Page 104 of Scatter the Bones

“I can’t let my brother work at my friend’s place looking like a scruffy puppy I found under a bridge.”

“Jensen.” She drags out my name like a scolding.

“What? It’s true.” I chew a bite of sandwich and pop an olive in my mouth. “Still need to get his bike registered up here if he’s staying. Figure out how to get insurance for that crotch rocket. Gonna cost a fortune.”

“He’s lucky to have a road captain for a big brother.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I mutter, making a mental list of phone calls for tomorrow. “He was a little intimidated by the gym. But Sully’s a patient guy. His fiancée, Aubrey, is a sweetheart. Unless Cain’s a total dumbfuck, he’ll be fine there.”

I’ve been running my mouth since I got here. I set my final quarter of the sandwich down and wipe my fingers on a napkin. “Tell me about your night.”

She doesn’t respond right away. Just nods, eyes on her water bottle. The silence stretches, not uncomfortable, but somehow heavier than before.

“You said you went to the movies with April?” I prod.

She nods slowly. “We saw this frustrating movie. But it was nice to hang out with her.”

“April’s the one you went to school with?”

She nods quickly. “She was helping out at Whisper’s funeral, but it didn’t seem like the right time to introduce you.” Pink spreads across her cheeks and she ducks her head. “She noticed you watching me, though.”

“Couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

Her lips quirk. “Well, she really wants to meet you now.”

Shit, all I’ve thought about is how to introduce her to my family—my club. Haven’t made much of an effort to get to knowher cousin or friend. Only ever had like one conversation with her dad. I need to do better. “Sure, whenever you want.”

A shy but hopeful smile curves her lips. “I’d like that. She might grill you, though.”

“That’s okay.”

Silence settles over us. I finish the last bite of my grilled cheese.

She twists the water bottle cap on and off a few times. “We stopped to get coffee after...”

Why does she make that sound so ominous? I swallow and take a sip of water.

“The news…we saw a report…uh, Daniel was arrested.”

I choke on my water, bubbles shooting up my nose. “What?” I grab a napkin and wipe it over my face. “You let me ramble on about my afternoon?—”

“You and your brother are infinitely more important to me than Daniel,” she says with a quiet conviction that drives home her point sharper than a knife.

I reach over and rest my hand on her thigh. “I appreciate that. But this is…”

“Crazy? Embarrassing?” She exhales hard. “I know it’s not about me, but—ugh. And then April told me she never liked him or the way he treated me, which just made me feel stupid all over again.”

The crack in her voice guts me.

I slide off the stool and pull her into my arms. “You’re the kindest, fiercest woman I know.” I press a kiss to her temple, lingering there. “Sweet doesn’t even cover it.”

Her breath shudders against my chest, but she doesn’t pull away. She slides her arms around my waist and hugs me just as tight.

“I think I wanted to believe it wasn’t true,” she says quietly. “But I should’ve known the cops wouldn’t have come here tointerview me if it was nothing. And they wouldn’t have arrested him without some compelling evidence, right?”

“He’s a rich, white dude. If they arrested him, I’m going to bet the evidence isoverwhelming. They wouldn’t risk a false arrest on such apillar of the community,” I finish with a sneer.

“True.” She pulls away, lifting her gaze to mine. “I’m scared of what it means for my dad. For the business. And I feel awful because I know that’s selfish.”

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