Page 109 of Boulder's Weight

"Sam, this is..." I hesitate, not sure how to introduce these people who've become so important to me.

"The Reapers Rejects MC," Sam finishes for me. "Tara told me where she was sending you."

Amara steps forward, her posture relaxed, but her eyes focused on my little brother. "You're Kelsey's brother. The best one of all, from what we hear."

Sam nods, standing straighter even though he’s undoubtedly exhausted. "I am."

"And you came all this way because...?" she prompts.

"Because Benji's gone off the deep end," Sam says, his voice steady despite his condition. "He's not just looking for Cady—Kelsey—anymore. He's obsessed. Ever since Dad got diagnosed with cancer, it's like it fueled some sort of vengeance plot against her."

I feel Boulder move closer to me, his solid presence at my back. "What do you mean, 'off the deep end'?" he asks.

Sam's eyes shift to Boulder, narrowed slightly as he assesses the man standing so protectively near me. "He's been making deals with people he shouldn't. Promising things he can't deliver. All to find her."

"What kind of people?" Amara asks.

Sam hesitates, then sighs. "Everyone. Anyone. Local gangs. Smugglers. Even some woman named Sally who's apparently got a grudge against your club."

The room goes silent at the mention of Sally's name.

Boulder's hand finds the small of my back, his touch calming me down a notch.

"Sam needs to rest," I say, feeling how he's beginning to lean more heavily against me. "And medical attention. He's hurt."

Amara nods, making a quick decision. "Take him to one of the extra rooms upstairs. I'll send Brick to check him out in a little bit."

I guide Sam toward the stairs, but he stops, turning back to the club. "I know you have no reason to trust me. But I swear, I'm here to help my sister. Nothing else."

Amara studies him for a long moment, then gives a slight nod. "We'll talk more when you've rested."

As we climb the stairs, I feel eyes on our backs.

Sam is silent until we reach the room closest to the stairwell, collapsing onto the edge of the bed with a groan.

"Let me see," I demand, already reaching for the hem of his shirt.

He tries to wave me off, but I fix him with the same stubborn glare I used when we were kids.

With a sigh, he lifts his shirt, revealing a patchwork of bruises across his ribs.

"Jesus, Sam," I whisper, my hand hovering over the discoloration. "Who did this to you?"

"Benji," he admits quietly. "He figured out I was still in contact with you. Wanted to know where you were."

Rage burns through me. "Why can’t he let things go? Jesus! I swear to God, I'll?—"

"Cady, don't." Sam catches my wrist. "That's not why I'm here. I didn't come to drag you back into a fight with our family."

"Then why are you here?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

His eyes find mine, filled with the same protective love I remember from when I was a child. "To warn you. And to see you. I had to know you were okay."

The door opens, and Boulder enters with a first aid kit, followed by Brick. I step back to let Brick doctor him up and examine Sam, moving to stand beside Boulder.

"What do you think?" I ask him quietly.

"I think he's telling the truth," Boulder says after a moment. "But Amara will want to verify everything he's said. She’s been fucked over too many times."

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