Crash Read online

  “Really?” Julie asked. “How?”

  Tyson shrugged. “I don’t know. I just would’ve known.”

  “So be calm,” Lucas said, clearing his throat.

  “Right,” Tyson said. “And stick to the simplest story. The bottom line is that you would’ve had to give up Julie, and you couldn’t do it. Mav is unreasonable. You left, and now you’re both seeking refuge in Williamsburg.”

  “Will we have to live there?” Julie asked, alarm in her voice. “It’s an hour drive. We both work at the hospital.”

  Tyson had warned Maverick that this plan had holes, and that was one of them. “Most members of an outlaw club don’t work at all. Can you get time off?”

  “Time off?” Julie asked as if she’d never taken a vacation day before.

  “I just started my job a few weeks ago,” Lucas said.

  Tyson looked at Maverick, who sat as still and stoic as the man always did when he’d gotten news he didn’t like. News he did like elicited the same response. He was definitely a pro at concealing his feelings, and Tyson’s annoyance with the whole situation grew.

  “They’ll probably give you some leeway,” he said. “Since you’ll be new members and all of that. My best advice with that would be to get in and out as fast as possible.”

  “Can we even get out?” Julie asked, and Tyson appreciated the woman’s intelligence. “I mean, my brother….” She let her words trail off as she looked to Lucas for guidance.

  “We’ll have the Sentinels with us,” he said quietly. “We’ll get out.”

  “I still don’t see how this ends the turf war,” Tyson said. “They’ll be livid you sent in a mole.”

  Again, Maverick said nothing, and Tyson rolled his eyes this time. After all, Maverick wasn’t his President, and he didn’t have to worry about getting punched for the wrong reaction.

  “It’ll end it, because we’ll find out what the Breathers are doing in Forbidden Lake,” Lucas said. “And we’ll be able to get them out of our town for good.”

  “They won’t take kindly to being called Breathers,” Tyson said. “Tip number three.”

  Lucas blinked, as if he’d never thought about it. “Okay.”

  “So when is this all happening?” Julie asked. “I can try to get a few days off work, but it’s best if Melinda knows now.”

  “As soon as they claim you,” Maverick said in an even tone. “It’ll have to be very soon after that.”

  “And we don’t know when that is.”

  “I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already,” Tyson said, looking at Maverick. “We moved in on Karly the moment we even suspected she might have a tie to you.” Their eyes met, and familiar guilt moved through Tyson. He’d tried to keep Daddy as calm as possible, but the man lost his mind sometimes.

  And he was currently in close with the leadership of the Devil’s Breath. He did not envy Lucas and Julie, that was for sure. He knew what it was like to tiptoe around every corner. Hold his breath until he knew which version of Daddy he was going to get. Sleep with one eye open and every possible door locked.

  “Learn your way around the clubhouse as quickly as possible,” he said. “Note every exit, from every room. Get a room together if you can. Better yet, try to get permission to live at home until you work out your jobs. Then drag your feet on that.” He reached for the punch he’d brought with him and took a drink.

  “Learn who’s in charge. Who’s really in charge. It’s usually not who you think it is. Find out who’s in that network, and figure out where the fissure is. Then start punching at it.”

  “This all sounds dangerous,” Julie said.

  “Was that part not made clear?” Tyson asked, almost barking the words. “What did you guys tell her?”

  “We told her enough,” Maverick said.

  Tyson drank in the terrified gaze on Julie’s face. “I don’t think you did,” he said, leaning forward. “No one understands it unless they’ve lived it.”

  “You’re not the only one who’s lived it,” Maverick said quietly. “She knows enough. It’s actually better if she doesn’t know.”

  Surprise moved through Tyson for a number of reasons. “Why’s that?” And Maverick had been in an outlaw club? When? Which one?

  “Because then she won’t go.” Maverick leaned forward too. “An outlaw club has no rules, Julie, except unwritten ones. You learn those and follow them, and you’ll be fine.”

  “Is that where Phantom came from?” Lucas asked, zeroed in on Maverick.

