Page 33 of Harvest Brew With the Mountain Man
“Fucker is slippery,” Styx says, tightening his fists. “We had eyes two days ago. Next morning, he didn’t show to work and hasn’t passed by his apartment.”
I do not fucking like the sound of that.
“Trust me,” Styx says, “If he so much as dares to sniff my sister’s way…” Threat is clear.
“I’m riding with three brothers to Silver Lakes tonight,” Raze informs. “See what my contacts know.”
“Keep us updated,” Grayson requests before the meeting is over, and we file out of the clubhouse.
“West.” Holden pulls me aside before I get to my car. I need to see Camille for myself. I’m about to burst out of my skin if I don’t confirm with my own eyes that she’s safe.
“Text me. I gotta get back home,” I tell him, stepping around him but not getting far.
Holden grabs my forearm, keeping me by his bike.
“That,” he says. “That look gives you away, brother.”
I can feel my face harden, no matter how much I try to relax my expression.
“What I saw and told Beckett the other night was a theory. A joke, really, even though my intuition said otherwise. But let me tell you, bro, if that, in there, was you trying to be subtle? You fucking failed.”
“I don’t know what?—,”
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Holden’s voice rasps. “I’m your brother. I’ve been back for some time, making up for lost years, but I know you well.”
My face slackens, hating that Holden still carries guilt from the years he left Eden Ridge and our family to figure himself out. Then we lost our parents. His nomadic personality retired, and he settled back home.
That instantly softens me up. I grab his shoulder and squeeze. “Thank you,” I say. “For looking out for me. There’s nothing to tell yet. I mean, there is, but also, one thing at a time, you know. She just moved back to town.”
“Don’t wait to tell him,” Holden suggests. “Even if what this is, is temporary.”
“It’s not,” I say definitively without meaning to.
His brows rise. Unlike most of us brothers who have the rare gray-green eyes, Holden’s are bright green. They stare into my soul. As a twin himself, there’s an understanding only twins can get. With Asher, they’re the second oldest. Asher and Beckett took on older brother roles like a second skin. Holden stood back and like Nash, observed a lot. He sees more than most.
“What the fuck is in the water these days?” he asks, seriously.
Taken completely by surprise, I laugh. Cause he’s right. I thought the same shit at one point. One by one, my brothers are meeting the last women they’d expect to turn their world upside right. I guess I’m the next victim.
And fuck, does that shit make me giddy. And also anxious.
“I need to get back to her,” I tell him.
“Be careful,” he says, sternly. “This shit’s serious. Those fuckers are vile pieces of shits. I don’t want them anywhere near our family.”
“Agreed.”
He nods, pats my shoulder, and gets on his bike.
Driving back up the mountain toward home, I take stock of the emotions running like a million fire ants up my veins. I’m eager to hold her, kiss her, cocoon her in our bubble while we eat fried bologna sandwiches.
I pull in, and relief sends a warm wave through my blood. Viper’s leaning on his bike in my driveway. His focus, vigilant.
“Thank you,” is all I say.
He nods once and goes back to keeping alert of our surroundings. Viper, whose actual name is Hudson Wilder, came to Eden Ridge not long ago with a darkness surrounding him. Turns out, he’s ex-Black Feral. There’s a story there. He keeps to himself, deep in the mountains just outside of Hunter property. Styx is protective of him. Doesn’t allow anyone to question Viper’s loyalty to Forsaken.
I open my door and rush to the open living space. Nora’s in the kitchen, serving herself Hunter whiskey, which normally, I’d fuck with her about stealing, but my breath, heart, and body all stop dead when my eyes lock on Camille’s.
