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Cade and Trax were the last two to enter the double doors.
“You know what we should expect here with the mayor?”
Caden sighed, a strange look on his face. It was a cross between amusement and concern. “Only met the mayor once.” His lips twitched. “She seemed nice enough.”
Trax jerked his head and grasped Cade’s arm. “She? The mayor’s a woman?”
Cade was fighting a smile. “Yeah.”
This was a good thing. Any one of the guys could have a go at her, make her see things go their way. Well, except him. He’d leave that work to Gage or Kase. Either one of them would be able to convince her to make things go their way. Trax smirked and raised his brows but faltered when Caden shook his head.
“Uh, Trax? I see where your head’s at, and I’m telling ya, the shit you got planned up here?” He tapped his finger to his temple. “Not gonna fly with the mayor of Ghosttown.”
Trax snorted. “Not even Kase?”
Caden laughed. “Especially not Kase. You’ll see.”
Trax stopped short at the door due to his brothers taking up most of the doorway. But he caught a glimpse past Saint’s shoulders. Folding chairs splayed out in rows. Not all were taken, but the place was almost full. It seemed the whole town had come out for the meeting. All forty residents. From where he stood, the average age was about sixty. A young couple in the back drew his attention with their shocked stares. He cocked a brow at the man, who quickly averted his eyes.
“Holy fuck, it’s Mayberry, brothers.” Gage chuckled and surveyed the room.
All the men, except Kase, laughed, gaining more attention from the residents. It was as if they’d stepped back in time.
The exterior of the building may have been updated, but the interior appeared to be original. The wood finish was peeling off, the doors had cracks embedded, and paint chipped from the once brown panels. Even the long table up front seemed circa 1960s.
Kase lifted his chin to a vacant row in the back of the room, and they single filed to the back. Trax was acutely aware of all the eyes on him and his brothers. Even the room, which had the clamors of folks talking, seemed to die down. They settled into their seats. Kase in the aisle seat, and then Saint, Gage, Trax, and Cade next to him.
“Feel like I’m in an episode of the TwilightZone,” he muttered and caught the corner of Saint’s mouth curl up. He must have been thinking the same.
The whole vibe was strange. These people and his crew couldn’t be more opposite. He took a breath. He pulled out his phone and checked his messages. He had several, but none from Cheyenne. He pulled up her name and typed.
Talk to me.
He watched his message time stamp her reading it. He got nothing in return. At least she hadn’t blocked him. Yet. He tucked his phone into his pocket and settled back into his seat. He swiveled his neck, trying to ease the tension. With everything happening back home, this was the last place he wanted to be.
He scanned the room. If his calculations were correct, almost the whole town showed. When the club moved in, they’d double the population.
“Excuse me, gentlemen?”
Trax smiled at the greeting. He couldn’t recall a time they’d ever been referred to as gentlemen. Trax watched as Kase cocked his head to the white-haired woman standing in front of him. She smiled down at them, taking her time, glancing over them one by one before coming back to Kase and leaning forward. She lowered her voice.
“Might wanna grab some pastries before they’re all gone.”
Kase cleared his throat. “We ate earlier.”
Her brows furrowed, and her back straightened. “Are you sure? They’re delicious.”
Trax covered his mouth in an effort to conceal his grin.
“Maybe after the meeting,” Saint said.
The woman clicked her tongue. “Probably won’t be much left.” She leaned closer, glanced over her shoulder, and then turned back to the men. “Now, I’m not one to talk about others, but we got a bunch of scavengers around here. I swear some of them skip dinner and come here to eat.” She sighed, shrugging. “Some people have no manners.” She turned around and started toward her seat.
Caden chuckled. “Oh yeah, you guys will fit in.”
Trax smiled and shook his head. He checked his phone, noticing the time. The meeting should have started ten minutes ago.
“When does this fucking thing start?” Gage leaned forward with his elbows braced on his knees, clearly looking at Kase for an answer. Movement from the seat in front of them had them turning their attention to an older couple. The woman kept her gaze straight forward, but the man craned his neck, looking over his shoulder.
