Page 265 of Outlaws of Tulsa

The sounds of men speaking grow louder. I start to tremble so hard, all the trash around me rustles. The kid draws me to him, locking me in a warm embrace. For the first time in two years, I feel safe and protected and cared for. Tears silently stream down my face while I bask in the closeness of another human being who isn’t out to hurt me.

Now, if we can only make it out of here unscathed, I can finally be free.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

I swivel my head to see who’s tapping on the glass of the Tahoe. When green, familiar eyes mirror my own, I freeze.

Kai Thomas.

My brother.

Seeing him on social media is one thing, but seeing him on the other side of my window is something else entirely.

“Step out of the car,” Kai growls. Always had balls of steel. I guess some things never change.

“Nah, we’re just passing through,” I say through the glass, unable to stop looking at him.

His eyes narrow as though he recognizes me. I’d stolen Bermuda’s hat earlier and exchanged my Arkansas Razorbacks shirt I’d picked up at a gas station for a black T-shirt from my bag the guys brought with them this morning. My tattoos are on full display and I’m wearing sunglasses, so I’m not even close to looking like the brother Kai saw last. Still, he seems to pick up on the fact he knows me.

“Should we drive off?” Filter asks low enough for only me to hear.

I glance over at the house where a shiny silver Maserati sits in the driveway now. I’d been remembering my past and not paying attention to the fact someone arrived. And Filter’s dumb ass was probably sexting with Calla.

“Two guys went into the house and this one came this way,” Filter grunts, answering my unanswered question.

“Walk away,” I tell Kai, not looking at him. “Now.”

The car door opens, much to my surprise, and Kai grabs my arm. Before I can react, he twists my wrist and runs his finger over a scar—one he gave to me when we were kids.

“I fucking knew it,” Kai growls. “Chase? What the fuck, man? What the actual fuck?”

Flinging off my sunglasses, I shake off his hold and pin him with a fiery glare. “Chase is dead.”

His nostrils flare. “Always were dramatic as fuck. I told Mom and Dad a thousand times you ran away—”

I jump out of the Tahoe, shoving him so hard, he lands on his ass in the grass. “I didnotrun away.”

Always the quicker of us two, he’s back on his feet in a flash, shoving me back. He takes a swing at me, but I pull a knife and press it beneath his chin seconds after I duck.

“Look what you’ve done now,” I spit out, pressing the point of the blade into his flesh but not piercing him. “You’ve pissed me off.”

“Dragon,” Kai snarls. “I had a feeling and I was right. Benjamin owes me a hundred bucks.”

“How do you know my name?” I demand.

“You friended me on Facebook. All it said was Dragon and the pictures are of stupid shit like motorcycles and boats rather than people. Despite our no mutual friends, I accepted the friend request and have been watching you for a while now. Looking to see if you’d post anything that gave me a clue that it was you, Chase.” He huffs. “You’re my brother, asswipe. It’s called brotherly intuition.”

A smile tugs at my lips until I remember we’re not brothers. Not like we used to be. I’m Dragon now—vicious, violent, evil. Our worlds can’t intersect. They just can’t.

“Pretend you never saw me,” I spit. “Go away.”

He smacks away my arm, the blade scraping his flesh as he does it. His glare is furious as he rubs at the cut under his chin.“You’re fucking stupid if you think I’m going to pretend like the brother I’ve been searching for for over a decade didn’t just suddenly appear in front of our childhood home coincidentally at the same time our younger brother goes off the grid.”

“Coincidences happen.” I shrug.

“Not like this. You’re here because of Mitch. Is he with you? Are you bringing him back?”

Filter rounds the side of the vehicle and comes to stand beside me. The dude is built like a goddamn linebacker. Kai is taller than me now, but I’m a helluva lot more cut. Filter, though, is like a beast bedside me.

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