I felt lost.
So fucking lost.
I scrubbed both palms over my face, struggling to keep my shit together.
Mind spiraling through so many things.
This bullshit and the task at hand.
Brinley.
Fucking Brinley who was wrecking my head.
Running with Elena and Kai.
Protecting them the same way as she’d been so protective of my little sister last night.
I whipped my attention to Trevan. “Check with Colby and Dice and make sure he gets out of town.” Then I looked between all three men. “He comes back, and he doesn’t leave.”
They knew exactly what I meant.
“You sure?” Trevan pressed.
Phoenix stirred, the Madman placated by the news.
I looked at Brody. Searching for what he felt. For what he needed. This wasn’t only about me.
His throat bobbed heavily, eyes wild, before he gave me a tight nod.
I looked back at Trevan. “Yeah, we’re sure.”
“All right, then.”
“I’m going to go check on Elena and Kai,” I told them.
Trevan inclined his head. “You want the gates locked up?”
“No. We need to appear like everything is normal. If Kent is watching, we need him to think nothing is amiss, and we’re business as usual.”
We couldn’t afford for it to look like we were gearing up or hunkering down. Couldn’t afford for PJ to cost us this gig.
We needed to continue on like it was another normal criminal day.
“Crows ride tonight at ten. Through town. We go to Keg & Creek.” It was a local dive I was looking into purchasing. One that held so much consequence for me I couldn’t stop myself from going back there right after I came back here.
The original owner long gone.
Its sordid history erased as if it’d never happened.
“If we’re hiding out in these walls, it’s going to raise red flags. Let everyone know.”
Trevan dipped his head in assent.
Then I was moving.
Storming around the shop in the direction Brinley had taken them. Toward the little footpath I somehow knew she’d followed.
Like I could scent her.