  He flicked his gaze to Lucas. “Yes,” he said simply. “And now you know why I don’t use the name anymore.” He nodded to Tyson, who suddenly had a whole new level of respect for the man.

  Hope entered his heart too. Maybe he and Dani really did have a shot at true love. Happiness and sunsets and more kids, the way Maverick did.

  “Stick together,” he said to Julie and Lucas. “Be wary of anyone who tries to take you somewhere you’ve never been before. Don’t make any deals with anyone. Stay off the radar, but in the know.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” Lucas said dryly.

  “It’s not as hard as you think,” Tyson said. “For example, I knew who you and Vice were before I’d even met you. I knew you two owed something huge to Maverick, and I knew if it came down to choosing something, I’d never get you to come to my side.”

  Lucas looked like he wanted to argue, so Tyson continued with, “I knew Ian was an officer, though he literally never did anything outside the clubhouse. I see every glance you guys give each other, the moment you give it. You’ll see it too. You’ve been trained by a good president to do exactly that.”

  Maverick didn’t smile or even acknowledge the compliment. Lucas swallowed and nodded, and Karly came through the doorway with a bundled up little girl. “She wants bedtime stories from all the uncles.” She smiled around at them. “And Daddy.” She placed the little girl wrapped in a bath towel in Maverick’s lap, and the child got his stony exterior to crack instantly.

  And Tyson knew in that moment he wanted exactly what Maverick and Karly Malone had. Love, marriage, family. He had Dani and Jonas, and he wanted them permanently in his life.

  “I’ll get her pajamas on,” Maverick said. “You guys finish up and then come read a book with us.” He got up with a groan and took Navy down the hall where Karly had just come from.

  “So, did you guys figure everything out?” Karly asked.

  “Mostly,” Lucas said, exchanging a glance with Karly.

  “I need some help with something,” Tyson said, shocked he was going to say his next words. “I maybe bought a ring for Dani, Karly. How do I ask her to marry me?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Sunday passed, and Julie was still Julie. She didn’t become Julie Paige, claimed by the Devil’s Breath.

  She didn’t have to work, and Lucas spent the day with her and Riley, taking the dog for a long walk in the afternoon while Julie showered and put brownies in the oven. They hadn’t spoken about last night’s meeting again, and Julie’s thoughts simply circled and twisted, straightened and then revolved some more.

  It seemed like neither of them wanted to acknowledge the elephant in the room with them, and she didn’t know what to say anyway. When Monday dawned, she was at work. She hated how she kept glancing at everyone she passed now, wondering if they’d be the one to turn her life upside down.

  “Melinda,” she said once she’d hung her coat in a locker in the break room. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

  “Sure.” Her best friend looked up from the paperwork she’d been focused on. Her eyes looked bleary, and the last thing Julie wanted to do was make her friend’s life harder. Melinda had just started in this job, and it had only been a week. She looked like she’d aged a year, and Julie sat down next to her.

  “How are you?”

  “Just tired,” she said. “I only have one more report to do, and then I’m headed home.”

  “You’re off today?”

/>   “Until seven tonight,” she said, giving Julie a weary smile. “I’ll adjust. There’s just a lot more the team lead has to handle, and I wasn’t prepared for it.” She looked down at the stack of paperwork. “I thought I was, but it’s sort of kicking me around a little.”

  Julie covered Melinda’s hand. “Sorry. What can I do to help?”

  “Just keep doing what you’re best at.” She leaned forward and hugged Julie. “You seem tense. What’s going on with you?”

  How could she give Melinda the details without giving any details? She had to tell her something, especially if she needed a lot of time off in the future. And she needed this job. She’d worked hard for this job, and she knew there were plenty of people who’d love to have it.

  “Remember how Lawrence went missing a while ago?” she asked.

  “Yes.” Melinda’s eyes widened. “Have you heard from him?”

  “Yeah,” she said slowly. “And then he disappeared again, and I might have a lead on where he is. I might need to have some time off to explore that.”

