Page 5 of My Dream

“You two can get married,” Smoke joked, and a grin tugged at his lips.

“No, no,” Yarder said, cutting Smoke off before the joke could snowball. “Use the cake shop to distract. We’ll also put them on the building of the new garage. They can go pick out fucking roof shingles or something with me. Between those two things, they should be able to get all the footage they need.”

“So, you get to go shopping with the camera crew while Fallon and I are suddenly a couple?” I asked, pissed the hell off.

Yarder gave a lazy shrug. “I think you’re up to take one for the team.”

“This is insane,” Fallon blurted and shook her head.

“No, this is you also taking one for the team,” Yarder shot back. “Because I seem to remember you telling us when you got here that you were the one who set Boone and Gibbs’ sights on us. So, from where I’m sitting, that means you really do owe us a fuck ton. Start with distracting your ex and the camera crew with Compass and the cake shop.”

Fallon bristled and folded her arms tightly over her chest. “I’m here to help find Russ,” she said, her voice firm.

Yarder stood, towering over her as he leaned forward slightly. “You’re here in our clubhouse because your ass is on the line, so you’re going to do whatever I tell you to do. That is unless you’d like to leave, which you are more than welcome to do. I’m sure it won’t take long for Boone and Gibbs’ goons to find you.”

She glared at him, her jaw set tightly, but after a beat, she exhaled sharply. “Fine.”

Yarder nodded, satisfied. “Figured you’d come around to seeing things my way.”

I wanted to point out that I didn’t owe the club anything and didn’t deserve this nonsense either, but I kept my mouth shut. Everyone here did what needed to be done for the club—no exceptions.

“What if they don’t believe that I knew Compass from the past?” Fallon asked, her tone challenging.

A smirk spread across Yarder’s face. “Make them believe. You don’t have another choice.”

With that, Yarder turned on his heel and strode out of church, leaving the rest of us sitting in tense silence.

“Well,” Fade drawled and leaned back in his chair, “Adalee is going to be mighty happy when she hears this turn of events. We both didn’t think The Cakery was going to happen until we figured out the Boone and Gibbs shit.”

Fallon grunted and rolled her eyes. “I guess at least one person will be happy with this turn of events.”

One by one, the rest of the crew filed out and left Fallon and me alone at the table. She stared at me, and I could see the wheels turning in her head.

“This isn’t going to work,” she said flatly.

I shrugged. “It will.”

“It’s crazy.”

“Most of the shit we do is.”

“I should be focusing on finding Russ,” she muttered, more to herself than to me.

She wasn’t wrong, but Yarder had made his decision. “You can do two things at once, right?”

She rolled her eyes at me. “I still think we could have run with Adalee and me being old friends.”

“Between Clay knowing your past and Don being Adalee’s father, I don’t think you could have sold it. No one’s going to go digging in my past. Yarder’s right about connecting us. Unless you’d rather it be Smoke or Pirate.”

She stood and let out a long sigh. “I’d rather it be none of you, but I guess you’ll do.”

“Don’t start sweet-talking me already, babe. The cameras aren’t rolling yet,” I teased, a small chuckle slipping out.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes again as she moved toward the door. “I need a drink.”

She walked out without another word, leaving me alone in the quiet room. I leaned back in my chair and let out a slow breath.

“Same,” I muttered to no one in particular. “Fucking same.”

---