Hell Breaks Loose (Devil's Rock #2)(70)

He had a job working at a garage in Sweet Hill. Since he’d been pardoned, he’d started looking into graduate schools that offered masters in criminology. He was up for leaving the area. Starting fresh. There was nothing keeping him here anymore.

He’d been planning to meet with Knox for a while now, ever since he got out, but he’d been dragging his feet. For one thing, he’d promised to keep an eye out for North. Not only was Reid now free and unable to do that, but four years had been added to his sentence for the riot Reid had started. Talk about shit luck.

Knox spotted him from where he sat in a back booth and waved him over. Shrugging out of his heavy coat, he hung it on the hook outside the booth and slid onto the bench seat.

He reached across the table to shake his friend’s hand. “Hey, man. How you doing?”

Knox shook his hand. A good sign, Reid guessed. At least he wasn’t planting his fist in his face and cursing him.

“Doing great. You look good.” Knox nodded. “Never thought I’d be sitting across a table from you on the outside, though.”

“I know.” He reached for the menu, his discomfort growing.

“I’m happy for you, man.”

“How’s your girl?” Reid asked dutifully. He knew Knox was with someone now. He’d mentioned it when they talked on the phone.

“Briar is great. Christmas was . . .” He looked away, his eyes growing suspiciously wet before he blinked them. “Never thought I’d have that again, you know. A girl to love. A real family Christmas with a tree and decorations. Huge turkey. Christ, she can cook.” He shook his head. “The pies she can bake.” He patted his flat stomach and grinned. “She’ll have me fat soon enough.”

Reid doubted that. His friend might be happy and at home on the outside, but he still looked hard and alert and ready to bust heads at a moment’s notice.

“Never thought I’d have this, you know. Wasn’t sure if I deserved it.”

Reid nodded. “I know what you mean.” Of course, he did. They came from the same place. Knox had spent seven years in Devil’s Rock.

“Means there’s hope for you.” Knox grinned.

Reid’s smile felt brittle.

Silence descended. The waitress came and took their orders. When she left, Knox cut to the point. “You see North before you left the Rock?”

Reid grimaced even though he had been expecting that question. “No, I was in the hole until my release.”

Knox shook his head. “Last time I went to see him, he refused visitation.”

“Maybe you should go visit Cross. He’ll give you any news. Give North any messages.”

“Yeah, that’s a good thought.”

Reid set his mug of coffee down with a clack on the table. “I’m sorry, man. I promised you that I would look after him.”

Knox waved a hand. “It’s not your fault. I might have been pissed at first but the fact is . . . no one can promise that in there. You can only try. You were a good friend to us when we first entered that place. The shit that would have happened to the both of us that first month if you hadn’t stepped in . . .” He shook his head. “Man, forget about it. You don’t owe us an apology. You’re another brother to us.”

Emotion punched him in the chest. Especially considering how alone he’d felt ever since he got out. Work, eat, sleep. That was pretty much the cycle.

A few weeks after his pardon, he’d actually paid his mother a visit. He didn’t know what prompted him . . . what he was looking for from the woman who had never given him anything in life. He felt worse after seeing her.

The years had not been good to her. Most of her teeth were gone. Her greasy hair had thinned so much he could see her scalp through the stringy strands. He had to remind her who he was several times. She continually asked him if he had any money and even went so far as to grope his pockets when he stood up to leave.

When he left her trailer, he bumped into Gaby, one of the twins he used to f*ck around with in high school. She was there visiting her parents. She was still hot. Jeans painted on and a skintight sweater that hung loose off one shoulder.

She invited him back to her apartment. He’d accepted the invitation, desperate to move on. Desperate to prove that what he felt for Gracie wasn’t real. That it had just been circumstances. Their forced isolation and the constant threat of danger combined with the fact that he hadn’t touched a woman in years. It had taken him ten minutes in Gaby’s apartment to realize just how wrong he was.

The moment she stripped off her sweater and started a little strip tease, fondling her comically large breasts while licking her lips, he knew. He didn’t want anyone but Grace.

“Like these babies?” she asked between licking her lips and tweaking her distended nipples. “My ex bought them for me. Best thing I got out of that marriage.”

“I thought they were . . . different than before,” he managed to say.

“Damn straight.” She straddled him in her leopard print bikini underwear. “Bet you’ve got a lot of pent up energy.” Her hand dove for his dick, grabbing it aggressively as she thrust her chest into his face, nearly blinding him with a nipple.

He jerked at her rough treatment, grabbing her wrist and trying to pull her hand off his dick. “Want to use this on me, big guy? I’m a lot better than I was in high school.” She winked. “Have had lots of practice since then.”