Page 91 of Frenemies

Even I had to admit Parker’s kid was cute. She had enough of her mother’s completion to give her chubby body a tanned, almost olive tone, with a thick head of dark curls and the brightest hazel eyes I’d ever seen. Of course, my baby would be cuter. I just hoped Jax hadn’t found out Naomi was pregnant.

Parker tipped his head at my cousin. “You must be Keenan?”

Before he could answer, two girls burst out of the door, and dog piled me.

Shelby, my niece’s best friend, cried out my name and wrapped her arms around me while Riley punched me in the gut and snarled, “Why didn’t you call?”

I had watched both these girls grow up and couldn’t help but feel a little guilty that I’d avoided them especially after Riley had been shot in front of my clubhouse.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered while rubbing the back of my head. “I went a little off the rails there. . .”

“Yeah, no shit,” Riley huffed and crossed her arms.

She had every right to be pissed at me, and as soon as this shit was over, I’d make it up to her.

“Um,” Keenan cleared his throat.

Shelby smiled and gave him a wave. “Hi, Key.”

That caused my brow to rise. “You know my cousin?”

“Yeah.” Shelby nodded. “He’s been at Pop-Pop’s for a couple of years now.”

That made sense. Shelby’s grandpa owned a garage, which she had been tinkering in since she was knee-high to a pig’s eyes. Wait. . .

Did she say a couple of years? How long had Keenan been here?

“I hate to interrupt your reunion,” Keenan tightened his fists and clenched his jaw. “But I’m about to lose my shit if someone doesn’t tell me where my wife is.”

“Mina’s inside.” Shelby pointed at the door. “Aside from being a little disturbed, she’s fine. My dumbass boyfriend didn’t exactly tell her what was going on when he kicked in your door and threw her over his shoulder, but don’t worry—I slapped him for it.”

That was all Keenan needed to hear before he disappeared inside. Leave it to Logan Hudson to scare the piss out of a girl he was supposed to keep safe. Someone seriously needed to slap that boy.

I took a few minutes to assure the girls that I was okay before sending them back into the house with the promise to visit after, of course. Riley refused to go back in until I double extra pinky promised, which in her world was the unbreakable bond.

Once they were gone, I turned my attention to Parker. “You guys got all the girls here.”

“They are now.” He swung his eyes over to Ava, who appeared to be teaching her niece what different flowers were by touch.

Then again, she could be teaching her which plants were best to poison her future husband with, though it was kind of sweet how she gently put the baby’s fingers on a petal so she could feel it. The only way Parker’s daughter could see was with her hands.

“Preston took Mase and left to do recon,” Parker threw his arm over my shoulder. “Come on. I’ll tell you what we know.”

* * *

The docksin Ashen Springs were oddly quiet. I peeked over the edge of the building at the empty boardwalk. I spent eight years in this town, and not once had I seen this neighborhood this dead.

There were always people wandering around during the day, and at night the beach was alive with drunk teens and bonfires.

It was disturbing to things like this but also a little comforting. No people meant fewer casualties, which is what I assumed the order was going for when they evacuated the area. Maybe those secret society pricks weren’t so bad after all.

They’d even had the cops come out and block off the streets. Something that did not set my boys at ease. Cops weren’t exactly our friends.

Wilder tipped his chin out at the docks and asked, “That the boat?”

Preston, who was lying on the rooftop beside him, nodded.

“How many?”

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