Page 37 of Being Us (Next Generation 4)

Greyson gaped at me. “For what to happen exactly?”

“For Sunny.”

Greyson shoved to his feet. “You will never speak that name. You fucking hear me? Because of you, he’s dead.”

“No.” I took a step toward him, not caring in the least that he could very well be the reason I died tonight. “I didn’t know that shit was going to go down. I didn’t know any of it.”

“You didn’t?” Greyson chuckled. “Come on. You must think I’m an idiot. Sunny died and then you disappear. You obviously felt guilty and holed up somewhere so you wouldn’t be caught. Or maybe you didn’t actually feel guilty at all. No. Tanner Horsch has no fucking heart. Isn’t that one of the rumors going around?”

My stomach clenched.

“I disappeared as you all keep saying, because my club kicked me out and someone else took over. I lived in the city with my dog. But I was found. I don’t know how, and I don’t know why. It’s been six months. It took six months for them to find me and then they killed my damn dog.”

Something flashed in Greyson’s eyes. “They killed your dog?”

I nodded. “That’s how I ended up in Busy’s backyard. I blacked out and just started walking after I was stabbed.”

“Busy?”

“Bee.” I shook my head. “Johnny. You guys have too many damn names for her.”

“I don’t like that you’ve already added a name to that list,” Greyson grumbled.

Knowing it was not the time to get cocky, I still couldn’t help but smirk. “Oh, I know.” It was like these people didn’t even know me. Tell me not to do something and I was going to do it with a neon sign and glitter. Maybe add some flashing lights and fireworks too. I was a little hurt that they expected any less from me.

“What do you want, Tanner? You disappear for months on end and show up out of nowhere all because your dog died?”

“He didn’t just die,” I said, my voice raising.

Greyson raised an eyebrow.

I sighed, scrubbing a hand down my face and taking another deep breath. I needed his help. I needed to control this temper for fear that he would kick me out before I could get the answers I needed, before I could see what this thing was between Busy and I. I didn’t care that we had only met a few hours before. Something clicked between us. It just felt…right.

“What do you need?” Greyson finally asked, rising from his chair. He went to the bay window behind him and peeked through the blinds. Satisfied that nothing was going to jump out at him, he turned back toward me.

“I need to know why my dog was gutted in front of me. And I need to know why I have a target on my back.”

“I heard there’s a price on your head.” He moved to the table, rested his knuckles on top of it, and leaned toward me. “Should I tell my boys? I know they could use the money.”

I swallowed hard. “One. They probably already know about the price hanging over my head. And two. If you were really trying to threaten me, you would have more than just you in here.”

“Maybe.” Greyson scratched his jaw. “I wonder what my son would do if he were here,” he said, more to himself but being the good boy that I was, I answered anyway.

“Jaron would have killed me before I made it out of Busy’s backyard.” I ran into Jaron once. His father was a kitten compared to him. It had been one reason why I told some of my crew who were in jail alongside him, to leave him alone. But who knows if they actually listened to me.

Greyson smirked. “That’s very true.” He paused. “Your boys have been leaving him alone.”

I blew out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. “So I’ve heard.”

“I’m a little surprised.”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. I respect your son, so I made sure nothing would happen but now I no longer have that control.” And that little fact pissed me off even more. “The point is, I need answers and I know you can help me get them.”

“Why would I even consider helping you?”

“Because you’re a decent human being.” Word had gone around that he was trying to clean up the messes of Hell’s Harlem for years. I wasn’t sure how successful he had been, especially when his son was as bad as I was. Or worse.

“Alright.” Greyson started pacing. “Say I help you with whatever it is you need help with, what’s in it for me?”

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