Page 15 of Fallen Flame

“Stick with ‘we’re dating.’ You don’t need to clarify.”

“I’m nervous.”

“That doesn’t mean you get to tell the entire clubhouse about our sex life.”

Lark leaned toward me, even though she was standing at least six feet away, and stage-whispered, “I think we all knew.”

I stared at her. She smiled sweetly, and I looked away before anyone noticed the corner of my mouth trying to lift.

Jude wrapped his arm around Ever’s waist and pulled her against his side. “I’m not worried about your mom.”

“Of course not. Mom has always liked you more than she likes me,” Ever reasoned.

“Your dad’s the problem.”

Ever frowned. “My dad loves you, too.”

“He did.”

“He still does.”

Jude lowered his voice, but the room was quiet enough that everyone heard him anyway. “He might feel differently when I walk in as your boyfriend.”

Ever studied him, then reached up and laid her hand against his cheek. “He won’t.”

“You sure?”

“I’m positive.” Her smile widened. “And if he does, Mom will beat him with a wooden spoon until he changes his mind.”

Jude’s shoulders finally relaxed.

“There,” Lark announced. “Crisis solved. We can go now.”

Wrecker held up one hand. “Nobody is going anywhere yet.”

Lark sighed. “We were making progress.”

“You were making noise.”

“Noise is how progress starts.”

Dad coughed into his fist, but I caught the grin he was trying to hide. Mom elbowed him lightly.

Ever released Jude’s hand and turned back to Wrecker. “The Dairy Bar is my responsibility. Mom and Dad own it, but I run it every day. I know what equipment is there, what inventory we had, what needs to be replaced, and what can probably be saved.”

“And I work there,” Lark added. “It’s my job, too.”

Wrecker looked from Ever to Lark. “The Northbound Reapers are still out there.”

“We know,” Ever said.

“Do you?” His voice hardened. “Because yesterday should’ve made it real clear that they don’t care where they make a move or who gets caught in the middle.”

The room lost the last of its humor.

Nobody needed Wrecker to explain what had happened. The image of the Dairy Bar filled my head anyway. Broken glass. Overturned tables. Blood on the floor.

The Dairy Bar had always been one of those places that felt safe because it had been around forever. Kids celebrated birthdays there. Families crowded into booths after baseball games. Club members stopped in for burgers, fries, and shakes so often that Ever had stopped asking what half of us wanted.