  “Of course.” Melinda reached for her phone and started swiping. “When?”

  “That’s just it, Mel. I don’t know when. It could be sudden.”

  Melinda looked at her, surprise in her eyes. “You’ll give me as much notice as you can?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You’re not in any trouble, are you?”

  Julie hesitated, and that answered the question.

  “Girl, you better start talking,” Melinda said. “Does this have anything to do with that tattooed man you’ve been riding around with the past few months?”

  “It’s been maybe three weeks,” Julie said with a scoff. “Maybe four. Weeks, Melinda. Not months. And that tattooed man is going to help me find Lawrence. He’s not the cause of his disappearance.”

  Melinda was smiling by the end of Julie’s defense, and Julie couldn’t help smiling too. “So you really like this guy?”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Melinda laughed, and at least some of her energy had returned. “Just please let me know as soon as you can so I can make arrangements.”

  “I will.” Julie started to stand, but Melinda covered her hand this time. “And Julie…stay safe. I worry about you.”

  “You don’t need to worry about me,” Julie said. “I’m not the one using a dating app to meet men.” She whispered the last sentence, a knowing twinkle in her eye.

  “Hey,” Melinda said, cutting a glance around to see if they’d been overheard. “How did you know I’d started using that again?”

  “You know those guys can pretend to be anyone they want?” Julie cocked her eyebrows at Melinda.

  “The ones I’ve met have been nice,” Melinda said, as if that covered all the men who’d ever pretended to be someone they weren’t behind a screen.

  “And your next date is over there by the hand sanitizer,” Julie said, nodding. “That’s how I knew.”

  Melinda whipped her head toward the hand sanitizer station, which sat just inside the doors that led out of the third floor unit. Sure enough, a nervous-looking man stood there like he didn’t know where to go next. Melinda got to her feet as if someone had shot her out of it.

  “Oh, my goodness,” she said. “It’s Blaine Taylor.”

  It was all Julie could do not to laugh, and she joined Melinda as they faced the tall, blond man who looked like he might throw up on the spot. “You better go put the poor guy out of his misery.”

  “I didn’t tell him to meet me here.”

  “Oh, so he’s the stalker type. Are they nice?”

  “You go ask him what he needs,” Melinda said, spinning away. Before Julie could protest, she ducked into the break room, leaving Julie to sigh. She should be glad Melinda had recognized the guy from the dating app, as she’d heard a lot of men used false pictures too. Or one of them from thirty years ago.

  She exited the circular nurse’s station and walked toward Blaine. “Excuse me?” she said in the kindest voice she possessed. “Can I help you?”

  He kept his focus on the station she’d just left, making her believe that he’d seen Melinda run away from him. “Was that—?” He blinked and broke out of the spell he’d been under. “I’m sorry. I have a message for Julie Paige?”

  “I’m her,” she said, her stomach tightening. Was this how she got claimed? A tall, near-surfer-looking guy showing up during her shift? He was wearing loafers, for crying out load. Completely Melinda’s type, for sure.

  “A man named Lucas sent me to get you. Said there’s been a scuffle down in the emergency room, and he needs you.”

  “A scuffle?” And there were nurses in the emergency department. Julie couldn’t just go wherever she wanted.

  “He said to say something about breathing…breath….”

  Julie’s heart flopped. Her lungs went cold. “Thank you.” She didn’t wait for Blaine and escort him out of the unit. Melinda could deal with it.

  She skipped using the elevator, and instead charged toward the stairs. Down three flights, she ran toward the back of the hospital, where the emergency room sat. Lucas came through a door up ahead, and Julie’s momentum and adrenaline almost carried her past him.

  “What’s—?” she panted, trying to catch her breath.

  “Come in here,” he said, looking both ways down the hall before ducking back inside the room. It was really a hallway that led back into the emergency department.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I got called down here, because a couple of guys came in who’d been in a fight. It’s usually fine; they settle down once they’re here. But these guys didn’t, and they needed a babysitter while they waited for treatment.” He spoke fast, his breath coming quicker and quicker though they weren’t moving.

