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“Answers,” I said automatically.
“Answers,” he repeated, stopping. “I don’t need any answers.”
“You want to know why Sunny was shot.”
A dark shadow passed over Greyson’s face. “He was shot because of you. He died because of you. And if his girl and his partner find out that you’re here, it’ll be a shitshow. You won’t live long enough to give me whatever answers it is you think I need.”
“I’m not scared of Shade.” And I wasn’t. He was bigger and older than I was, but it didn’t mean shit. There was a softness to him. It had always been Sunny who was the hothead.
“Oh, I’m not talking about Shade. You pulled some shit, Tanner. A lot of shit actually and we all lost someone because of it. But it affected Shade and Meadow more. You do remember her, right?” Greyson began pacing again. “I’m sure she’d actually like to claim the money that’s tied around your neck.”
“I didn’t shoot Sunny.” Even though it was the truth, I knew that no one believed me. I wasn’t sure if they would ever believe me.
“You were there. You caused problems. It doesn’t look good, Tanner. Did you tell my niece what you did? Besides Sunny getting shot. Did you tell her the other things that happened? Like when you touched Meadow?”
My body stiffened, not realizing he had been told that little fact. I was trying to scare Meadow into giving me information. I was desperate. I had threatened her but would never have acted on it.
Greyson wouldn’t look away, but I refused to back down. There had only been one man I ever submitted to. After that, my walls were up and I became cold. If the people who were supposed to protect me didn’t care, then why should I?
Greyson chuckled. “Probably not. I know guys like you. I’ve heard the stories.”
“You don’t know me.” No one did. It was how I preferred it. It meant they couldn’t get too close and hurt me. I had already lost Trigger because I let him in. He let me in too and look what happened. He died. Because of me. “I need to know why there’s a target on my back,” I said, before Greyson could comment even more on how much he thought he knew me.
“Why don’t you go crawl back into your hole, Tanner?”
“No, please. I’ll do anything. I just need a safe place to hide out at least until I can get answers.” I didn’t like the desperation in my voice, but I had no choice.
“And how are you going to get answers if you’re hiding? You didn’t come here with anything. And we both know that cell phones are not the smart way to go if you don’t want to be tracked. I don’t need a war on my hands and I definitely don’t need more shit on my doorstep.”
“I know someone. He’s helping me and trying to get me the information I need. Please, Greyson. I…” Fucking hell, I was begging. I never begged. I didn’t like this. I didn’t like this one fucking bit but no matter how much I tried, no one believed me. Served me right for keeping the life I had and for not correcting the rumors that had been spread about me.
Greyson searched my face, his brows dropping to a point in the middle. “Did you shoot Sunny?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I know you don’t believe me. I wouldn’t believe me either, but I didn’t need a war. I just messed with them a bit. I know I shouldn’t have done that, but I was desperate for information and I have a reputation. Or I had one. Now, I don’t give a shit. I don’t have my club. I don’t have my dog. I don’t have anyone. It’s just me. That’s it.”
“What do you want with my niece?”
My stomach twisted at the underlying threat hidden in his voice, but my body still stirred at the mere mention of Busy. “I don’t know her. She’s been nothing but nice to me and she saved my life.”
Greyson nodded. “You will stay in the basement. You won’t come out. If this target on your back is actually true, I don’t need people coming in here, seeing you, and trying to kill you. The women who live here have been through enough, and as sexist as it may sound, I don’t need them seeing any more of that shit.”
A breath I didn’t realize I had been holding, left me. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You can thank Nero.” And Busy but he never said it because he knew exactly how I wanted to thank her.
“If I catch you out of the basement before I can make sure your death isn’t going to be on my hands, I’ll unleash my dogs on you. You feel me?”
“Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling like a puppy who had just been scolded for not pissing on the paper like he was supposed to.
Greyson laid down more rules, but I couldn’t focus on his words. Memories rushed forth. Bad memories. God-awful ones. I wished with everything in me that they were just nightmares that never actually happened but unfortunately in my case, every single one of these damn memories did in fact happen.
“Tanner, did you hear me?” Greyson’s hard jaw clenched, silence falling between us.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I heard you.” I didn’t. He knew I didn’t. But for whatever reason, he didn’t press.
A part of me wondered while Greyson may have said it was okay for me to stay in his house, could I be worse off? So many people had come and gone from this place who wanted me dead. But the one person who didn’t, called out to me. I needed to find Busy. I needed to know that whatever was blooming between us was something more than just my imagination. I needed to feel a gentle touch. I needed her and I didn’t know why.
Bee
