AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He nods, slapping a hand on my shoulder. “Thanks, brother.”
I steal a patty from the side of the grill and scoff it down on my way indoors to find Kane, jostling the hot meat between my fingertips. The boy’s here somewhere, considering his Indian is lined up in the garage. I needn't go far to confirm my suspicion, finding not only Kane between the bar and the sofas but Maddie and Rae off to the side, clearly in conversation about the asshole.
"What's goin' on?"
A prospect sprawled across the sofa perks up at the sound of my voice, damn near tipping the property girl off his lap. One flick of my finger and the pair skedaddle up the damn stairs to somewhere more fitting of teenage fumbles and nudity.
"Nothing." Maddie shoots daggers at her brother's back.
Kane idly downs a shot of something thick and strongly aromatic.
I try our guest. "Rae?" She cuts her gaze away, arms folded across herself as she makes a bolt for the safety of the crowd outdoors.I snap my hand out and lock onto her as she passes by. "Stay put."
"Why?" Her whisper is directed at the floor, barely audible.
"Because you're clearly a part of this."
She sighs, softening beneath my grip.
"It was nothing, Uncle West." Maddie fidgets with her braided ponytail. "We sorted it out. Ain'tthat right, Kane?"
Fucker stays silent, back to the three of us.
His insolence itches beneath my skin. "Face up to it, kid."
Rae snorts beside me.
Kane turns, eyes narrowed. He clutches a lighter in his hand, thumb flicking back and forth over the flint.
These fucking kids have no idea. I've watched them grow up. Seen them fight until they were blue in the face. I can read the assholes like the pages of an open book.
Kane stirred shit—which he's prone to do—and Maddie's mad about it. But Maddie won't say anythingbecause getting her brother in the shit isn't worth the fallout, and Kane will keep his arrogant silence, expecting everyone to give up and let him do whatever the fuck he wants.
Which leaves the one book I can't quite read yet: Rae.
I turn to the woman at my side, scooping her underneath my arm and giving the others our back. "What really happened?" I whisper, leaning down to get our faces closer. "You won't get in trouble if you tell me."
Rae drops her gaze and then lifts those warm honey eyes to mine. "It was nothing."
"You're lyin’.” I turn her so we're face-to-face, hands on her shoulders. "He doesn't get a special pass just because he's Tyke'sson. If he's broken the by-laws, then he sees punishment the same as any other."
"The by-laws?" Her brow wrinkles.
Fuck's sake."My brother not showed you them yet?" Guess he's more distracted with her than I gave him credit. "It's our rules and regulations, which include behavioral expectations."
She opens her mouth to speak, yet the pained cry from Maddie swings us both around. Rae's eyes widen as she takes in the scene before us.
I sigh.
"Cut the shit, you two!" I close the gap between myself and my niece and nephew, taking Kane by the back of his cut and dragging him off his sister. "What the fuck?"
"This bitch has no idea what her fucking selfish princess tantrums mean for the club," Kane hollers, reaching over my arm to attempt a swing at his sister.
Maddie runs shaky hands over her hair, most likely smoothing away the sting from having her ponytail pulled. "How am I supposed to know that what I ask for stirs shit for the club if you never tell me a thing about what happens outside the gates?”
"Somethin’ you want to share?" I ask Kane, shunting him away from her.
"You know how we manage to keep the peace on the street, right?” He throws his arms wide. "By not picking sides." They hit his legs with a slap. "The fuckers trust us because we pose as their friend. An ally against the big three."
