Chapter Three
DREW
Iparked the bike outside Wheeler’s hardware store. Ayda had walked across the street with Kenny and was back by my side within minutes. The three of us pushed through the front door, where Wheeler had cleared a section for all my men to stand in while they watched a part of their world go up in flames.
Kenny made his way to stand by Tate’s side, and I didn’t miss the look of relief on Tate’s face when he saw Ayda, but it only lasted a second before his relief turned to sheer anger at the sight of the swellings on her face. I immediately hated myself for not protecting her, and for not protecting him from seeing her that way.
Moose looked like a giant locked in a rabbit hole, and the rest of them looked too dark and full of dirty history to be standing in something as everyday as a small town hardware store. In the middle of all my men stood one man I didn’t expect to see.
Howard Sutton.
Howard’s gaze turned my way. No smile came. No acknowledgment. Just a soft puff of air, which I couldn’t decipher. Was it relief or agitation?
He glanced at Ayda, flinching slightly when he saw the state of her face, and I had to close my eyes to stop myself from looking at her, too. I swore she’d never get hurt under my watch again, and of course, I’d let her the fuck down. Now wasn’t the time for thinking on regrets. I could do that once everyone was safe and back in the home they belonged in. Now I had to figure out what the fuck was going on.
“Chief,” I croaked, clearing my throat and nodding, gripping Ayda’s hand tighter in mine.
“Tucker,” he blew out, shaking his head. He looked and sounded exhausted. “What in the name of Jesus. Tell me you didn’t do this…”
“Do what, exactly?” I scowled, tired eyes narrowing in on him. “Set the whole of Babylon on fire, including my own home?”
“Well, you can’t blame me for asking. I mean—”
“I goddamn can blame you for asking. Don’t you know me at all?”
Howard looked up, blinking slowly and searching my eyes for any sign of a lie. I hoped to God he saw what I was projecting, because I was angry, pissed off, and just as confused as him.
“You don’t know anything about anything. Is that what you’re telling me?” Howard asked carefully.
“I never said that.”
“Right.” He sighed again.
“Who am I talking to right now? Howard Sutton, my friend, or Howard Sutton, the chief of police?”
Sutton glanced back at all the men around him before his eyes landed on Ayda, and then me. “Your friend. I’m your friend.”
“Good, then start fucking acting like it and tell me what’s going on with Slater, Jedd, and Deeks. And what the hell happened to our yard, the old warehouse, and Pete’s place?”
Kenny stepped forward, reluctantly moving away from Tate to stand beside Sutton. “We’ve only just heard through Howard’s radio about Pete’s tree. Is it…?”
“Gone? Yeah. Another memory set alight.”
“And you had nothing to do with it?” Sutton dared to ask again.
I took an angry step forward, only stopping in my tracks when I felt the urgent squeezing of my hand from Ayda.He was just doing his job, that’s what I’m sure she was telling me.Don’t have any regrets. Take a breath. Think, Drew.
“I swear to God, Sutton,” I growled through gritted teeth. “Don’t ask me that question again.”
He had the decency to hold his hands in the air and retreat. “Okay, I believe you. I just had to make sure. You’re sloppy when you’re angry, Drew, and I know what your temper is like. It’s worse than a toddler’s—”
“Chief!” I groaned.
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat. “All we know for now is that random fires have been started at the remains of the old warehouse where The Emps’ attack took place.”
“I’m familiar with it,” I said, low and full of judgment.
“Right.” Sutton inhaled deep, blowing it all out in one quick stream. “The warehouse fire started not long after you left the yard, but everyone here is claiming they know nothing about it. On that, I’m calling bullshit whether you like it or not, Drew. I can tell you’re surprised, but these men behind me didn’t dare look me in the eye when I ask them what happened.” Sutton thumbed over his shoulder at Moose. “And as for that big dope… if ATF or anyone else from my department questions him, they’ll see straight through the fact that he can’t lie.”
