She glared over at me before muttering, “His dog ate his shoe.” Laughter went around the booth. Only Raya complained, “I didn’t know his personality was a shitshow.”
Gun lifted two fingers and whistled loudly. Quake, who was at the bar, tipped his chin up. Gun turned back to Raya and asked, “How’d you know him?”
“Work. Though, we’d never really talked before.”
“I told her it was sus when he suddenly grew some balls to ask her out.”
“It was only because we worked on the same machine that day. We never had before.”
“Where do you work?” I asked. At least I was getting more information about the neighbors.
“The factory on Lawyerly.” She shifted her gaze to Quake as he placed a tray of drinks on the table.
“You ladies good with beer or want something else?” Quake clutched the tray against him with both hands.
“Beer’s good, thanks,” Raya said. “How much?” She went to grab her purse.
“On the house,” Quake said and quickly left.
Her gaze met mine. “Another brother?”
“Yeah, the one who owns it.”
“You know, maybe you’re not the jackass I thought you were,” she admitted, something Saint and Gun found hilarious.
“Thanks. And I guess you’re not the bitch I thought you to be.”
“Oh, I can be. Just keep that in mind.”
My lips twitched. “Maybe set me up a calendar stating when that time of the month is for the both of you, and I’ll be sure to stay away. I wouldn’t want you to kill me.”
They both tensed and paled.
Raya slowly turned to her sister, and I caught Raya reaching over to take her hand.
What was this?
What had happened in their lives to make them react like that?
“Raya—”
She let out a small, fake laugh. “Really, we should get going.” She moved out of the booth and waited for her sister to slide over. “It was nice meeting you both, and please thank Quake for the drink. But, um, I realize we shouldn’t drink while driving.” She took a twenty out of her purse.
“Keep your money, darlin’,” I told her. “I’ll walk you out to the car.”
“No. Please. Thanks for the offer, but we’re fine. And please let me leave the money. I’ll feel bad for wasting them.” She placed it on the table and grabbed the crutches Wrenley held out before helping her sister stand and passing them back.
“Thanks,” Wrenley said softly to us.
“Bye,” Raya added, and then they were off.
Saint, Gun, and I watched them leave.
“What the fuck was that?” Saint asked.
Gun pulled his phone free as he got out of the booth and sat on the other side. “What’s their last name?”
“How’d you know I’d have it?” I asked before I told him what it was.
“It’s you, Death. You’d know everyone in the surroundin’ areas. I’m surprised you haven’t looked into them already.”
“A little, but been busy, and they seemed harmless.”
Gun hummed under his breath as he scrolled through his phone. His jaw suddenly clenched, and his eyes rounded. “Fuck.”
“What?”
He looked up. “What was the last thing you said to Raya?”
“I wouldn’t want you to kill me.”
“Their father murdered their mother, and Wrenley walked in on it before she ran for help.”
My gut dropped. “Shit.” Guilt rolling through me, I scrubbed a hand over my face.
“It’s not like you knew,” Saint said. He climbed out from my side, slid in next to his man, and brought Gun into him. A year ago, the same thing happened to Gun. His father killed his mother before he’d beaten Gun to the point where he still limped.
“I’m okay,” Gun said quietly to Saint.
Glancing away for a beat, I shook my head at the shit situation. “How long ago?”
Gun glanced up from his phone. “Two months.”
That meant it was still fresh.
Christ.
“It ain’t right, this hell that goes on in the world. If it ain’t parents, it’s someone else in the family or people you thought a friend or other fucking cunts who can’t handle their own shit and have to take it out on someone else. Fuck!” Saint ranted.
Gun twisted in the seat, cupped the back of Saint’s neck, and pressed their foreheads together. He whispered something I couldn’t hear, and I was glad because it felt like it was their moment. I drank the rest of my beer and climbed out of the booth.
“Shit, brother, don’t leave,” Saint tried.
I waved him off. “Gonna check they got home safe. Later, brothers.”
Saint tipped his chin up, and Gun called, “Later.”
Saint wasn’t wrong. The world had too many fuckers in it causing problems for other people. Sure, I had my own shit to deal with, but hell, my insides burned knowing Wrenley had witnessed that. No wonder Raya seemed protective of her.
By the time I pulled into my drive on my ride, I’d already noticed their car in the driveway and Wrenley sitting on the front porch.
Slowly, I approached. “You good, kid?”
“Yeah. Um, I thought you’d be home soon, and I wanted to apologize for the quick exit. My sister, she’s—”
“Could tell you were uncomfortable, like herself, from my words, and she got you out of there to protect you. Ain’t no reason to apologize for it.”
Her bottom lip trembled. “Yeah. I-I guess you know now?”
“Yeah. Sorry, kid.”
She nodded, gaze falling to her hands on her lap. “Raya’s a good sister. She’s always trying to keep it from my mind. Always putting on a brave front. Always trying to cheer me up when she sees it playing on my mind.”
“Sounds like she is good.” Where is this going?
Tears clouded Wren’s gaze, and she thinned her lips when she looked off into the distance. She wiped at her cheek and blew out a breath. “I feel like a burden.”
“Don’t know much about your sister, kid, but I do know she’d never see you as a burden. She loves you. Of course she wants to do all those things. She’d never want to see the pain and fear in your eyes if she could prevent it.”
She stared up at me, tears flowing now.
“But sometimes you just gotta learn how to live with a memory like that. It ain’t an easy fix, but talking helps. I’m not sure if you do it already with someone, but don’t bottle this shit up, kid.” I leaned a hip into the railing and crossed my arms over my chest. “You met Gun tonight.”
She nodded.
“His dad did the same thing right in front of him.” She slapped a hand over her mouth to quieten her whimper as I continued, “The only difference was that his dad beat him before it happened. All because of money.” I waited a second. “I’m sure he’d talk with you. Just, you know, don’t get a crush on him or anything. Saint’s possessive.”
A wet laugh escaped her.
I nodded to the door. “Your sister know you’re out here in the cool air?”
“No.”
“Would she want you out here in the cool air?”