Page 87 of When You Stayed
He directed the question to Jameson, but Nova was the one who nervously replied.
“I started dating a member of the Murdoch Devil Riders.”
Ford dipped his chin. “Yeah, I got that much. Why is this club suddenly being discussed, right after Royce and I found the president’s name and number taped under Rodney’s goddamn stapler?”
“Rodney was working with them.” Connor spoke up.
Ford’s brows dipped as he argued. “No, he was working with Soul Reapers.”
Taryn stared at me as if I was supposed to say something. There was the matchbook address we had found, the news Nova had given us, and now this bombshell regarding the stapler.
This was like a twisted game of clue.
Staring back at her, I tilted my head as if to knock her off the idea of saying anything, but then Ford ruined it.
“You’re doing the sister thing. I know that look.” His hand raised as he pointed between us.
“How do you know what our sister thing is?” Taryn asked.
Connor sighed. “Because you two are ridiculously obvious about it.”
Ford scoffed. “And I’ve watched Royce’s every move for the better part of twenty years. I know how she looks at Taryn when they’re hiding something.”
Well, shit. How was I supposed to stay annoyed with him when he reminded me how much he loved me all the time?
“Nova, why did you come here, needing to talk to Royce two weeks ago?” Ford directed his question with a raise of his brow.
She bit her lip nervously, which was when Jameson stepped closer to her and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry, honey. I shouldn’t have yelled. I don’t want you to feel like we’re ganging up on you.”
Her eyes watered which made my heart ache. How did I get her out of this?
“Ford, I found a matchbook with the address, and I didn’t want to tell my dad about it because we were worried that perhaps we didn’t have enough information. Then Connor told me that Rodney was working with the Devil Riders. I just didn’t tell you, but I?—"
“Royce,” Nova interjected with a bit of a sob, “I’ll tell him.”
“Nova, I just did.” I tried, but she stepped forward and ruined everything with the truth.
“The guy I’m dating, Matt… He told me that Murdoch Devil Riders were paid to take that video of Royce and distribute it. They were supposed to make it look like a hacker did it.”
“Wait,” I sat forward, now confused. “I thought a hacker sent it to them. Do they know who provided the video?”
Ford’s angry gaze fastened to me, but I was too curious to worry that he’d found out I knew more than I had let on. Jameson spoke up, breaking the tension. “If you found a note with their info in Rodney’s office, I’m going to go out on a limb andsay it was him.”
I met Ford’s crazed expression straight on. He rubbed his hand over his jaw, his voice strained as he said, “You know this for sure, Nova?”
She gave him a sharp nod. “I was in their club when they started joking about it. They had it playing on the screen?—”
Ford flipped the table closest to him, tossing it against the wall. “Fucking son of a bitch!”
I flinched, wishing the smallest bit that Nova hadn’t shared that part about the video playing. I could only imagine what was running through his head. It made me slip off the stool and go to him. I cradled his face in my hands, speaking quietly to him.
“Ford, look at me. It’s okay. I’m fine, and Nova got them to take it down. It’s gone now.”
He was shaking under my hands. That crazed way his eyes were searching my face told me he was two seconds from walking out. I knew he was on a razor’s edge and about to go start a war. I had to find a way to stop him.
He kissed my palm, then stepped out of my hold. “Keep that leather cut on, baby. Keep it on every single time you enter this club and keep your phone on you.”
“Ford, no. Please,” I begged him as a cry cracked my voice. He took another step away.
