Page 53 of Pretty Nightmare

“That makes no sense. He was out.”

“Maybe? But I had orders, so I followed them. I’m not you, Adam. I’m not Untouchable.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“They told me not to.”

“What kind of things were you doing?”

“Mostly recruitment shit. I just paid the bills. They did it all.”

“A training camp?”

“Pretty much.”

“And you didn’t think this was weird?”

“Weird?” McKay laughs. “As compared to what?”

“Fine. I get it. OK. Fast-forward to Nate after Indie tried to kill him.” It occurs to me in this moment that Nathan St. James and I have something in common. I shake that thought off and continue. “So then… how did Nathan die? Or not die, as it were.” I side-eye him and McKay smiles. But it’s an uncomfortable smile.

“Everyone got taken out at the same time at some party in Savannah about six months after Indie’s twentieth birthday.”

“That doesn’t sound familiar at all.”

“Right.” McKay chuckles. “Santa Barbara all over again. It’s a fucking circle.” A chill runs up my spine when he says that. “It was all over the news. They even blasted names. All my fucking new men. Dead.”

“When was this?”

“About… maybe six months after Indie disappeared? I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it.”

“We were on the water.”

“That doesn’t sound familiar at all, either.”

I point at McKay. “True. So… six months? He only lasted six months.”

“He lasted four years, Adam. Obviously.”

“Do you think someone got to him? And the others? Just took over?”

McKay shrugs. “Well, that makes sense now. But back then, I dunno. I was still reeling from everything that happened. I thought Maggie was dead. Indie was gone. Donovan wouldn’t answer my calls. Just fucking disappeared for almost a year before I talked to him again.”

“Where’d he go?”

“LA, I assume. But that’s only part of it. The other part is—”

“Hey.”

McKay and I both turn to find Maggie walking up the dock. “What are you guys doing?”

“Nothing, little peach.” I ruffle her head when she stands next to me. “Just talking.”

“Can I sit with you?”

“Sure, baby.”

She climbs in my lap and I scoot back so she can sit between my legs and put her feet down in the water. She splashes for a moment. Then she looks over at McKay. “Don’t stop on my account.”