Page 13 of Knot So Sweet

She shrugged, pressing a hand over the receiver of her phone. "Yeah, Zane will be worried if I don’t," she said, shooting me an apologetic glance. Then, back into the phone, "Sorry, babe. I’m with Candi."

I wanted to facepalm so badly, but kept quiet, trying to refocus on the situation inside the garage. Any trouble the Cromwell's were planning was not on my to do list. I didn't give a fuck whichalphaholewas kingpin of the Hounds. I tried to glance back in the window, but the frame was slipping under my grip, my feet teetering on the edge of the pallet ladder.

This was a stupid idea.

All I could hear were snippets of Julia’s conversation as she cooed softly into the phone. "No, we’re fine… No, I haven’t eaten yet… Yeah, we’re just…" Julia’s voice faded as she walked a bit farther from the pallets. I glanced over at her, wishing she would help me stabilize the stupid ladder, and that’s when she turned back toward me, her eyes wide with realization. "Oh my God—Candi!" she screamed, pointing behind my head.

I didn’t even have time to react before I lost my footing completely. With a yelp, I fell off the stack of pallets, hitting the ground with an ungraceful thud. "Owe…"

"Hey Jules," a voice drawled from above, and I glanced up to see Linc peering out from the window, his face twisted into a smirk.

Lincoln Cromwell wasn’t exactly subtle. His buzz cut made the tattoos on his face stand out even more, the word Hound was inked just above his brow like some kind of warning label. Black lines snaked down from his jawline to his neck, curling into intricate designs that looked like they’d bite you if you stared too long. He had a joker like vibe to him, always wearing a smirk like the world was one big joke, and he was in on it before everyone else. But behind that smile, he could turn on a dime, his sharp blue eyes daring anyone to test him.

And people rarely did.

"Fuck, Linc! You scared the shit out of me!" Julia exclaimed, laughing through her panic. She glanced down at me in the dirt and covered her mouth, her green eyes wide. "I’m so sorry Candi! I didn’t think you'd fall."

I glared at them both, now flat on my back, gripping a pocket knife that I’d instinctively pulled during the fall. But really, it was Julia's fault I fell. Her scream scared me more than Linc hanging out the window like some kind of peeping Tom.

"Oh, a bit of knife play, huh Candi? Kinky," Linc teased.

"Shut up, Linc. I’ve known you since we were twelve. If I was going to fuck you, it would have happened by now."

Linc cackled good naturedly, turning back to Julia. "So what are you guys doing, Jules? Having fun? I'm glad Zane is being a good boyfriend and checking in on you and the baby. Though it did blow your cover." He laughed, letting out a full belly laugh as he taunted her.

"Shut up, Lincoln! You know how Zane can get if he can't get a hold of me." She looked at me and cringed. "Sorry I screamed. You okay, Candi?"

"I’m fine," I grumbled as she helped me to my feet.

Lincoln cackled again. "You don’t look fine. You look like you saw a ghost."

My cheeks flushed at his choice of words. I knew he didn’t mean to reference Ghost, but he didn’t realize just how right he was. Ghost was always on my mind. I shook my head and looked at Julia, trying to suppress the laughter bubbling in my throat as I thought about the absurdity of the situation. It was so ridiculous that I had to bite down on my lip to keep from bursting into a full-blown cackle.

Worst stealth mission ever.

"What song even was that?" I snorted.

"What? I think it's cute," Julia pouted, hands clutching her belly protectively.

Linc and I exchanged a look. One of those rare, fleeting moments of pure, unspoken hilarity, just like when we were kids—and before I knew it, we were both laughing again. The tension evaporated, replaced by the kind of laughter that made your stomach hurt.

"You guys are a riot. You know that?" Linc finally said, shaking his head. He glanced behind him, talking to someone over his shoulder before turning and giving us an apologetic look. "Sean’s pissed. You might wanna leave."

"Not going anywhere, Linc." I shook my head stubbornly. "What did Sean mean when he said my club will be in his territory? Is he planning to overthrow Titus? If so, are you planning on taking out his son too? There's no way Jordan will roll over and give up the top dog spot."

I snorted at the phrase 'top dog' and Linc frowned. His creased brow tugged at the tattoo there. He was clearly not amused by my title choice for the Hounds leader. But the irony wasn't lost on me.

I could tell they just wanted us to leave, but there was no fucking way I was leaving without knowing what Sean meant. Without knowing why Shade was working with the Cromwells, and where that left me and the Den. The tension in the air wasthick, my mind racing with a hundred questions that I needed answered. I couldn’t afford to be in the dark any longer, not when everything seemed to be teetering on the edge of chaos.

But before Linc could respond, someone else did.

"Yes, you are leaving, Candice," came a voice from behind me, stern and unyielding.

I turned to look over my shoulder, my eyes narrowing into slits as I glared at my older brother, Owen. If looks could kill, he'd be nothing more than a pile of ash by now. He knew better than anyone how much I hated being told what to do, but after twenty-one years of dealing with my temper, he wasn’t easily rattled. Still, he had to know I wasn’t leaving without getting some damn answers.

"Why are you making a deal with Sean?" I demanded, my voice sharp.

Owen crossed his arms over his chest, meeting my glare with one of his own. "Why are you here?" he shot back.

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