Dare To Run (The Sons of Steel Row #1)(71)

“That’s why you want to do it yourself,” I said, finally understanding. “You want to give him a merciful death. Fast and quick.”

He gritted his teeth. “He’s my brother.”

“And if he kills you first?”

He didn’t meet my eyes. “Chris will make the arrangements. All you’ll have to do is get out of Dodge before Bitter Hill comes sniffing around again.”

I crossed my arms, moving away from him. He acted as if his death would mean nothing. Like the only reason I cared whether he lived or died was because I didn’t want to be without protection. As if I’d just shrug and move on as if he’d never existed. I didn’t know whether to be pissed, insulted, or sad. “Wow. Just . . . wow.”

He stared at me, looking cold and aloof. “I need some peace and quiet.”

And then he walked away.

I watched him, anger burning red-hot through my veins, but didn’t follow him. If I did, I’d hit him. And if I hit him, I’d kiss him. And I didn’t want to kiss him right now.

I wanted to hate him. Too bad I loved him instead.

Chris came over, his beer empty, and set it down on the bar. “Trouble in paradise already?”

“As if you’d expected anything else?” I asked, my tone as neutrally passive as I could manage. “Want another?”

“Yeah.” He sat down and looked at Lucas—who glared back at him. “You need to back off him. He’s not your knight in shining armor.”

I poured his beer, trying to ignore the stinging behind my eyes. God, I hadn’t cried in years. Years. And now here I was, worrying about a man who didn’t give two shits about me, seconds from tears for the millionth time in a short handful of days, and I couldn’t stop. Lucas was trying to break me. “I never said he was.”

“You don’t need to say it. I can see it.” Chris tossed cash on the bar. “But you can save him, for once, if you’re willing.”

I slid his beer toward him and stole a look at Lucas. He watched, those green eyes of his burning into me, as I took the cash off the bar. “Oh? How so?”

Chris leaned closer. “There’s a party tomorrow night. Tate asked for you to come, but Lucas told him you had to work. Word is, Tate’s pissed.”

“I do have to work, but I could get out of it, if I need to.” I curled my hand into a fist, crinkling the crisp five-dollar bill. “But why would your boss want me there?”

“He wants proof that you’re real and that this isn’t just a ruse. Lucas caused a shit-ton of trouble when he swooped in and rode away with you on a white horse.” He tapped my hand. “Tate wants to know it was worth it. He wants to see the two of you, hand in hand, madly in love with one another. And if he doesn’t . . .”

“Lucas gets in trouble.” I swallowed hard, my chest aching. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

“He’s still protecting you. Like always.” Chris shrugged. “Even if it gets him killed, which it might, he’ll refuse to bring you along.”

No. No. I couldn’t let that happen. “But—”

“Now that you got your beer, can you go back to the corner to watch the door?” Lucas sat down directly next to Chris, anger seething from him. “I need to talk to Heidi. Alone.”

Chris grinned. “Sure, man.”

As he walked away, Lucas turned back to me. “What was he saying to you?”

“Nothing.” I cleaned the spot on the bar I’d cleaned ten times already, not meeting his eyes. I couldn’t right now, because he would see the truth in my eyes. “What’s his story, anyway? He an orphan like you?”

“Nah, his pa’s in the gang, and he followed in his footsteps. I did, too.” He tapped his fingers on his untouched glass of scotch. “Well, I followed Chris. Not my pa.”

“So no one from your family was ever in it?”

“No. We needed the money, Ma was already sick, though we didn’t know it yet, and she couldn’t work as many shifts at the restaurant. I knew from hanging out with Chris that you could make a decent living as a Son, but I also knew that you had to be a legacy to get in. Tate’s way of weeding out rats and undercover cops.” He shifted in his seat but kept talking. “So I found a way to meet with Tate and convinced him to let me in the Sons of Steel Row. Trial basis at first, petty-ass shit, but soon enough I was climbing up the ladder, faster than any other new recruit.”

Shaking my head, I finally turned to him. He watched me intently, those green eyes of his locked onto me without fail. “What about him?” I glanced at Chris again. He watched us way too closely. “How did he feel about you finagling your way in?”

“He didn’t give a damn.” The smirk faded away. “Why are you asking so many questions about Chris?”

“Curiosity.”

His jaw flexed. “You lookin’ to move on from me already, darlin’?”

“Because I need another man like you bossing me around, thinking he owns me?” I asked, snorting. “Thanks, but no thanks. I was just curious. That’s all.”

“He’s not—” His phone buzzed, and he glanced down at it. His brows lowered, and he pushed off the stool, grabbing his glass. “Speaking of Chris, I gotta go talk to him.” He walked away without giving me another glance, his attention fixed on his phone.