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“Your boyfriend is Mason Kade. Even I’ve heard about his football reputation, and he’s here, working some rich internship for his daddy.” He pointed at me. “And I heard what he said about you. You don’t need this job, but you don’t act like one of those rich, stuck-up bitches. Why are you here?”
“Because I needed a job.”
He moved forward, leaning against the counter next to me. “But that’s the thing.” He turned to rest his back against the counter so he could watch the beer garden and me at the same time. “I asked around. You usually work with your best friend at Manny’s. You’re not there this summer.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“The truth?”
I paused, checking to see if that was sarcastic. It wasn’t. “Besides wanting to do something else, Heather’s boyfriend is involved in underground fighting. Some of Mason’s enemies are, too, and word would get out if I was working at Manny’s. They could find me there.”
“That Caldron guy and his goons?”
I nodded.
“But they already know you’re here.”
“They aren’t Mason’s only enemies.”
“Why are you paying for what he did?”
I shook my head. “I’m not paying for it. They could hurt me to get to Mason.”
“They’re pussies then.”
“That Caldron guy is mad because I helped put his best friend in prison. He would’ve raped someone if I hadn’t.” I left out the part where Mason had orchestrated the whole situation so someone else was in that predicament, not me.
“File a restraining order.”
“What?”
A group of bikers came up to the counter. Our conversation paused until their orders were filled and they moved to sit at one of the picnic tables.
Petey jumped up on the counter next to me, swinging his legs. “If someone’s trying to hurt you, why don’t you go the legal route? Me?” He touched his chest. “No way. We don’t work that way here, but you could. I’m not getting why you don’t.”
I shrugged, feeling that same damned tightness in my chest again. “We’ve always taken care of our problems ourselves.”
“Except the time you got that guy’s best friend put in prison?”
“Except that time.”
A slow grin stretched on his face, and he nodded, approving. “I think you guys are carnies at heart.”
“What?”
“Carnies at heart. We deal with our own. That’s how you guys operate.”
I shrugged. “You haven’t even met Logan yet.”
“Who’s he?”
I opened my mouth, but how could I possibly explain? He had no idea. I just smiled instead.
MASON
“What are we doing?”
“Sshhh!” Both Matteo and Nate replied to Adam’s question. I was in the driver’s seat, and I kept my eyes on the road, but I knew Nate had twisted around. I could only imagine Matteo delivering his own glare next to Adam in the backseat.
The answer to his question wasn’t going to grab a burger, which is what I’d told him when we left the country club. Nate and Matteo had arrived, ready for our first errand, and we’d been leaving under the guise of going to get food when Adam decided a burger sounded good to him, too. Hence the uninvited guest.
“You know that guy who attacked Sam at the carnival?”
“Yeah.” His answer was slow, cautious.
“We’re dealing with him.”
“What?” He jerked upright, grabbing my seat. “What do you mean ‘dealing with’?”
Nate twisted around again. “What do you think we mean?”
“I don’t know.” Adam sat back, his eyes darting all over the car.
“We’re not going to kill him or anything,” Matteo said.
There was silence for a beat.
“You’re new to this group,” Adam said.
Nate barked out a laugh. “And you’re not? You weren’t even invited, Quinn.”
“I was told you were going for a burger, not about to commit a crime.”
“You’re right.” I positioned the rearview mirror so I could see him. “Next time we’re about to make a drop on some guy, I’ll make sure to lead with that. And again, you weren’t invited, Quinn.”
“Maybe next time let me know that.” He sat back in a huff.
I fought against rolling my eyes. “Fucking relax, okay? We’re not going to do anything illegal. We’re just going to try to find out where this guy works and lives. That’s all.”
“And Mason didn’t fight you coming, because this guy would’ve hurt your fiancée, too,” Nate added. “Another day, another night, another place, she could’ve been caught up in this mess as much as Sam.”
“Yeah, but Sam—”
I stopped at an intersection and looked in the mirror at him. “What?” I had a hunch what he was going to say, but I wanted him to say it.
He clamped his mouth shut, literally squirming in the backseat.
“Remember you have some balls,” I told him. “Finish what you were going to say.”
He looked away, his jaw clenching. “I was going to say that Sam’s in this because of you. Becky wouldn’t be put in this situation. Driving around and finding where this guy lives and works isn’t something I would be doing.”
