Chapter 14
MAX
“Outside,” Sal snarled at me after Wren fell asleep.
I nodded, standing to follow him. I looked to Kat expectantly. I wanted to make sure Wren wouldn’t be alone.
“I’m staying,” she assured me with a soft smile.
Sal was pacing in the hallway when I closed the door behind me. I was ready for him to rail me again about my intentions with Wren, but his mind was elsewhere. “What the fuck is going on?” he demanded.
I leaned back, one boot on the wall, my arms crossed. “Not sure,” I answered honestly. “The Blue Devils have a guy inside Portland PD. They haven’t found the man who attacked her—no surprise there,” I muttered. “We still can’t be sure if the notes she was getting and that attack are the same person. She hasn’t gotten anything new, right?”
He shook his head, his jaw clenched. I knew he was as frustrated as I was—probably a little scared too. I knew I sure as hell was. When it came to Wren, I could admit that.
“We need a meet.” Sal nodded, already pulling out his phone, I assumed to text my brother.
“Catch me up,” I replied evenly, knowing I was risking invoking his anger and not caring in the least. I told her I wasn’t leaving, and I’d meant it.
He assessed me warily. “You want to stay with Wren.” It wasn’t a question.
“I’m staying.” I dared him to challenge me.
He blew out a slow breath, looking off to the side a moment before his gaze returned to me. “Fine. We’ll catch you up.” And with that, he strode away without another word.
I watched him go, knowing that to some, his reaction would seem cold, but I knew Sal, and that right there was progress.
When Wren was discharged that night, everything in me protested her not being with me, but I knew I’d have to work up to that. For now, the important thing was that she was safe. After telling her I’d see her soon, the confusion on her face making it all the more clear how much work I had to do, I left her in the care of her parents and headed home to catch a shower and change clothes.
Cole had caught me up on their earlier meet. There was still no new information, and that wasn’t fucking good enough. It seemed like I’d be making another trip to Portland.
****
“He’s dead.”
Gunner’s tone was low as he shared the news with me that Wren’s attacker had been killed. “Once you told me you wanted to go back down to Portland, I started digging around. Looks like he was killed a few days ago.” He looked up at me, a solemn look in his eye. “Car accident.”
“What the fuck?” Cole demanded. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
“Nope,” I agreed, my heart hammering in my chest. “Why the fuck haven’t the Devils told us about this?”
Cole eyed me thoughtfully. “You don’t trust them?”
“Right now, beyond the members of this club, I don’t trust shit.” I grunted.
“Last thing we need is a war with another club,” Cole muttered, sitting back in his chair. “Been through one of those before, not eager to relive it.” He was referring to the war the club had with the Black Riders when I was just a kid.
“I don’t want it to come to that,” I agreed. “But if we find out they knowingly held back information….” I trailed off darkly.
“We’ll be having more than words,” he growled.
“I need a fucking beer.” Gunner grunted, rising from his seat and striding off to the fridge we kept stocked.
“You look like shit,” Cole noted with his typical no-nonsense manner.
“Thanks.” I chuckled dryly.
He cocked his head to the side. “Sal have a good reason to clock you?”
“Depends on what your definition of a good reason is.” I shrugged, knowing Cole was just as protective of Grace as Sal was of Wren, sometimes more so.
“You made a play for Wren,” he surmised.
I looked over at him in surprise. “Pop tell you that?”
He shook his head. “Lucky guess. Looks like he took it about as well as I’d expect.”
“Better, actually,” I replied honestly. I’d expected worse.
“This gonna cause an issue?”
“No,” I replied, hoping that was true.
He eyed me thoughtfully. “Good.” He stood up just as Gunner returned with three beers. “I’m good,” Cole declined. “Gotta get home to Scarlet. She smells way better than you assholes.” He snorted before turning to look at me. “Knowing Sal, he’ll come around. He’s just a stubborn motherfucker sometimes. In the meantime, put some ice on that shiner.” He slapped my back with an amused chuckle before heading toward his bike.
Gunner handed me a beer, keeping the other two for himself. “Glad words out, man. I suck at keeping secrets.” He grimaced, taking a pull from his beer. “Hope after all this, she actually wants your ugly ass.”
I shot him an annoyed look, despite the fact that I hoped the same damn thing.