High-Sided (Armed & Dangerous #3)(11)

I cleared my throat and it took a few tries to even get my voice to work. “I’ll be right there.”

Levi’s parents were going to go through his things, but they wanted me to see if there was anything of his I wanted. His room smelled like his cologne, and I could almost imagine he was right there with me. Soon that smell would fade, but I packed up his cologne in my keepsake box, along with a couple of his favorite shirts and pictures we took together.

Sean’s footsteps thumped down the hall and drew closer. “We’re gonna be late to the funeral, Kass,” he murmured softly.

I nodded. “I’m ready.” I grabbed the box off his bed and started to the door, but then something caught my eye. When I looked over in the corner, there was another box with racing magazines on top of it; I recognized the handwriting on the outside.

“What is it?” Sean asked, glancing over at the corner.

I passed him the box in my arms and picked up the other one. “A box of memories.” It was the box I’d told Levi to get rid of from my mother’s house. I should’ve known he’d keep it. There weren’t just memories of me and Logan in it, there were ones of me and Levi as well. Holding it in my arms, I knew I could never let it go. “I’m ready now.”

We loaded everything into my car and headed toward the church. “I can’t believe my dad is having tryouts next week. It’s too soon.”

Sean shook his head. “Just because Levi’s gone, doesn’t mean time stops, Kass. We still have a business to run.”

I knew that, but it hurt to know we would fill Levi’s spot on the team. “What if nobody wants to tryout? We’re starting to get a bad reputation. Everyone who works for us either gets in an accident, framed, or killed.”

“The police are working on the case as we speak. They’ll find the ones responsible.”

“And if they don’t, it’ll never stop. My dad still hasn’t told me what he’s hiding.” He wanted to protect me, but keeping me in the dark could be just as dangerous. I was planning a visit with Ethan, to demand he tell me what was going on. “Has your mother said anything about it?” I asked.

He shook his head. “She’s as pissed as you are. She doesn’t know anything either.”

My mother had never talked about Dad much after they divorced, and it made me wonder if they’d separated because of his secrets. I thought I knew my dad well, but had started to believe otherwise.

We got to the church early. Levi’s parents asked if I would stand up with them and meet the guests, since I was Levi’s best friend. What I wanted to do was hide in a corner and cry, but I had to stay strong. Although, every time someone came by bawling their eyes out, I could feel my resolve slipping away.

My father stood in the back, talking to Angela and Donnie Baker, while some of Donnie’s racers conversed with Sean. Out of all the racing teams, they were the nicest, for the most part. They were always going to be our competition, and with that, tensions would rise during race time, but in the end they were good people—unlike the Hendrix team.

The only thing I knew about Brad Hendrix was that he was an arrogant douche. That must be the personality trait he looked for in all of his riders. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was the one behind all of my father’s problems. Jealousy could make people do evil things.

A set of arms wrapped around my neck and I snapped to attention. I didn’t realize I had spaced out. “Kassidy, I am so sorry,” Janie cried. I hugged her back, but my throat was too tight to speak. She pulled away and wiped her tears away with a tissue. “I tried calling you numerous times the past two days.”

I nodded. “I know. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t. Today’s the first time I’ve been out of my house.”

Taking my arm, she glanced nervously at Levi’s parents, then back to me. “Do you mind if we go somewhere and talk?”

Levi’s mom, Maria, overheard her and nodded for me to go. Her brown eyes were the same as Levi’s and it hurt to look in them, but it was his father he resembled more than anything. “Go, sweetheart,” Maria said. “You’ve done enough.”

“I’ll be back in a few.”

Janie led me to what looked to be a bible study room, and shut the door behind us.

“Something’s wrong. I can hear it in your voice,” I told her.

She looked down at her hands and sighed. “The cops released Mark and Jacob this morning.”

“What?” I gasped, eyes wide.

Her head lifted and she nodded. “They weren’t the ones who ran Levi off the road. That’s why I tried to get in touch with you. I wanted to tell you what I knew.”

The room spun, so I sat down in one of the classroom chairs. “If they didn’t do it, then who did?”

“I don’t know,” she murmured sadly. “But I was with Mark and Jacob the whole night of the fight. After we rode through the gap, we went back to my brother’s house and grilled out. They never left my sight.”

A knock sounded on the door and Sean stuck his head in. “Kass, you okay?”

I waved him in. “No, but there’s nothing that can be done about it.” He nodded at Janie and walked in. “Did you know Mark and Jacob were released?”

His jaw clenched. “Just found out. That’s why I came to find you.”