“You’re right.” The light turned green, and I moved forward. “You’d have your daddy find all the answers and deal with it himself.”
“I wouldn’t.” His gaze jumped back to mine.
I raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
I felt Nate watching me. There’d been a few occasions when I was forced to go to my own father, but this wasn’t one of them. I wanted to deal with Caldron on my own.
Adam shrugged, turning back to look out the window. “I don’t put my women in jeopardy. That’s what I do.”
I stopped the vehicle and had Adam outside in two seconds flat. He was up against the Escalade, my hand to his throat, before any of us comprehended what I’d just done. Even I blinked a few times before I realized it.
Nate pulled me off, pushing me a few feet away while Matteo stepped in front of Adam, a hand to his shoulder like he was holding him back. Adam didn’t move, though. He only stood there, a dazed look on his face. When he finally realized what had happened, he surged forward.
Matteo held him back easily, grunting, “Dude. Chill. You’d get your ass wiped, and you know it.”
“What the fuck?” Adam yelled around Matteo.
My blood was pumping, and I started for him without thinking. Nate shouldered me back, saying under his breath, “Mason, calm down.”
“He’s blaming me for Sam.”
“And he’s right.”
“What?” I turned on Nate, but he was right and even as I registered that, I felt a pit in my stomach. “That fucker is right.”
He pushed me farther away, far enough so we could talk without Quinn overhearing. “Stop it. I know you’re feeling guilty right now, but it’s whatever. You are who you are. Sam knew that before she fell in love with you.”
“But Taylor…”
“And Taylor knew who Logan was before she fell for him, too.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “You guys don’t like to get pushed around. It is what it is. Don’t let some asshole like Quinn get in your head. He might not put his girl in danger, but you know what he does do? He cheats. He’s not this perfect do-gooder like he’s acting. He’s just another slick business guy like his dad, and some of those guys cheat on their wives. He’s going to hurt his woman in ways that Sam will never even think about. He went after Sam for upsetting Becky. He got involved in girl business. You wouldn’t do that.”
“I got involved when Kate was going after Sam.”
“Because that was your ex targeting your woman. Not the same thing. He doesn’t have a relationship with Sam. They aren’t even friends.”
I sighed. “I just want to find Caldron and beat the shit out of him.”
“Because I needed a job.”
He moved forward, leaning against the counter next to me. “But that’s the thing.” He turned to rest his back against the counter so he could watch the beer garden and me at the same time. “I asked around. You usually work with your best friend at Manny’s. You’re not there this summer.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“The truth?”
I paused, checking to see if that was sarcastic. It wasn’t. “Besides wanting to do something else, Heather’s boyfriend is involved in underground fighting. Some of Mason’s enemies are, too, and word would get out if I was working at Manny’s. They could find me there.”
“That Caldron guy and his goons?”
I nodded.
“But they already know you’re here.”
“They aren’t Mason’s only enemies.”
“Why are you paying for what he did?”
I shook my head. “I’m not paying for it. They could hurt me to get to Mason.”
“They’re pussies then.”
“That Caldron guy is mad because I helped put his best friend in prison. He would’ve raped someone if I hadn’t.” I left out the part where Mason had orchestrated the whole situation so someone else was in that predicament, not me.
“File a restraining order.”
“What?”
A group of bikers came up to the counter. Our conversation paused until their orders were filled and they moved to sit at one of the picnic tables.
Petey jumped up on the counter next to me, swinging his legs. “If someone’s trying to hurt you, why don’t you go the legal route? Me?” He touched his chest. “No way. We don’t work that way here, but you could. I’m not getting why you don’t.”
I shrugged, feeling that same damned tightness in my chest again. “We’ve always taken care of our problems ourselves.”
“Except the time you got that guy’s best friend put in prison?”
“Except that time.”
A slow grin stretched on his face, and he nodded, approving. “I think you guys are carnies at heart.”
“What?”
“Carnies at heart. We deal with our own. That’s how you guys operate.”
I shrugged. “You haven’t even met Logan yet.”
“Who’s he?”
I opened my mouth, but how could I possibly explain? He had no idea. I just smiled instead.
MASON
“What are we doing?”
