by R. J. Lewis
As they followed me to my car, I knew Kane’s mother wasn’t far away. She usually waited close-by, a tight smile on her face. It killed her to say hi to me in the beginning, but now it was hardly muttered and we both learned to live with the awkward exchange.
I glanced around the street, searching for her car, but I couldn’t see her. Then I paused mid-step when my eyes flitted to my car and the figure standing in front of it.
Fuck.
Dread pooled in my belly as I approached, barely giving Reid a look. Penny and Kane stopped a few feet from the car, yammering away about their world and unicorn skins and all kinds of really weird things. I was staring down at my phone again, pretending to read something important when I muttered loud enough only he could hear, “Why are you here, Reid?”
“To pick up Kane,” he answered. “Why else?”
“No, I mean here.” This time I looked up at him, levelling him with a no bullshit look. “Rebecca usually waits at her car. She doesn’t come to stand by mine.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “She’s sick.”
By reflex, I glanced at his arm, the sleeves of his sweater were rolled up, the tattooed sleeve visible. In his mid-twenties now, Reid looked like a spitting image of Conor back in the day. He dressed like him too, in jogging pants and a heavy sweater (yeah, never an original thought in this boy’s head). But his colouring was different. His hair was darker, his eyes weren’t as bright. He didn’t have a beard, but he had some stubble. He’d mastered the intimidating demeanour Conor was known for, but it still barely held a light next to Conor.
Reid was going down a similar path to Conor, too. Only, he wasn’t openly violent. But he’d held a solid reputation in Blackwater for being tough, and for also messing around with girls. Could never keep his dick in his pants, by the sounds of it. He had cheated on Rebecca countless times, though I wasn’t surprised. I’d heard through the rumour mill long after I’d left him that he’d messed around on me with Rebecca too.
It made my mistakes a little more bearable to live with, though it was no excuse for what I did to him. I also didn’t care when I heard about it. It meant nothing to me that he’d cheated because it was puppy love. I was a stupid teenager and so was he. We were kids, so I didn’t care to hate him anymore than I already did.
I supposed we were all a special kind of messed up here in Blackwater.
“Kane’s been wanting to have a play date with Penny,” he then said, moving the conversation along. “I personally can’t see a reason why not. Can you?”
I pressed my lips tight. “No, I guess not.” Except you’re his stepdad and I really can’t stand the sight of you.
I couldn’t help the stink eye I was giving him. I looked him over, wondering if he sent Billy to me that day. And there it was again, this infuriating obsession with Billy and that horrible, miserable fucking day.
“When are you free?” he questioned. “Rebecca’s available any day of the week.”
“I don’t know,” I answered, not wanting to jump into it this quick. “We have each other’s numbers. I’ll let you know.”
He nodded slowly. “Sure.”
He didn’t budge. That should have been the end of the conversation, but he just stood there, watching me, looking me over openly. He didn’t care he was checking me out in front of his kid. Didn’t care that I belonged to his cousin and I loathed him. Didn’t care he had a wife at home he’d been with since she’d fallen pregnant with someone else’s kid.
I wondered if he was with her because of Kane. I saw the love in his eyes for the kid. It was like he was his, and I supposed he was since he’d assumed daddy to him from the get-go.
Still didn’t make Reid a good person.
I would never forget how awful he had treated me that last year in high school. The way he had turned everyone against me, even though the asshole hadn’t been faithful from the start.
If he was so awful back then, had he gotten worse over time?
“On that note,” I added shortly, “we only exchanged numbers for Kane’s birthday last year. If you’re going to message me, keep it strictly about the kids.”
He smirked in response. “I haven’t messaged you once, Charlotte. The only time I did was to welcome Conor home. I knew no other way to get through to him.”
“You could have messaged Megan.”
“I figured it would reach you faster, but sure, I will refrain from messaging you unless it’s to do with the kids.”
I was so pent up with adrenaline, I was kind of knocked backwards at his submissiveness. I blinked, surprised he was keeping the peace, before I stiffened a nod. Then I kind of felt stupid, like…Reid had only messaged me when Conor got out of prison.
I overreacted.
But I still hated him because…history dictated that enemies must remain enemies, right?
I licked my lips, awkwardly avoiding his eye as I forced myself to say, “Sorry for being short.”
“I get it,” he said softly. “I’m not trying to be a dick, Charlotte, I swear. I know you guys want your privacy. I know there’s hell of a lot of shit there between us, between Conor and me, between you…and me. I get that, but I want to be peaceful for the sake of the kids. They’ll grow out of their obsession with each other. Kane will move on to other things, but in the meantime, we just have to ride out this awkward wave together.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” It pained me to say that. I dusted off some imaginary fluff on my arm. “Thanks for being an adult about this.”
“You’re welcome, Charlotte.” He said that so smoothly, and my eyes narrowed. Was that the tone he used on the ladies? Ew.
“You can leave now, Reid,” I told him curtly.
He chuckled and took a step toward me, towering over me. When had he gotten so tall? I looked up at him, my lips flinching in amusement. He really had nothing on Conor when it came to intimidation. Then again, I couldn’t look at him in that way because of our history together. This guy was my high school boyfriend. He’d been clumsy and awkward and quick, and our intimate life had been so cringy.
