EPILOGUE
AVA
We were at the Fallen Crest Bingo Hall a few weeks later, and why we were there? Because Zeke picked it for our date night. We’d started a routine since he liked to say that we were somewhat married, since we lived together, and since the whole living together was totally working out. It was great. Almost unnervingly so.
Zeke was Zeke. He was happy. Supportive. Loving. Loyal. And sweet. So very sweet and romantic, and I didn’t know how to handle it sometimes when he laid out fresh dandelions next to my morning coffee and that was on mornings when I had an early shift at the stables. So yeah. Things were going well, but Zeke insisted we have “date nights.” He’d said, “We need to keep it fresh and spicy,” and because he had read on an online marriage and therapy website that scheduling regular dates helped “to get away,” he had decided that was what we needed.
“It never hurts to start great routines. Habit, baby. Our dates will be routine and a part of what we need to keep sane in this cycle we call life. You pick two and I’ll pick two.”
This was Zeke’s pick tonight. Fallen Crest Bingo Hall.
When we’d first walked in, Zeke stopped and grinned at me. “Please tell me you didn’t work here back in the day?”
I laughed but shook my head. “No. Though, I did volunteer here one time and never again.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Let’s just say they can be ruthless here.”
Now he frowned.
We were set up toward the back of the room, both of us with three cards in front of us. Zeke made sure we were on the end, but he wouldn’t tell me why. He just kept laughing, almost giggling to himself. A lady surrounded herself with crystals in front of us. Another had trolls to the left of us. And behind us, a guy had thirty gnomes set up on the end of his table. All had stone cold sober expressions. They meant business. Then there was a table of teenagers on the other side of the aisle, all giggling and being hushed by the others. And a table of college students not far from them. I didn’t think they were together since one group refused to look at the other. Plus, the high schoolers had Fallen Crest Public letterman jackets while the other table had a couple people wearing Cain University apparel. I didn’t know what they were doing in Fallen Crest, but they were here.
Zeke’s phone lit up, and his smile stretched as he took it. “Kade.”
I could hear a low murmur on the other end.
Zeke leaned back, resting his arm over the back of my chair, and kicked his legs out in front of him. One ankle crossed the other. “We’re in the back. Go in and aim right. You’ll see us behind the Crystal Lady.”
His phone went dark, and he put it in his pocket before glancing my way.
He was planning something. He could barely hold back his glee. I raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.” But his lips pressed together, and he was trying to hold back laughter.
“Zeke.” I looked around but didn’t see anyone coming our way. “Who’s coming in here? Kade?”
“You’ll see.” His shoulders were almost shaking.
I knew about the Kades. Mason and Logan Kade. One needed to, well, not live in Fallen Crest to not know about them, so everyone knew about Mason and Logan Kade. Two brothers who ruled their school and this town. And Samantha Strattan, who moved in with them and fell in love with Mason. The stories were long and probably dramatized over the years, but they were legends. Samantha was best friends with my boss and was still tight with Heather, so yeah, I knew them. Knew of them, knew them, it was somewhat the same deal for me because I kept out of their proximity. I was on the outskirts and had no interest wading in. They operated on a whole different level than I ever wanted to be a part of. They were powerful, but with power came danger and both Kade brothers were known to be dangerous. And from their best friends, who were connected to Blaise, who was connected to Zeke, I considered Zeke “in there” with them. But thinking that, I didn’t think he was so close to the actual Kades themselves so I wasn’t too worried. But then Logan Kade took Zeke’s case when he was arrested…
I thought that’d been it. Zeke had his “man/mentor” crush on Mason Kade, but to my knowledge, Mason Kade didn’t want much to do with Zeke. That was an answered prayer to me, but now, hearing a Kade was coming here and seeing how excited Zeke was, my tummy was knotting up.
A second later, Logan Kade walked inside, scowling, and wearing shades. He wore a white dress shirt and dark pants. It looked like he left his business suit jacket in his vehicle. His dark hair was messily rumpled like he’d run his hand through it a few extra times. He had a firm scowl on his face, over his square jaw, and as he paused behind the tables, sweeping over them, he unbuttoned his shirt and began rolling the ends up until he could push them almost to his elbow.
Spotting us, that scowl just deepened as he made his way toward us. “Allen.” His gaze went to me and softened. “Ava.”
I held up a hand, my stomach one big knot by now. “Hi, Mr. Kade.” See, I knew them, knew of them, and it was the same from all the times they’d come to Manny’s, but I never considered seeing them in a social way.
At my greeting, Logan’s head jerked while Zeke barked out laughing.
He gave Zeke a look. “Shut it unless you no longer need legal counsel from me.”
Zeke turned away, but he didn’t “shut it.” He kept laughing, just quieter as he moved his head down.
Logan sighed, pulling a chair out across from us. He opened his mouth to say something, but an attendant came over. “Do you want bingo cards?”
“Uh.”
Zeke stopped laughing enough to straighten back up, and coughed, nodding. “Yes. He’ll take five cards.”
“Five?” came from Logan at the same time the attendant nodded and said, “Yes, sir.” And he ran off.
Logan leaned forward, shoving his shades up to rest on top of his head. His brown eyes were not happy. “This isn’t a social call, Allen. I’m in town and you said you had something to discuss with me.” But the attendant was back and placing the cards in front of Logan. He cursed, leaning back so the attendant had more room.
“I did.” Zeke’s lips were still twitching. “Bingo.”
Cursing again, Logan cut his gaze my way. “I heard you hitched yourself to this guy but was hoping it was a joke. I’m seeing that Jax wasn’t just imagining things.”
Zeke’s lips stopped twitching. His tone quickly went low. “You can be a jackass to me. I get it. I take that shit and it slides off my back, but don’t disrespect Ava. She’s tenfold the person you and I both are. Keep that in mind.”
Logan’s eyes cleared, his mouth turned down, but he was softening again. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that in a rude way. Just surprised. I thought you were with–”
Zeke lowered his head and focused on his bingo cards, but his words still came out, sounding casual, “Would you like me to start asking about your woman’s exes? I’m sure Taylor has a few.” Yes. His voice sounded carefree, almost cherry, but he glanced up and even I got a zing from the hard look in his eyes. He held Logan’s gaze for a full beat.