Page 27 of Hell to Pay

I’d heard of Cassie’s big brother — everyone in Blackwell Falls had — but since he was a few years older I’d never seen him in school. There had always been whispers about him: that he dealt guns and worked with the mafia families from Aventine, that he owned half of Blackwell Falls, that he’d bought the coffee shop for Cassie after their parents had died and was super protective of her.

He was like an urban legend, someone invoked for little kids around a campfire when you wanted to scare the shit out of them.

“That’s him,” Nolan said.

I didn’t even want to ask if and how Nolan knew him.

I hadn’t thought at all about Bram over the years but I must have subconsciously assumed he’d look like Cassie, that he’d have the same copper hair and easy smile, because looking at the inked giant, an angry set to his jaw as he talked to Cassie, had me shook.

“You uh, probably shouldn’t stare, sweetheart.”

“Right.” I tore my gaze away. I hadn’t even been aware that I was staring. I was just so surprised, first to see Bram Montgomery at all and then to realize that he looked nothing like his cheerful ginger-haired sister.

The line inched forward and Nolan and I moved with it. There were only two people behind the counter, probably because Cassie was talking to Bram, and the line was definitely crawling.

I spotted a bulletin board against the wall, paper of all colors tacked to its surface, and looked up at Nolan. “Be right back.”

I felt his eyes on me as I crossed the room. He’d been watching me extra closely since we’d gotten back from Greece, both at the house and while we’d been grocery shopping.

He’d asked me point-blank if anyone had touched me on theArtemis— if anyone had hurt me — and had been visibly relieved when I’d said no, but I knew he was still worried about the effect on my heart of being without my meds for so long, and probably about PTSD too.

It was nice, having someone — multiple someones, if I counted Jude — worrying about me, and I continued to the bulletin board, feeling a little warm and glowy even though it was weird to be at Cassie’s with one of the Bastards.

The pieces of paper tacked to the bulletin board were typical of a small town: a used motorcycle for sale, a teenager offering up her babysitting services, a personal trainer offering a free trial session.

Then my gaze snagged on a professional-looking flyer peeking out from the corner: “Help Wanted - PT Assistant.”

I moved an announcement (“Senior Bingo Saturday Night - $5/card”) over so I could read the job notice.

Mayor’s Office looking for an intern/assistant. Primary job duties include answering phones, filing, general office maintenance, scheduling, etc. Previous experience preferred.

What did "previous experience” mean? Did my waitressing job count or did they want someone who’d worked in an office?

I hesitated, then took a picture of the flyer with my phone. I needed a new job ASAP if I wanted to keep my apartment, which I did. It was nice living in the lap of luxury with the Bastards, even if I did have to put up with Rafe, but it couldn’t last forever.

I needed a place for Matt.

Speaking of Matt… I looked at my phone, hoping for a text from my little brother, and was disappointed. I’d texted him twice since we’d been back from Greece and still hadn’t heard anything, but the problem with being estranged from someone was if they didn’t reply to your calls and texts, you had no way of knowing if it was because they were in trouble or because they just didn’t want to talk to you.

I was about to leave the bulletin board and rejoin Nolan in line when something else caught my eye: a piece of paper sticking out from the others, only part of a word visible: “ISSING!”

My heart thudded so loudly I wondered if everyone around me could hear it. I reached for the piece of paper, moving the announcements in front of it aside, and pulled it down.

And now I could see the whole word at the top of the flyer: “Missing!”

The girl staring back at me under the headline was familiar: the girl who’d been shoved into the car with Mr. Suit behind the Dive.

She was about my age, with long dark hair and a pretty smile. She was wearing a blue sweater in the photo and looked like any girl in her early twenties: a college student or a barista, someone’s sister, someone’s daughter.

I tore my eyes from the picture and read the announcement.

Missing!

Rain Adakai

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

---