Page 62 of Ruckus

“Not at all, you were always spirited.” He laughs, clinking the necks of our beers together, I glance back across the room to Ruckus and see that he’s watching us.

“I wish we were seeing each other again under better circumstances.” Cam looks toward the casket, and the sadness I see behind his eyes proves that Saul’s death has hit everyone hard.

“I hope, wherever he is, he can see that all these people have come together for him.” I smile sadly. “Ain’t nothing like bad news to bring people close.”

“That and the opportunity to make those Reaper bastards pay. I’ll bet your brother’s been countin’ down the days. Just one more to tick off.” Cam laughs.

“One more?” I stare up at him, curiously.

“Unless I got the wrong fuckin’ memo.” He chuckles again.

“Excuse me a moment.” I pull away from him, storming across the room and interrupting Ruckus from the conversation he’s having with the Colorado president.

“What’s happening tomorrow?” I ask, in a stern voice that dares him to lie to me.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” Jessie taps Ruckus’s shoulder and heads over to join the twin guys he came here with and I cross my arms while I wait for him to give me an answer.

“You know what’s happenin’ tomorrow. We’re havin’ a funeral,” he tells me, picking up his glass.

“Don’t fucking lie to me Brody!” I feel my anger turning into hurt.

“Will you stop yellin’ at me like you got the right to?” His eyes flit around us like I need reminding that we’re in a room full of people.

“Then start being honest, what happens tomorrow?” I make it clear that I will not be dropping this.

“We got an address for the Reapers' new compound in San Diego, we’re ridin’ out,” he admits sheepishly

“You’rewhat?” I try to hide my reaction but fail. “I thought that would be the kind of thing you’d tell your old l— best friend's sister,” I correct myself.

“Yeah, well, no one else’sbest friend’s sisterknows, so you ain’t on your own,” he whisper-yells back at me.

“I can’t believe you weren’t gonna tell me.” My eyes start filling with tears and I really have to make them stop.

“Freya, it was a club decision not to tell any of the girls. Tomorrow is Saul’s funeral, we have members from nearly every fuckin’ charter here. The Reapers are gonna be outnumbered and they’re gonna be outsmarted too. I need you to swear you won’t speak of this to any of them.”

“When were you gonna tell me?” I ask, wondering if this guy has any idea how much it would destroy me if any harm came to him.

“Just before we left…” He shakes his head impatiently. “How do you even know about this?” He looks past me toward Cam, who's now talking with Vike and Alicia. “Did he?—”

“It doesn't matter who it was that told me, it doesn’t change the fact you lied to me.”

“Freya, I didn’t lie. I just kept something from you. Something that we all voted on, and that's not something uncommon between us. You keep loads of shit from me,” he points at me accusingly, and I breathe myself calm to stop this from escalating into a full blown argument with a room full of witnesses.

“And when youride out, what do you plan on doing? How far are you taking this?” I ask, turning the subject away from my secrets and trying to figure out how much danger he and my brother are running into. I’m starting to fear that this is the start of the war my brother’s been gunning for.

“Why don’t you go back over there and ask your boyfriend?” Ruck finishes what's left in his glass before he slams it on the table and heads out to the balcony.

I wanna go after him, tell him he’s being pathetic, but I’m already getting a strange look from Eden so, instead, I smile and decide to get very fucking drunk.

“So when are you heading back to cowboy country?” I ask Finn, feeling a little rocky on the barstool I’m sitting on. I’m proud of myself for salvaging my pride and not going running after my man. Thankfully, I’ve lost track of time and I have that empty feeling in my head that comes from drinking cheap Russian vodka.

“After Saul’s funeral,” he tells me, holding his hand against my arm to stop me toppling sideways.

“After the funeral orafter the massacre?” I lean forward to whisper and have to balance my palm on his knee when I almost fall face-first into his chest.

“Freya, what are you talkin’ about?” Finn suddenly looks serious.

“I know, Finn. Please don’t be another fucker here who lies to me.” I hear my words come out slurred.

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