Page 66 of Filthy Liar

“To the Shed then, I guess,” Logan sighed, flicking his gaze to me in the mirror and waiting for me to nod. He would’ve taken me to the hospital instead if I’d asked.

* * *

The Shed was thumping with music when we arrived, and we’d barely parked before Rory stalked outside. I swatted Ander’s hand away when he tried to help me out of the car, my senses on high alert.

I couldn’t look weak here, I had to stand on my own feet.

Rory grabbed my chin a little harder than I’d been expecting, tilting my face towards the light on the front of the building to inspect me. Her jaw was tight, and something settled in my chest at how pissed off she looked.

I’d never had a parent get mad on my behalf before, let alone try to keep me safe. This was new, and I was getting way too used to having people who cared.

“Come inside. Jade’s in the office patching up Maddox, so she’ll help you after that,” she said as she released me, making Logan frown.

“Is he okay?”

“My son is claiming he’s fine, but I’m pretty sure he broke his hand,” she chuckled. “We had some new guys show up tonight, and one said some shit about Beckett. As you can imagine, it didn’t end too well.”

“I’m surprised the guy’s walking then.”

“I didn’t say that,” Rory answered, giving Logan the side-eye.

We took that as an answer that the guy was dead, and we dropped the conversation. I didn’t want to know, and I definitely didn’t want to get involved.

We followed her inside, the crowd moving out of our way to avoid Rory’s wrath. I looked over at the cage, a little surprised to see Skeeter fighting some guy. The cage was covered in blood, and I wasn’t sure if it was from Maddox’s fight, or Skeeter’s latest victim. There was no way his opponent was getting out alive.

Skeeter looked like a machine as he pummeled his fists into the man, the crowd cheering from the violence.

“The guy had friends,” Rory shrugged, answering my silent question of what the man did to piss Skeeter off, and I nodded so she knew I’d heard her, but I didn’t ask for more information.

She opened the office door and ushered us inside, making sure it was shut behind us before speaking. “Lopez, hit me with it. Your message was cryptic.”

I didn’t know where to look. I didn’t want to look like I was snooping, and Maddox quirked an eyebrow at me from his spot on the desk where a red-headed woman stood in front of him, bandaging his hand. He was only wearing shorts, his lip cut and blood all over his chest.

“You really need to relax more. Sit down, you look like you’re going to pass out.”

My eyes flicked to Rory and she motioned to another desk. “Sit while we talk.”

I did as she told me, lifting myself onto the large wooden desk.

“Raven can explain what happened. We didn’t see it,” Zavier sighed, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms.

All eyes went to me, and I winced. “We were at the drive-in, and we parked right by the bathroom. Since the guys had a direct line of sight to it, I wandered in alone to do my business, but when I stepped out of the stall, Stefano and one of his men were waiting.”

“Why didn’t they kill you?” Maddox asked.

“They wanted to use me as a messenger. If I could get Ander and Zavier to call him by midnight to agree to meet with him, then the rest of us were safe.”

“And if they don’t sacrifice themselves?” Rory asked dryly.

“He said I’d be sorry. And that he’d get his guys to run a train through me before they stone me to death,” I muttered, Ander’s eyes narrowing.

“You skipped over that earlier.”

“Does it matter?”

“Stefano threatened to have you gang raped and murdered. Yes, it matters,” he bit out, raking a hand through his hair. “Did he mention Dante?”

“I asked about him, but he didn’t tell me anything. It was at that point his patience ran out and he threatened me, then knocked me out. I think I hit a nerve when I said we’re your family, and that we know the incident at Wet Dreams wasn’t Dante.”

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