“I also wanted to say,” he said quietly now with a serious look, “that you should really move along from Locke.”
My lips fell flat. “Excuse me?”
“He’s really pissing me off lately, and I have no choice but to throw some punches. I don’t want you in the line of fire.”
My back straightened. I crossed my arms, glaring. “I just look over the books at the firm, Reid. I don’t know what the hell you’re referring to.”
But I did know what he was referring to, and he knew it too. He laughed lightly, his eyes lit up with amusement. “Then you tell him to keep his dirty fingers out of my very legal car shop. That was the deal. We promised to keep the peace and to help each other out. This shit blurs the lines, don’t you think?”
I didn’t respond.
With that, he whistled at Kane. “Come on, buddy, let’s hit the road.”
Kane and Penny hugged it out before departing like they were never going to see each other again. Kane even held out his hand to her as Reid grabbed him by the other hand and tugged him along to the very expensive sportscar parked down the street.
Proceeds of crime. I thought bitterly.
Not like I should be talking.
I hid people’s dirty money for a living.
Ugh.
“Remember,” Penny hollered, “you’re the white unicorn, and I’m the pink! Don’t mess with my house, or I’ll burn yours down!”
Oh, my God.
Parents passed by exchanging shocked glances, and I wanted to hide under my car and never come out.
“Goddammit, Penny,” I growled, playfully pushing her in the direction of the car. “Be normal.”
On the drive home, I tried my best to listen to Penny’s day. I really did, and usually I was all ears, but this time it was Reid’s words swirling around my brain. He had never been on Locke’s radar. Not that I knew of, anyway. Why the hell was Loc
ke getting involved in Reid’s “legal” business.
What did that even mean?
The chop shop was history. Had been since Conor went away, much to Jem’s dismay. Plus, Locke had a surplus of “legal” businesses around, and though he never told me what shit he dabbled in on the side, the exponential growth was out of this world.
Locke wasn’t short on money.
Chop shopping seemed of such little importance to him.
But, knowing Locke, he could be bored. He might have directed his crosshairs on Reid and declared war just to watch Reid’s businesses burn down in flames. Then he’d have Reid arrested for having an illegal operation and slowly pick apart his world until there was nothing left but charred rubble.
The thought saddened me.
I thought of Kane’s life being destroyed. He’d always appeared like such a melancholy boy when he didn’t think anyone was looking. He needed stability and a father figure.
Didn’t Locke care that Reid kept to himself and was keeping the peace? More so than that, Reid’s old man had helped Locke out a few years ago. There was a truce there, a sort of partnership if you wanted to call it that.
It didn’t make sense.
I’d have to go to the office and sort this shit out face to face. I needed to see Locke’s eyes when he answered my questions. Sometimes he let things slip in them. I was beginning to learn his expressions. It only took me eight years.
“It’s not your business,” Billy muttered, appearing on the seat next to me. “If they wanna kill each other, that’s up to them. You stay out of it.”
“But I’m curious,” I whispered under my breath, glancing briefly at Penny in the backseat. She was rummaging through her backpack, paying no mind to me.
“You were curious with Locke, too, and look how that ended up,” Billy replied, swinging his mocking eyes at me.
I scowled. “That was different. I didn’t know at the time what I was signing up for…”
Billy gave me a dry look. “You did.”
I did.
Sort of.
But not to the extent it ended up being.
“They’re meant to be friendly,” I explained tentatively. “They’re meant to be on the same side…”
“What if Locke has no use for them anymore? What if he’s discarding them?” Now Billy was staring intently at me like…like maybe I ought to have the same worries for myself.
“Nice.” I nodded, sarcastically. “Not going to work on me. He wouldn’t do that to me.”
“Reid probably thought the same thing.”
Alright, that was enough of Billy for one day.
“Go away, asshole,” I mouthed at him.
He didn’t, and I didn’t expect him to. He would leave when I started to calm down, but in the meantime, there he was, talking sensibly at me, and I didn’t mind it so much.
“Who’s that?” Penny asked, drawing me out of my reveries.
I noticed a truck in the driveway as I pulled in beside it. I didn’t recognize who it belonged to. My chest went tight at the thought of someone inside the house with Conor. He might not be ready to see just anyone.
“No idea,” I answered Penny, killing the engine. “But if there’s someone visiting that we don’t know, you should run along to your room, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay. Can I go on Minecraft? Kane said he would wait all day and night for me.”
I smiled, holding back my laugh. “Uh-huh. You’re meant to put away your things first, but I’ll let it slide today.”
“Thanks, Mommy.”
Leaving the car, we walked up the driveway, hand in hand. My gaze swept over the front yard quickly, taking in the shovel still buried in the dirt. It stood there, threatening, its message perilous to anyone who dared step foot on the property with bad intentions. It made me question who was inside the house all the more.
We entered the house and Penny kicked her shoes off while I set the backpack down by the entry table. I was going to remove my heels when I heard a voice I wasn’t familiar with. Curious, I followed it to the kitchen. I saw Conor first standing behind the island, arms crossed. Then my gaze flickered to the stranger sitting on the stool. To my dismay, Penny came bounding behind me, leaping into Conor’s arms.
