Page 161 of Property of Whiskey

I think about Whiskey.

My stomach does something ridiculous.

“I wouldn’t know.”

Sophie looks directly at me. “Wouldn’t you?”

“No.”

“You’re here.” I stop with the water bottle halfway to my mouth. “You could have bolted.”

Whiskey told them. That son of a bitch.

“He told you?”

“Told Legend. Legend told nobody. Royal overheard. Royal told Becki. Becki told me.”

Becki takes a drink. “Communication.”

“Gossip.”

“Same infrastructure.”

I laugh despite myself.

Then Sophie gets serious. “These men will tell themselves keeping things from you is protection.”

Coming from Sophie, that ain’t theory.

I glance toward Whiskey.

He’s talking to Bullet now, but he checks me once while I’m looking.

“I noticed.”

“They’ll decide for you.”

“Also noticed.”

“They’ll make you so mad you wanna hit them with furniture.”

Becki nods. “Can confirm.”

Sophie looks across the clubhouse at Legend.

“And sometimes they’re right about the danger.”

There is the part I don’t want.

“What do you do with that?”

“Badly.”

I smile. “Not helpful.”

“It ain’t supposed to be helpful.”

Her gaze returns to mine.