Page 87 of Candy

“You need to tell me one fucking thing, Ryan. One fucking thing, and don’t you even think of lying.”

“What?”

“Were you a rat? Or were you undercover?”

He swallowed and then replied, “I work for the FBI. I was undercover for about five years.”

I don’t know why I was happy to hear that, but suddenly, all the anger I had felt vanished, and I stepped forward and threw my arms around him.

A moment after I did, he put his arms around me too.

“I thought you were dead, man. You were my friend.” He stepped back, staring at me. “Jesus, you were alive. You have no idea how often I wished you were alive, Ryan.”

“It’s Bryan. Bryan Hemlock.”

I nodded. “Bryan.”

“What are you going to do, Bollard? You going to tell the club?”

“There really isn’t a club anymore.”

“What are you talking about?”

“After everyone got arrested, the club was floundering, and those that wanted to exit—did. I walked, man. Hung up my patch and decided to go legit. I’m buying the tavern, well, with the help of your sister and sister-in-law, and you aren’t the only one with a kid.” I turned and pointed back at the car. Harley stood beside Candy. “That’s my son, Harley.”

Bryan smirked. “I see a lot has happened.”

“Yeah.”

“Bollard, are you serious? Are you not going to say anything? The fact that Candy brought you here puts my family in danger, and I can’t have that. We’ll have to disappear again.”

“No, don’t. I’m not going to say anything, Bryan.” I turned and glanced back at Candy again. Now that this secret was out, Candy didn’t have a reason to push me away—unless she just didn’t want me. I turned to him. “I swear, man, I will never speak of this. That life is behind me. Laney is even helping me to get my felony record expunged.”

He looked surprised. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I guess we have some catching up to do.”

“If I had said I was a rat, what would you have done?”

“I would have kicked the shit out of you, helped you out of the dirt, and hugged you.”

He put his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, let’s go let the ladies know we aren’t going to kill one another. I think Cara is ready to pass out.”

When we returned to them, I put my hand on Harley’s shoulder. “Harley, I want you to meet a good friend. This is Bryan.”

“Hi,” Harley said in a small voice.

Bryan went down on one knee. “Hey Harley, you sure do look like your daddy. I have a little boy too. He’s much smaller than you, but I bet he’d like to play with you. Do you want to meet him?”

He looked past him toward the barn. “Do you have horses?”

“I do. Have you ever been on a horse?”

Harley’s eyes went wide. “No, have you?”

“Every day, Harley. I’ll take you for a ride before you leave. How does that sound?”

He spun toward Candy. “Can I?”

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