Didn’t I just tell the girl to go to her room?
My eyes hadn’t strayed from the stranger. He was a solid guy with a dark beard and scruffy hair.
I knew everyone in Blackwater. This guy was not from here. And Conor…
Conor didn’t look right.
Even Billy had stiffened alongside me, shooting me a cautious look.
I looked back at Conor, feeling edgy.
When he caught my gaze, I noticed the darkness had returned.
Chapter Eighteen
Thames
Charlotte was due to return any minute when the doorbell rang. Thames could have ignored it, but curiosity prompted him to answer. He’d opened the door a few inches, weary of who was on the other side. The shovel was still in the ground, and it’d driven the mob away, but maybe the men had worked themselves up again.
When he saw Holden on the porch, he suddenly wished it were the mob.
Holden had found him.
Not that he had been hiding from him or anyone for that matter.
But it was the first thing he asked when he opened the door wider for him. “How’d you find me?”
Holden smiled pleasantly, chewing hard on a piece of gum as he pointed behind him. “Tracked the truck’s gps to the motel and asked around. It wasn’t hard chasing you up. You’re well-known here, aren’t you, brother?”
Thames frowned. “I wasn’t running.”
Holden entered, nodding at Thames. “I know that.”
Thames led him to the kitchen because he didn’t know where else to go. The kitchen was simple enough. The picture frames weren’t all that visible from the family room. If Holden sat down, Thames could relax and not feel like his life was on display.
This was a major invasion of fucking privacy.
Holden slid into the stool and rested his elbows on the island, appearing relaxed. He smiled at Thames, saying, “You don’t look very happy to see me, Thames.”
Thames stopped in front of him, crossing his arms as he watched him. “I was going to return the car.”
“Fuck the car. We hadn’t heard from you is all. Call this a security check, if you will. The boys and I just want to know you’re alright.”
“I am.”
Holden studied him, chewing away on that fucking gum like an obnoxious little cunt. Then he grinned. “You don’t say much out here, either, hey?”
Thames didn’t answer. He ran a thumb over his bottom lip, staring right back at Holden without backing down. His insides had turned cold. It would be so easy to reach across the island and beat the living shit out of Holden. He imagined himself doing it for a moment. Painting this fucker’s face red. The lives he’d stolen in prison would haunt him until the end of his life, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t dwell too hard on this fucker’s life.
“What do you want?” he demanded just then. “Because if it’s to go back to the city, I can’t do that.”
Holden’s smirk intensified. “I wasn’t going to ask. We’re not like that, Thames.”
“What are you like then?” Thames tone was icy, but he couldn’t help it. He had enough and this fucker had hardly been there five minutes. “I carried the crew in prison,” he found himself saying, angrily. “I got my hands dirty for them. If anything, I eliminated the head of the enemy behind prison walls, annihilated those drug couriers to ensure the crew held full distribution and it wasn’t fucking easy.”
“We love you for it,” Holden commended.
“So, what the fuck do you want from me then?”
Drumming his fingers on the island, Holden leaned in, looking up at Thames. “It’s clear you don’t want to be part of the crew. Am I right?”
Thames didn’t answer. He was wise enough never to draw t
hose lines out loud. It could be a death sentence. Instead, he was going to listen to what Holden had to say.
Nodding, Holden shrugged one shoulder. “Okay, well, it’s understandable if you’re bowing out, Thames. I’m not the enemy, brother. It’s clear you got roots back here, and a real man comes back to take care of what’s his. I’m not faulting you for leaving. Again, just wanted to make sure you were alright. It’s just…” He went quiet, buried in thought as he chose his words carefully. “You made an oath to the crew in prison, and we took care of you in there. We offered you protection, and you knew it wouldn’t come free. At the same time, we didn’t know you’d pull off half the shit you did, and again, the crew is awed by you.”
“Get to the point,” Thames replied edgily.
“I’m on your side,” Holden explained. “If you want out I can talk to Number One for you, but you have to let me know now.”
Thames inhaled sharply, thinking. Of course he wanted out, but he didn’t trust Holden. He didn’t know if this was some trick. Holden made him wary. The worm was so distrusting, especially after serving prison alongside him, seeing him for who he truly was. This Holden before him now – the smiling, kind Holden chewing bubble-gum like a fucking teenage boy – was all wrong.
“I want to speak to Number One,” Thames demanded. “Alone.”
Holden didn’t budge. “I’m not sure that’ll ever happen, brother. Not even the crew get to see him.”
“And you do?”
As if to remind him, Holden rolled up his sleeve, showing off the number 4 on his wrist. “I’ve been there for him from the very start. I went to prison like clockwork every fucking time, not a single complaint uttered. I helped recruit everyone, and you know how we work. We only bring in the broken. The ones who’ve served hard time, the ones who’ve endured hell and have the spine to do the dirty work. I worked for the crew from within those walls, exchanging deals with the most ruthless cartel members on this side of the world. If you want to plead your fucking case, let me vouch for you. He will listen to me.”