Page 82 of Peaks and Promises

“At least we know you did the right thing by getting her out of town.”

“True. I wonder if he figured out that she’s gone or just tore it up to fuck with her.”

“Could go either way. Maybe this was his parting gift on his way out of town.” He paused. “What do you want me to do here? Pack what they didn’t trash and get rid of the rest?”

“Yeah, do your best.”

“Got it.”

“I wish I knew if this Axel piece of shit is operating on his own or if the club is willing to back him. But I have a feeling it’s the latter. Her mom called a little while ago, telling her she needs to cooperate and let the ex have his kid.”

“Sounds like a warning.”

I stopped pacing in front of the shop and looked out over the woods at the back of my folks’ property. “Or a threat. I think she knows what they’re planning to do, and she’s trying to get ahead of it. Solve the problem, so to speak.”

“Fuck, man. That’s cold. The club over her own daughter.”

“And her grandson.”

“Brutal. Don’t you wonder how we ever lived like that? What the fuck were we thinking?”

“All the time.”

“My wife was asking me questions the other day. You know, about club life. I didn’t want to tell her the truth. Some of the shit we did. I don’t know, man.”

Gravel crunched behind me, and I froze. Without looking, I knew it was Summer. She’d opened the back door off the kitchen and, somehow, I hadn’t heard her.

But had she heard us talking? And if she had, how much?

“Me neither,” I said. “Listen, I gotta go. I’ll call you back.”

I ended the call and slowly turned to look at her.

She stood with the cast-iron pan in her hands—she’d probably come outside to ask where it went—and her expression said it all. She looked stricken.

“Club life?” she asked.

“It was a long time ago.”

“What club?”

“They’re not around anymore.”

“Tell me.” Her voice was stone cold.

“Savage Ride.”

Her hand tightened around the cast-iron handle. “You were a member? How could you keep that from me?”

“I got out. It’s not who I am anymore.”

“No one gets out.” She shook her head slowly. “They own you for life.”

“Not always.”

“Yes, always. Is that why you’ve been helping us? You guys are a Mayhem rival and anything to stick it to an enemy club?”

“No. Summer, that’s not what’s going on.”