Page 9 of Pen Me

“I… You know.” I lamely shrugged as I followed him.

“No. I didn’t know. No one told me you were coming home today.”

“Would you have left if you knew I was coming?” I blurted out, when he paused at the door and looked back in a silent bid for me to open it.

His gaze narrowed and his jaw set, before he flipped his dark hair out of his eyes. I turned the knob, and he bumped the door wider and blew past me without answering.

“I shouldn’t have said those things I did. When we spoke last.”

He grunted without any real indication of what it was supposed to mean, dropping my bags in the center of the living room as he did so.

“Sauce,” I followed him to the kitchen.

He opened the refrigerator and took out two beers, opening them both before he returned his attention to me and held one out.

“No. You shouldn’t have, but I knew it didn’t come from a bad place.” He hefted his mouth up into a smile that clearly wasn’t genuine.

“I just– I saw the fuckin’ news before I boarded the plane. They have a Savage in custody right now, for what? Attempted murder? Slitting a throat, right? Who did that?”

He sipped and shrugged a single shoulder this time, “They’re charging Menace.”

I scanned my brain, trying to recall which one was Menace while I thumbed the label on the beer bottle.

“I don’t even know who that–”

“It’s Henny’s brother. The Vice President’s brother. Menace is our Road Captain.”

“Was, you mean.” I corrected him.

He stared at me in that absent, icy way.

“That’s why I freaked out. I don’t want you to go from being the president’s son, to somebody sitting in a cell, paying for club mistakes.”

“No other Savages were in the club or arrested with Menace. If he did it, it was personal.” Sauce carefully retorted.

“Right–If– He did it.” I snorted, “He got the same publisher as what’s his name, now?”

Sauce squinted, clearly not getting my jab.

“I can’t imagine Menace, or the club, or any of that is what’s making you so sad in the eyes. Gonna tell me what’s up?” Sauce asked.

I nearly choked on my beer. Damn him and his intuition.

“If you decide you wanna talk, I’m around.” He grunted.

“About what?” I tried to pass it off, but Sauce just stared at me in that odd way.

“Whatever has you holding your head high while you’re dying inside, sis.”

There went my lungs again, having a seizure in my chest. I shoved my glasses on and shot back through the living room, grabbing a small bag that had my license and coin purse inside.

“I need to see about an apartment. I need to go. Do me a solid, don’t tell anyone you saw me, okay?” I didn’t wait for confirmation, and bless him, he didn’t chase me.

Chapter Five

Suck the Floor Out

Menace

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