Page 129 of Outlaws of Tulsa

“Ex-military. I’ve already scoped him out, but you know how those guys are. Secrets galore.” Koyn lets out a heavy sigh. “Halo is broody as fuck and quiet, but I don’t ever sense him hiding his past from me. My gut tells me it’s not him.”

“No, dumbass, your heart does. He’s your brother by patch. Which is why your flesh and blood brother needs to help you see things objectively. He’s on the maybe list along with Payne and Gibson.”

“And Nees?” Koyn growls out, stabbing me with words I knew were coming.

“Blake may be young, but he’s my kid. He’s too mouthy to keep a secret. Up until last year, he lived with me, for fuck’s sake. If he were hiding something, we’d know it.”

Koyn smirks. “Remember that time he tried to keep that injured squirrel as a pet hidden away in his room?”

“He was eight. Sketchy as fuck expression he had, too. I knew he’d done something, but Krista just couldn’t imagine her boy lying straight to her face.” A chuckle bubbles out of me. “The poor thing died and Blake hid it in his closet under a mountain of shoes and soccer cleats. I never heard Krista scream so goddamn loud as the day she found that dead, rotting animal.”

Our humor fades and Koyn clears his throat, moving on.

“That leaves Dragon and Katana,” Koyn says, his gaze darkening. “Should we put them on the list too?”

“We know shit about Katana. He’s quiet and follows Dragon around like a puppy.” I let out a sigh and nod. “I’d say he seems more protective than afraid and in hiding, but since we’ve always known so little about him, it’s smart to put him on the list. And Dragon?”

“Is probably a serial killer hiding from the authorities?” Koyn asks, smirking. “For someone so fucked-up, he has a big damn mouth. Dragon doesn’t seem the type to hide. If anything, people should want to hide fromhim.”

That’s the fucking truth. Dragon is two steps over the cliff of insanity, only held back by the precarious grip of his shadow Katana.

“He might not be afraid, but we can’t discount he might have secrets,” I say with a shrug. “Put him on the maybe list.”

Even though Dragon and Filter didn’t seem guilty when I mentioned someone hiding, it doesn’t mean they aren’t good actors. We can’t rule anyone out.

Koyn stands and walks his plate over to the sink. “You realize I have to look into half my fucking guys, right? What the fuck would Collins or Vidal want with any of them?”

“We’re going to find out,” I assure him. “These things take time. How’s Hadley?”

“Better now that she’s home where she belongs and safe from Putnam and her fucking father.” His murderous expression fades as he thinks about her. “I still can’t believe I’m going to have a kid, man. I never thought…” He trails off, vulnerability shining in his eyes. “I never thought I’d have a chance at a family again.”

“You deserve it,” I rasp out. “They’d be happy you found love again.”

We both grow silent, offering a quiet moment for his deceased wife and daughter. Eventually, he clears his throat and nods toward the door.

“I’m going to head out,” he grunts. “I’ll start investigating on my end.”

“Same, brother. I’ll also keep digging on Collins and Vidal leads.”

“All we have to do is wait them out. One wrong move and we’ll be on them,” Koyn vows, his body rippling with violence. “We’ll be ready. Those fuckers will wish they never heard our goddamn name.”

After giving my brother a squeeze to the shoulder, I see him out. Then, I make a plate of food for my prisoner. I’ve cooled off since last night and feel less hungover now that I’ve eaten, so I’m not ready to rip her head off anymore. When I enter the bedroom, her eyes are teary.

“Hungry?” I ask, coming to sit on the bed beside her.

She nods, a tear escaping. “Are you going to uncuff me or is this my new life now?”

“Depends on you.” I lift a brow at her. “Behave and eat this food I’m going to feed you. Then, I’ll see about letting you out of this bed for a bathroom and shower break.”

“Then what?” Her bottom lip wobbles, making my chest ache for some stupid reason. “What will happen then? What can I expect? Are you going to…” Another tear skates down.

I fist my hand so I don’t do something stupid like swipe it away. “Am I going to what?”

“Kill me.”

My jaw clenches and I pin her with a hard glare. “You’ve painted me as a fucking villain, Stormy, and to be honest, it’s not fair. I’m not the monster you’ve created inside your head.” I point toward the window. “The real monsters are out there. One day, when you get your head out of your ass, you’ll see. Until then, you can slowly die of fucking boredom.”

I drop the plate on the bed beside her before fishing the key out of my pocket. After unlocking the handcuffs, I pocket them and stand.

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