“Sshhh!” Both Matteo and Nate replied to Adam’s question. I was in the driver’s seat, and I kept my eyes on the road, but I knew Nate had twisted around. I could only imagine Matteo delivering his own glare next to Adam in the backseat.
The answer to his question wasn’t going to grab a burger, which is what I’d told him when we left the country club. Nate and Matteo had arrived, ready for our first errand, and we’d been leaving under the guise of going to get food when Adam decided a burger sounded good to him, too. Hence the uninvited guest.
“You know that guy who attacked Sam at the carnival?”
“Yeah.” His answer was slow, cautious.
“We’re dealing with him.”
“What?” He jerked upright, grabbing my seat. “What do you mean ‘dealing with’?”
Nate twisted around again. “What do you think we mean?”
“I don’t know.” Adam sat back, his eyes darting all over the car.
“We’re not going to kill him or anything,” Matteo said.
There was silence for a beat.
“You’re new to this group,” Adam said.
Nate barked out a laugh. “And you’re not? You weren’t even invited, Quinn.”
“I was told you were going for a burger, not about to commit a crime.”
“You’re right.” I positioned the rearview mirror so I could see him. “Next time we’re about to make a drop on some guy, I’ll make sure to lead with that. And again, you weren’t invited, Quinn.”
“Maybe next time let me know that.” He sat back in a huff.
I fought against rolling my eyes. “Fucking relax, okay? We’re not going to do anything illegal. We’re just going to try to find out where this guy works and lives. That’s all.”
“And Mason didn’t fight you coming, because this guy would’ve hurt your fiancée, too,” Nate added. “Another day, another night, another place, she could’ve been caught up in this mess as much as Sam.”
“Yeah, but Sam—”
I stopped at an intersection and looked in the mirror at him. “What?” I had a hunch what he was going to say, but I wanted him to say it.
He clamped his mouth shut, literally squirming in the backseat.
“Remember you have some balls,” I told him. “Finish what you were going to say.”
He looked away, his jaw clenching. “I was going to say that Sam’s in this because of you. Becky wouldn’t be put in this situation. Driving around and finding where this guy lives and works isn’t something I would be doing.”
“You’re right.” The light turned green, and I moved forward. “You’d have your daddy find all the answers and deal with it himself.”
“I wouldn’t.” His gaze jumped back to mine.
I raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
I felt Nate watching me. There’d been a few occasions when I was forced to go to my own father, but this wasn’t one of them. I wanted to deal with Caldron on my own.
Adam shrugged, turning back to look out the window. “I don’t put my women in jeopardy. That’s what I do.”
I stopped the vehicle and had Adam outside in two seconds flat. He was up against the Escalade, my hand to his throat, before any of us comprehended what I’d just done. Even I blinked a few times before I realized it.
Nate pulled me off, pushing me a few feet away while Matteo stepped in front of Adam, a hand to his shoulder like he was holding him back. Adam didn’t move, though. He only stood there, a dazed look on his face. When he finally realized what had happened, he surged forward.
Matteo held him back easily, grunting, “Dude. Chill. You’d get your ass wiped, and you know it.”
“What the fuck?” Adam yelled around Matteo.
My blood was pumping, and I started for him without thinking. Nate shouldered me back, saying under his breath, “Mason, calm down.”
“He’s blaming me for Sam.”
“And he’s right.”
“What?” I turned on Nate, but he was right and even as I registered that, I felt a pit in my stomach. “That fucker is right.”
He pushed me farther away, far enough so we could talk without Quinn overhearing. “Stop it. I know you’re feeling guilty right now, but it’s whatever. You are who you are. Sam knew that before she fell in love with you.”
“But Taylor…”
“And Taylor knew who Logan was before she fell for him, too.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “You guys don’t like to get pushed around. It is what it is. Don’t let some asshole like Quinn get in your head. He might not put his girl in danger, but you know what he does do? He cheats. He’s not this perfect do-gooder like he’s acting. He’s just another slick business guy like his dad, and some of those guys cheat on their wives. He’s going to hurt his woman in ways that Sam will never even think about. He went after Sam for upsetting Becky. He got involved in girl business. You wouldn’t do that.”
“I got involved when Kate was going after Sam.”
“Because that was your ex targeting your woman. Not the same thing. He doesn’t have a relationship with Sam. They aren’t even friends.”
I sighed. “I just want to find Caldron and beat the shit out of him.”
