Page 120 of Boulder's Weight

The warehouse, the weapons shipment, Craig's betrayal of Benji—all pieces of a puzzle that's starting to form a clear, dangerous picture.

When we return to the clubhouse, I find Kelsey waiting in the main room, tension evident in every line of her body.

She jumps up as soon as she sees me, relief flooding her face. "You're back," she says, the simple statement loaded with emotion.

"Told you I would be," I reply, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her somewhere more private.

In our room, I relay everything Craig told me—the three-way alliance, the weapons shipment, his offer to help us infiltrate the warehouse.

Throughout my explanation, Kelsey listens silently, her expression unreadable.

"You believe him?" she asks when I finish.

"I'm leaning that way," I admit. "But what matters is what you think. You know him better than anyone."

She paces the small space, arms crossed over her chest. "Craig was always... conflicted. Never as hard as Benji, never as soft as Sam. Always caught in the middle, trying to please everyone." She pauses, considering. "If he's breaking from Benji now, he must be really scared. Or he’s finally disgusted with what Benji's become."

"He gave me this for you," I say, holding out the flash drive. "Said it's some of Sam's things he couldn't take when he ran. Photos of your mom, drawings you did as a kid."

Her hands tremble slightly as she takes it, eyes filling with unexpected tears. "He kept these? All this time?"

"Said he saved them when Benji was destroying everything."

She clutches the drive to her chest, emotion overwhelming her for a moment. "Craig always was the sentimental one," she whispers. "Even when he tried to hide it."

"He also said to tell you he's sorry," I add quietly. "For not being strong enough to stand with you when you needed it."

A tear slips down her cheek. "And now he might die trying to help me."

I pull her into my arms, feeling her body shudder against mine. "That's not on you, Montana. That's on Benji. All of this is on Benji."

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Kelsey

Waiting at the clubhouse while Boulder and the others are gone is a special kind of torture.

I've tried sketching, tried reading, even tried sleeping, but my mind won't quiet down.

All I can think about is what might be happening out there—if Craig was telling the truth about the weapons shipment, if Benji knows he’s betraying him, if Boulder’s safe.

Sam finds me pacing the main room, my sketch pad abandoned on the couch.

Even though he’s injured, he's moving around better today.

The dark circles under his eyes are less noticeable, though the haunted look in them remains.

He lowers himself carefully into one of the worn leather chairs. "You're going to wear a hole in that floor."

I shoot him a weak smile. "Just burning off nervous energy."

There's a hint of teasing in his voice, the first I've heard since he arrived. "Worried about your prospect?"

My words come out a lot sharper than I want them to. "He's not a boy at the drive-in, Sam. He's out there risking his neck because of our psychotic brother."

Sam doesn't flinch. "I know. I was trying to lighten the mood, but that was a stupid idea."

I sigh, dropping onto the couch beside his chair. "Sorry. I'm just..."

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