Sometimes, bad things happen to good people.

 

That's something Matt's mother used to say. She would sit him down on the kitchen chair when he came home beaten from school and tell him, “Honey, sometimes bad things happen to good people. That's just the way of the world, darling. It's not good, and it's not right, but it's how things go.”

 

Back then, he believed her.

 

Mothers always tell the truth in the eyes of a babe. But then, as is often the case, Matt began to grow up. And he didn't think he was a good person most days, because he'd fight and kick and scream, because he fought for his life, tooth and nail, as his mother grew sick and couldn't work, as the bills piled up and he sold drugs on the street corner to keep a roof over their heads and stole to keep food on the table.

 

He wasn't a good person.

 

He wasn't a good person, and bad things still happened. Time passed. His mom died, and the house was sold, and Matt forgot all about that day. He forgot about most of the things that his mother had told him.

 

But now, sitting in the beat up hotel room, he can't help but remember them.

 

“Bad things happen to good people,” mutters Matt, staring at the cellphone. The screen is cracked. He needs a new one but can't bring himself to fork out that money.

 

The call log is still up. The last time Killian got in touch was almost an hour ago.

 

Wait for me to get in touch with you. If you don't listen to everything I have to say, Matt, I'll kill her. Do you hear me? If you do one thing wrong—if you don't follow my every order—I'm going to blow out her pretty little brains, and that's going to be the end of it.

 

She's too good for you, Matt, my brother. She's far too good for you. I can't understand how you managed to bag a broad like this. Not to worry, though, you don't have to keep up the good act for much longer. I know how hard that is for you, acting like you care about other people so often. You must be simply exhausted.

 

Just go sit. Sit in the Barn Motel and wait for me to call you again. Do you have that?

 

Matt had, of course, listened. There wasn't much else he could do. And now, an hour later, it's still all he can do. He sits there, waiting, as the clock ticks by.

 

It takes three hours for the phone to ring again. Matt jumps to his feet when he answers it. “Tell me what you want.”

 

Killian laughs. “You're impatient, aren't you? And here I thought you'd be happy to have a break from the Princess. She's certainly a handful. A bit on the prissy side, eh?”

 

“Don't fuck with me,” snaps Matt. “Just tell me what you want, Killian.”

 

“I want you to meet with me.”

 

“Where?”

 

“There's a beach near here. Midnight’s Edge. Have you heard of it?”

 

Matt makes a frustrated noise at the back of his throat. “You know I haven't!”

 

“Well…I suppose you're going to have to try to get directions. I'll be there in ten minutes.”

 

“Ten minutes? I can—”

 

“No,” says Killian, in a too patient voice, “you can't. You're not going to be able to get there for at least an hour.”

 

Matt demands, “I want to speak to her. Put Tori on.”

 

Killian hums. “I'm afraid I can't do that. Her mouth is a little preoccupied at the moment.”

 

Something cold washes through Matt's veins. His heart stops, just for a moment, and then sluggishly comes back to life. “What's that supposed to mean?”

 

“You're a smart man,” says Killian offhandedly. “I'm sure you can figure it out.”

 

“Killian, I swear to fuck, if you lay a single hand on her—”

 

“You'll what? Kick me out of the Horsemen? You have nothing to threaten me with, Matt. Think about that. Understand that. And then quit talking and start driving.” Killian hangs up then. The click of the call dropping is louder than it should be.

 

Matt drops back down onto the edge of the bed. He rakes a hand through his hair and tries to remember how to breathe.

 

“Okay. Okay,” says Matt, even though no one's around to listen. “This is fine. I've dealt with worse shit. And I'm not alone, either.”

 

He pulls up his contact list. Matt starts a group message.

 

Get ready to ride. Meet at the Midnight’s Edge. Don't jump in until I say so. Killian's finally gone off the deep end.

 

Then he gets up, shoves the phone in his back pocket, and grabs the keys for his bike. Bad things happen to good people, but Matt has not been a good person in years. Nothing bad's going to happen, not to him, at least.

 

Not to Victoria, either, if he has any say in the matter.