiled wider, raising a hand to his arm and squeezing it tight. “Thank you, brother.”
“I didn’t—”
Not wanting to make him feel any more awkward than he did, I turned to Slater, cutting Kenny off as I slapped my sarge’s arm. “Nice to know you care, dick.”
Slater laughed roughly, his chest bouncing. “It was a fucking car. Don’t be dramatic.”
“Whatever.” I smirked and shook my head. “Any sign of the others?”
The three of us looked back out at the roads of Babylon. To anyone else it would have looked like a band of brothers who were celebrating. Each of us had a beer in our hand and a smile on our faces. The mood had been set, and we were all playing our parts. I could feel the tension rippling down everyone’s spines, though. I could feel them pulling on my conscience, demanding me to react quickly if I needed to.
“Not a thing. Moose has been on a run to check the town out. Stones went with him. A couple of the prospects have headed back to The Hut to make sure no one tries to get in there while we’re all out here. We’ve got guys taking trips here and there without it looking like we’re scouting the place. So far, there’s nothing, Drew.”
“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath.
“You’re absolutely sure it was a Nav you saw that day?”
I glared at him. “I’d bet my life on it.”
“Please, whatever you do, don’t bet your life on anything. That always, always, always ends badly.” He closed his eyes and groaned in the back of his throat.
“Now who’s being dramatic?”
The roar of engines pulled our attention back to the road again, with Kenny standing taller and Slater taking a sip of his beer, ever the guard dog in control. The silence between us was thick as we let the bikes approaching sing to us, trying to recognize their sound.
“Relax,” Slater eventually said. “It’s our guys.”
“Fuck, I’m so edgy,” Kenny wheezed out, spinning toface us and rubbing his forehead roughly as he glanced down at his feet.
“It’s understandable, brows. You’ve got two reasons to be pissed tonight. But don’t worry, we’ll figure this shit out with Sloane and then what happens with the—”
“I still can’t believe you’re fucking a high school kid,” Slater said through a chuckle.
“For fuck’s sake, Slate,” I breathed, turning to glare at him again.
“I’m not fucking her, asshole,” Kenny spat back, taking an urgent step forward only to be blocked as I pressed my hand against his chest. “Are you serious? After what she’s been through?”
