“Are you surprised?” Cass grabbed my hand before I could hop out of theBronco.
“I couldn’t be more surprised if I woke up in the morning with my head sewn to the carpet.” I shot her awink.
“Okay, Clark Griswold,” she teased, following me out of thecar.
Handing me a beer, Nate slapped me on the back. “Happy birthday,man.”
“Thanks.” I cracked open the can, taking a long swig. “It’s just like oldtimes.”
Cassidy had no idea how hard it was for me to have a birthday, let alone celebrate it like we used to so many years ago. It made me miss my brother so much and feel guilty that I was alive to see another year while he was six feet under. My mind tripped back to all the parties Cameron used to throw in this very field as we were growing up, the dirt still etched with the countless times he’d stupidly done donuts in the Bronco after a few too many. I could hear his voice echoing in my head, telling me to suck it up and enjoy the night, but I fucking missed him, some times more thanothers.
Reading me, Nate held his beer high in the air, pouring a little out. “He’s here with us, man—don’t forgetthat.”
I gave him a quick hug. “Yeah, you’reright.”
Nate’s eyes were glassy and his pupils were dilated to three times their normal size. I could tell he was on something, but it wasn’t the time nor the place to bring that shit up again. I’d have to figure out another way to make him open up to me aboutit.
Glancing over my shoulder, I checked to make sure Cass was with Emily and Fletch as Buck and Mac walked up to join Nate andme.
Right as I was about to head over to them, a sight for sore eyes came into view. Ryder, Raine, Bear and Scarlett were walking over with shit eating grins on theirfaces.
“Y’all were in on this too?” I hooked my arm around Ryder’s neck, squeezing hard. “I could kill you guys for not giving me a headsup.”
Raine nodded over to Cassidy. “Your little lady would have shot us all dead if we had spilled thesebeans.”
“How’s little Abel doin’?” I asked, getting them allbeers.
“Good. Home with Crickett for some grandma time. Growing like a fucking weed,” Ryder replied with a proud look plastered on hisface.
I hugged them all and shot the shit with my friends for abit.
“Hey guys! Y’all made it!” Mac and Buck greeted the presidents of the other charters and their old ladies with quickhugs.
“Happy birthday, brother.” Mac bumped his can tomine.
“Guys, can you give us asecond?”
“Sure thing.” Bear’s large hand landed on my top of my back. “It is really good to see you, brother. With or without a cuton.”
I watched as the group walked out of earshot before I growled at my former president and his new VP. “That shipment is still at the goddamned warehouse. Care to fucking fill me in,brother?”
Buck put his hand on my shoulder. “Nothing to worry about. I’ll handle it. Let’s just have a good night. I’ll figure out that mess in themorning.”
“I would be having a better night if I didn’t have stolen narcotics in my warehouse where my drug-addicted brother-in-law fucking works.” I was pissed, and I wanted them to knowit.
“It’ll be handled, you have my word, and you’ll be compensated for the extra storage time,” Buck saidcoolly.
“It’s not about the money and you fucking know that,” I bellowed before crushing the rest of the Budweiser in my hand, letting the can fall to the loose dirt next to my boot. “You have until Friday before I handle itmyself.”
Right as Mac was about to jump to Buck’s defense, an unmarked, blacked-out van crashed through the gate like a bat out of hell. Before I knew what was happening, a machine gun was blasting off, trying to mow down everyone in the field. Return fire from most of the men scared the van away, but I watched in horror as Cassidy was pulled into Fletch’s arms and he covered her and hiswife.
The episode was over as quickly as it started, and I rushed to Cass’s side, time speeding back up to normal after seeming to decelerate to slow motion. She was holding her bleeding side, collapsed in Fletch’sarms.
“Baby, oh my god.” I pulled her to me, screaming, “Who the fuck wasthat?”
Ryder and Bear hurried to my aid, helping me check Cassidy for otherwounds.
The crowd gathered around as everyone else checked to make sure there were no other casualties. I didn’t care. I leapt to my feet and into my truck as fast as Icould.