  “It was a friend of mine, Phoenix Addler. He works for the Parks Department, and we’ve gone hiking together. Loves dogs. All of that.”

  “Focus,” Julie said. “I left my post without saying a word to anyone. Why am I here?”

  “Right.” Lucas drew in a deep breath and straightened to his full height. “Phoenix got into a fight with a member of the Devil’s Breath. They’re both here.”

  “What?” Julie shivered, but it wasn’t terribly cold in the hospital. “I thought you said they couldn’t come to Forbidden Lake unless it was Wednesday.”

  “That’s the rule.” Lucas glanced down the hall as a couple of people walked by the mouth of it, twenty yards away. “But this guy was here tonight. Alone. He was on the Addler family property, using their dock in the orchards.”

  “For what?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve already called Mav, and they’re on their way up. We need to go talk to Phoenix.”

  “Okay.” Julie tugged on the bottom of her shirt. The fabric felt so light in her fingers, but she knew the scrubs covered her. “Okay.”

  She went with Lucas, staying a half-step behind him, as he knew where Phoenix was and Julie didn’t. After a couple of turns, Lucas paused at a corner and peered around it. Julie’s heart beat wildly in her chest. She hardly recognized her life anymore, and she couldn’t believe she was about to enter a patient’s room and interrogate them.

  But she and Lucas had every right to be there. She wasn’t trespassing.

  “Okay.” Lucas stepped out, and Julie stuck close to him though his long legs ate up more distance with every step than hers did. “In here.” He slid open the door and stepped inside, closing the door quickly once Julie was in.

  “You’re back,” Phoenix said.

  “Yeah, I got Julie.” Lucas nodded to her. “Julie, Phoenix Addler.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She shook his hand, noting the swelled and bloodshot eye, as well as the dried blood around his nose.

  “Okay, tell us,” Lucas said. “I’m going to record it.”

  If he was going to do that, Julie wasn’t sure why she was there. But she didn’t ask as Phoenix said, “I saw a light as I w
as walking home. I thought it was odd, because I live way down on the end of the lane, right? But it’s winter, and there aren’t any leaves to hide the light. It was just a flash, but I’d seen it. So I got my dog, and we went over toward the lake.”

  He looked at Lucas and then Julie. “There was a single motorcycle parked in the orchard lot, which also serves the beach. We have a dock there, but I couldn’t see anyone. I thought maybe the moon had reflected on something, or I had just, I don’t know. Seen something. Then I heard a cell phone ring.”

  Julie’s blood beat faster through her body. The only motorcycle club members she knew were Lucas and his friends, and she couldn’t imagine coming face-to-face with one of them in the darkness.

  “So I followed the sound, and I found a guy at the dock. He was wearing a leather jacket with that skull you’d told me about. I pulled out my phone so I could call for help, and then I asked him what he was doing. He wasn’t happy to see me, and he tried to leave.”

  “Tried?” Lucas asked. “You encountered him?”

  “No,” Phoenix said darkly. “I had nine-one-one dialed, man. I have a wife. I’m not suicidal.”

  “Okay, sorry,” Lucas practically growled. “Go on.”

  “Before he could go—he was holding a duffle bag in one hand—a boat pulls up. And we all just stood there looking at each other.”

  “Did you recognize either of the men?” Lucas asked.

  “I literally never leave my property,” Phoenix said. “I mean, I do for work or whatever. But I don’t spend a lot of time in town, you know?”

  Julie didn’t know, but Lucas nodded like this was normal behavior for someone like Phoenix.

  “Anyway,” he said. “The boat captain said, ‘I’ll call Carina,’ and I asked who that was. The biker came at me, swinging, saying if I knew what was good for me, I’d forget the name, go home, and forget I’d seen either of them. There was a lot of yelling. I shoved him. I think I hit him a couple of times.” Phoenix sighed and rubbed his head, almost like he couldn’t quite get the memories to come out. “The boat captain left. I must’ve connected the call, because the cops showed up while we were both limping back to the parking lot.”