Page 60 of Rune
We were never going to see each other again.
And that realization had my damn legs feeling heavy as I turned and started back down the path.
“Where’s the little one?” Chip called, making me look over.
“She’ll be back later. She’s hanging with a friend. How have things been around here?”
“Quiet.”
“Did the cops do anything about those brothers?”
“No. But I came across ‘em in the food store last night. And the oldest one actually seemed kinda offended that I thought they would possibly shoot up two women and their dog just to get revenge on me. Starting to think maybe it was random. Or the wrong house.”
“I don’t know if I feel better or worse about that.”
“I’ll keep an eye when you’re not around.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him I wouldn’t be around again.
“I appreciate that.”
We shared a nod, then I made my way back to my bike on lead feet. I thought maybe the sensation would loosen up as I got further away, or as I drove back into Navesink Bank. But there was still a heaviness weighing me down as I climbed off my bike, grabbed the laundry out of the saddlebags, and made my way inside.
To a complete and utter disaster.
If I had to venture a guess, I figured maybe Fallon and Brooks hadn’t been by in a few days, because there was no way they would have let the prospects get away with the clubhouse becoming a complete disaster area.
It was one thing for there to be remnants of a party: cups, empty bottles, maybe some plates lying around. It was a complete other for it to look like a natural disaster had blown through the space.
Clothes were scattered in the common room. Days’ worth of dishes were on the coffee and end tables, the countertops, and overflowing the sink. Everything looked dull and in desperate need of a vacuum.
I found myself thankful for the distraction as I tossed my laundry in the wash, then started working my way around the clubhouse with the cleaning cart from the garage, tossing empties, piling recyclables to be washed and put in the bin, picking up random bras and underwear that went right into the trash since I had no idea who they belonged to.
No one came stumbling out until almost noon, when I was elbow-deep in the dishes that didn’t fit in the dishwasher.
“We were gonna get to that,” Croft said, making me turn to find him still pulling on a shirt, but not before I noticed a bruise over his ribs.
“The fuck happened to you?”
To that, he rolled his eyes. “Vas.”
“Vas? Vas bruised your ribs?” I mean, our younger brother was a little shit like all the other younger guys—bullheaded, impulsive, kind of reckless—but he’d never picked a fight with one of us before.
“I got between him and some chick’s ex-boyfriend who showed up, all jealous and shit.”
“And started shit with Vas?”
“Not at first. Vas was just sitting next to the pool where the girls were hanging out. The ex showed up, stormed over, and dragged his ex-girl out of the pool by her hair. Vas went fucking feral. Never seen him like that before.”
“How come you got caught up?”
“Because if I didn’t pull him off, I was pretty sure he was going to beat the bastard’s head in… in front of all the witnesses. Had to do something. Caught an elbow to the ribs in the process. Spike and Cain had to pull him off and drag him inside. Pretty sure they ended up locking him in the basement while we made sure the bastard got out of here and the girl got somewhere safe.”
“Christ. Was this last night?”
“Yeah. Hence everyone sleeping in a little later than usual.”
“Is Vas still here?”
