Page 95 of Gather the Storm

Money. Power. On loan from my dad maybe, but there to use just the same.

Calvin studied them, then returned his gaze to me. “Very well. Your cards won’t work anyway. I’ll let your father know you insisted on keeping them.”

He returned his sunglasses to his face and headed back to the Mercedes.

“Hey,” Otis called after him.

Calvin turned around.

“Anybody ever tell you those sunglasses make you look like a tool?”

Calvin scowled, then continued to the car.

“Where do you want this stuff?” one of the moving guys asked, carrying a big unlabeled box.

I felt bad for him. He was obviously uncomfortable, and I didn’t envy him having to witness the altercation between Calvin and me.

“Third floor please. Any of the empty bedrooms is fine.”

They moved past me and into the house as Calvin turned the Mercedes around and headed back down the long drive.

“You okay, sunshine?” Wolf asked.

“Fine,” I said.

But it wasn’t entirely true. I didn’t care about the credit cards, although I’d have to be extra careful with my budget now that I didn’t have the cards as a safety net for groceries.

It was being kicked out of the house that hurt the most. That and the fact that my dad hadn’t even bothered to come and talkto me himself. That he’d sent Calvin to do it, like I was some kind of business errand my dad didn’t have time for.

Wolf reached down to touch my face. “It’s okay if you’re not.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I’m just… surprised.”

He pulled me into his arms and I sank against his chest. “You’re not alone, sunshine. Remember that.”

For a split second, I allowed myself to believe it. Then I remembered that the Beasts and I probably weren’t on the same side and I knew the truth: I was more alone now than ever.

Chapter 49

Daisy

The compound was packed, although to be fair, I’d never been before. Blake had been going with Otis since they were in middle school — lying to our dad, because he would never have allowed it — but it had been their place.

No little sisters allowed.

Now I felt like I’d been permitted into some kind of secret kingdom, except instead of castles and dragons, this was a land filled with motorcycles and inked giants.

Syd manned a massive grill set up to one side and the warm summer day filled with the scent of cooking meat. It was the first really hot day of the summer, and it felt like a quintessential cookout if you took away the scary-looking bearded guys covered in tattoos. Everyone was milling around, laughing and talking and smoking and drinking, classic rock blaring from a couple of big speakers someone had set up by the coolers.

Everyone greeted Jace as we added our cooler to a bunch of others in the shade, but I didn’t think it was my imagination that their greetings were a little awkward. It made me feel bad about what I’d said the night I’d asked the Beasts to live at thehouse. I’d obviously been right on the money with what I’d said to Jace, but instead of feeling triumphant it just made my heart feel heavy.

It was the thing that most surprised me about Jace. Underneath my annoyance and anger at the way he treated me was a river of sorrow. Wolf had his mom. Otis had his parents and his sisters.

But Jace? Jace was the loneliest person I’d ever known.

Everyone smiled when Wolf and Otis introduced me, but they were definitely curious, giving me a bit of side-eye while we got settled. I could see what they were thinking in the way they looked at me, could almost hear it:what’s that rich bitch doing here?

We were thrown red T-shirts and Jace checked the sizes before tossing me one.

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