Page 24 of Last One Standing
I moved to the front of the store and as soon as I saw Pika, I realized two things. One, of course this was the kid—I didn’t know any others aside from Heather and Andrew, but they were on the other side of the country with their aunt. The other thing was that something bad had happened.
“Pika?”
He and JJ turned to look at me when I called his name.
“Angel, hey.”
JJ stood, and walked away, squeezing my arm as he passed. I took his vacant seat and waited for Pika to talk.
“I know this is weird, me being here.”
“Is it weird?” I chuckled. “People come in here all the time. It’s a little weird you came in here asking for me. Truth is, I’m not here as much as my brothers would like.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on his face but his eyes were stormy, afraid.
“Pika, what’s wrong?”
He swallowed. His fingers were tapping the top of the table, and his leg was bouncing. “I…Leo said this is where to go if I needed help.”
“Leo, the bartender at the club?”
He nodded. “I asked once I knew you all got the reservation for helping him, or his friend.”
“Okay…” I didn’t want to say too much. We stayed under the radar because we didn’t advertise our services. Word of mouth was the only way, and the people we helped wanted to be just as anonymous.
“After last night’s show, Kona went back to the clubhouse, and Brick wanted to talk to him. There was a fight, and Brick did a number on my brother. He has a concussion, he hasn’t been able to get out of bed unless it’s to throw up. I helped him to the bathroom this morning to pee.”
I didn’t want to scare Pika, so I contained the burning rage that was coursing through my veins. “Does this happen a lot?”
“It didn’t used to.” Pika sighed. “After Brick first found us he practically coddled Kona, and was like a big brother. But that faded pretty fast. He became obsessed with Kona. Jealous over everything and would take it out on him too. He threatens to do shit to me all the time and it’s to keep Kona in line.”
Deep breaths, Angel.“What was the fight about last night?”
“You,” he whispered, unable to meet my eyes.
I kept my hands under the table so he didn’t see me clenching my hands. “Why me?” I steadied my voice—I didn’t want to scare Pika or make him run because of my temper.
“It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have invited you when we saw you at the diner—Kona told me afterward. I guess Brick was all suspicious of you and your brothers, and no matter how many times Kona explained he had nothing to do with it and that you guys are Leo’s friends, Brick didn’t believe him. But eventually he let it go.”
“And then me and Phoenix showed up last night, and he felt validated in thinking his original thought.”
“Yeah.”
So Brick was hurting Kona, and now Pika was here because he wanted help. “You came here because it’s where Leo said to come for help, and you want me to do what, exactly?”
“Kona has some money saved. He hoards whatever he can after the MC takes their cut. He was saving it so we could run someday but the truth is, even if we run, Brick will find us. Kona will never be able to be the entertainer he was born to be. We wouldn’t have a life.”
That wasn’t explaining what he wanted from me exactly. “You have to be more specific in what you’re asking of me, Pika.”
“We need protection. I want to get us out of there, but there’s no way we won’t get brought back.”
“You want to stay here, and just hire us to keep you both alive from this MC?”
“I don’t know if we can stay here, but we can’t stay there at the clubhouse. Brick’s going to kill Kona one day.”
I looked over my shoulder. Darby was chatting with Lizzy while they cleaned up before the afternoon rush.
“You’re talking twenty-four-hour protection for as long as the MC bothers you.” I cocked my head. “And to fight them when they come at you.”
