Chapter Seven

Cullen

I left the house and set out on my bike, trying to convince myself I was doing the right thing, sending Grace away.

It was the right thing, for the life she wanted.

And for the life I wanted.

I didn’t need myself to get entangled with her. The kid didn’t need a shit father like me. Grace wanted us to play happy family, and that wasn’t going to happen in my lifetime. If she thought we could do that with what I had going on with the Cobras, she was going to get us all killed.

So this was good.

Clean break.

I’d set up an account for her and arranged to have some money sent whenever she needed it. She could stay safe that way and take care of her kid.

As I pulled into The Wall, I wondered why, then, it felt like something was gnawing away at me.

I went inside and ordered a beer. Saw Drake and Nix playing pool, so I sat down at a stool to watch them. The second Nix saw me, he made his shot, straightened, and came over to me.

“Where’s your girl?” I asked him, giving him a fist-bump.

“Rehearsal,” he said, taking a swig of his own beer. I remembered him saying she was a ballerina, which made me laugh every time I pictured him in the front row watching her. “So is it true?” he asked.

I raised an eyebrow as I watched Drake line up his next shot. “Probably not. What are we talking about?”

“Drake said Faith came in here late last night and started telling everyone you’ve got a kid.”

I stared at him. Who the fuck was Faith? Then it came to me. That redhead with the annoying voice from last night. I frowned. “Yeah. Well, an old flame showed up out of nowhere a couple days ago, and she was staying at my house with her kid ‘cause she’s got nowhere to go. But she’s leaving.”

Nix rubbed the scruff on his jaw. “Good. We still don’t know what the Fury’s up to. After what happened a few weeks ago. If word got out you had a kid, they’d probably declare open season on the poor little thing.”

I stiffened. “Just what did Faith tell people?”

He shrugged. “I wasn’t here. But the Fury knows where you live. Wouldn’t be hard for them to hit you where it hurts. You getting that security system upgrade?”

“It’s in the works.” Up until the shootout, the nine-foot wall around the perimeter had felt like enough. But after the Fury came to my home, I’d gotten quotes on an upgraded system with motion cameras and thought about employing armed guards. I’d come home a few times and gotten the distinct feeling my place was being watched.

What if they’d seen Grace and the kid?

I sat back in my stool, thinking. Fuck. If Hell’s Fury knew about Grace, no place in Aveline Bay was safe for her. Especially some shithole hotel in town. They’d find her and hold her hostage the way they’d done with Olivia.

And I’d just sent her away, alone.

Shit, shit, shit.

I was jarred from my thoughts by Nix, snapping his fingers at me. “Yo. Did you hear me? I asked if you heard from Jet yet.”

I shook my head.

“He and Hart said they got some intel on the Fury,” he said. “We should meet tonight.”

I nodded, paid for my beer, and stood up. “Yeah, we should. Church eight o’clock tonight.”

“Yeah.” He studied me. “You okay?”

“I don’t know,” I told him. “I’ve got something to do, first. I’ll see you tonight.”

I went outside, pulling my phone out of my pocket. Then I realized I didn’t even have Grace’s number—she had mine—and I had no clue what hotel she was going to. I stared at my phone for a few seconds, trying to think.

Then I searched a list of hotels in town and got down to work.