Page 42 of Property of Gray

“You’re popular this morning.”

“I should get up.”

“Busy day?”

“Something like that.”

“I should get a move on, too.”

“I’ve got a better idea.” I bring my mouth down on hers to give her the experience I should have given her last night.

Low left about an hour ago. Grannie Mags always has a family dinner at least once or twice a month. I’m always invited, but this is one I’ll be skipping. I can’t look her in the face knowing how disappointed that woman is going to be in me when she learns that I got Kaylene pregnant. I know she’s always hoped I’d marry Willow.

Yesterday I thought maybe it could happen, but now everything is fucked.

I’m going over to Kaylene’s to talk about this shit.

It’s the last thing I want to be doing, but the sooner we figure this shit out the better.

As I’m about to get on my bike, Woods stops me out front.

“Got some good news.”

“What’s that?”

“That new buyer called. He wants to meet.”

“When?”

“Right now. Need you with me on this.”

“Always.”

Dirty, Shaggy, Caves, and Cash ride out with us to this meeting. Woods didn’t tell me who the guy is. Just that he’s got connections that we want if we want to scale up the business. I know he’s been talking about expanding our reach.

When we get to the spot, my heart drops to my feet. What the fuck is Kaylene doing here?

Dirty greets the dude with her first. “Jonny Mack.” They bump fists, and I feel blindsided.

Kaylene smiles at me.

I look at the rest of the guys, and they seem as clueless as I am.

“Let’s talk inside,” Woods announces.

Our group goes into the old printing press that closed down some years back. I forgot that Kaylene’s family owns it. They used to own a couple of newspapers that they sold off before the digital world exploded. It still doesn’t explain what she’s doing here.

“Hey baby.” She saunters up to me and kisses my cheek.

I don’t respond. I want to know what the fuck is going on.

“I don’t think you’ve met my brother. Johnny, this is Gray. The one I’ve been telling you about.” I shoot her a look. “My brother works at the prison. He was over the block Dirty was in.”

Now the pieces are falling into place.

He can get Diamond Dust into the prison.

“Man was a lifesaver when I was inside,” Dirty says.