Page 18 of The Keeper

“What about Levi?” I managed to choke out, though part of me didn’t want to hear the answer.

I’d just talked to him.

He was fine.

Pissed at me, but fine.

Had he taken off to clear his head after our call and gotten himself into trouble?

GQ’s face crumpled, and at that moment, I knew. Whatever had happened was far worse than anything I could have imagined.

“Your brother found him,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Teddy found him? What does that—what does that mean?” I stammered, struggling to make sense of what he was saying. “Is he hurt? In trouble?”

“He hanged himself.”

SEVEN

PIPER

Ivy & Piper’s Guide to Life Rule Number Thirty:

Friends don’t let friends keep secrets.

Motorcycles, Mobsters, & Mayhem Event 2025

Iwove through the vehicles parked in front of the valet and past a group of readers and authors getting their nicotine fix before the event. Their loud voices and boisterous laughter echoed off the walls of the hotel, assaulting my already frayed nerves.

It had been one year, nine months, and twenty-seven days since I’d woken up alone on a hotel room couch.

No note. No explanation. Nothing.

Since then, I’d often fantasized about what I would say to Dane if I ever saw him again. I envisioned boldly walking up to him and asking,Why did you say you wanted to make it real and then leave without a word?Who the fuck does that?

The daydreams varied, but most ended with me slapping the ever-loving shit out of him before waltzing off with my head held high, like a badass.

Now, faced with the reality of possibly seeing him again, mybravado crumbled. I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t ready to confront him over his actions if it meant seeing the rejection in his eyes when he learned the truth about our night together.

I’d spent most of the night and part of the morning with my head in the toilet, and exhaustion weighed on me like a lead blanket.

As I approached the entrance, I white-knuckled the strap of my purse, my palms growing clammy. The urge to flee back to my car and speed away from the entire asinine plan was overwhelming.

But my mama hadn’t raised a coward.

An idiot, maybe. But not a coward.

So, with my heart pounding out a staccato rhythm, I took a deep breath and entered the lobby like a woman walking to her own execution, wincing when I caught sight of my haggard reflection in an ornate mirror.

Awesome. I looked as wrecked as I felt.

Dark smudges stained the pale skin beneath my green eyes, mocking my futile attempts to conceal them with makeup. The long, wispy bangs I spontaneously gave myself a few days ago looked less trendy and more like a cry for help.

Long months of worry and anxiety had taken a physical toll on me as much as an emotional one. Last night was just another in a long line of sleepless nights spent tossing in rumpled sheets and second-guessing my decision to come. The uncertainty was etched into the lines of my face and the hollows of my cheeks, and I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d managed to get four hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep. And the long hours I’d been putting in at the bakery lately weren’t doing me any favors either.

On cue, my phone vibrated, pulling me away from the mirror and the shell of a woman who was, as Garth would say, much too young to feel this damn old.

Thinking it might be my mother, I hurriedly snatched it out of my purse, only to see it was a text from my boss, Derek. My jaw tightened as I read his message, another thinly-veiled demand masquerading as a request.

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