Night Games (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Grey

“What the fuck is he doing here?”

Chase is ready to bolt out of my truck the minute he spies Noah sitting on the stoop of my trailer, waiting for us.

But I can’t have them getting into it. We have to straighten this out like civilized adults. Noah looks so apologetic that my heart immediately goes out to him. He’s like a big teddy bear, and I don’t have it in me to be wary of him. Sure, there’s a lot on the line, but it seems like he’s here to warn us about something, not start a fight.

“Don’t move a muscle. You hear me?” I nudge Chase with my elbow, willing him to comply. When we stop, I need him to sit tight and wait for me to get his crutches out of the back. “If you ever want to play baseball again, listen to your doctor and don’t go charging Noah like some lunatic.”

“But, Grey, how’d he even know we’d be here? This can’t be good, and you know it.” Chase grips the door handle as I navigate through the minefield of ruts in the dirt road.

“That could be my fault. I sort of told his dad we were coming back today.”

“What? Why?”

“To draw Noah out.” I drive into the clearing, crossing my fingers as I shift into park. “It worked, didn’t it? Let’s just see what he has to say and take it from there. Terry texted you that the cops busted Keith today, so maybe it’ll all just blow over.”

Despite whatever news awaits us, it feels good to be home. I missed my trailer. After an intense couple of days in New York, it’s a relief to see the lush canopy of trees welcoming me home. The tranquil atmosphere I’ve grown accustomed to is already starting to soothe my jangled nerves. I get out and take a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. In the rush and tumult of the city, I felt confused and overwhelmed. It was too loud, too crowded, too frantic. Really, it was all just too much. But here, I feel comfortable. I know who I am and that I’m strong enough to deal with whatever Noah has to tell us.

Noah jumps to his feet and rushes over. He glances quickly at Chase before he hurriedly shifts his eyes to me. I can just imagine the look Chase must’ve given him. He can be pretty intimidating when he wants to be, and his protective instincts are on high alert, defending me against any perceived threat.

“How is he?” Noah whispers, joining me at the back of the truck before reaching over my head for the crutches.

“Not good,” I mutter, ducking out of the way. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Noah.”

“I know, and I will. I just have to take you somewhere first—without Chase.”

There’s no time to talk. Chase is already antsy. If he suspects Noah’s up to something, he’s going to get out of the truck and confront us with or without his crutches. My head is spinning with all the possible reasons why Noah wants to get me away from Chase, and none of them are good.

“Let me handle it,” I urge as the passenger door flies open and Chase swings his legs out. “Go help him. Maybe he’ll consider it a peace offering.”

Noah nods, taking a deep breath. “Hey, boss,” he says, greeting Chase like everything’s normal and he didn’t leave us hanging outside Kings Stadium. He goes to hand Chase his crutches, but Chase is too fast for him, yanking Noah’s shirt, pulling him close until they’re nose to nose.

“Did you know Keith sent that video? Did you?” Chase shakes Noah until his teeth rattle.

“No, I swear.”

“Then why did you hightail it back to Stockton without even a word?”

“When Grey started telling me that the Kings were in there grilling you because somebody leaked her connection to The Blue Room, I knew it had to be Keith. Once I found out, I didn’t want to waste any time nailing his sorry ass to the wall. I know how he is. He’s obsessed with fame. His family’s restaurant is like a fucking shrine to celebrities. All his life he’s wanted to be in the spotlight, feel like the big man on campus. Having the chance to be the dude who took Chase Whitfield down? I knew it was too good for him to pass up. He couldn’t resist bragging about how he pulled one over on the almighty Kings.”

But something doesn’t sound right about Noah’s story. Keith doesn’t seem like he’s that smart. Unless someone else was involved too…

“But I signed a freakin’ menu for that asshole. Why would he want to screw me over like that?”

“Remember that brunette he was trying to hook you up with? Well, apparently she got really insulted when you didn’t take her up on her offer. I guess she gave Keith’s girlfriend quite an earful when she wouldn’t shut up about it. So naturally, Keith’s girl wanted some type of vengeance for her friend and Keith delivered in order to keep his woman happy.”

That sounds farfetched even to my ears, but Chase appears to be buying it.

“Yeah, women can be brutal, man.”

“Why? Has something like that happened to you before?” I ask Chase pointedly, unable to resist.

“Not exactly. Not to this extent. But some women just can’t handle rejection. The Kings have helped me out of many a scrape. These whackos just never targeted one of my girlfriends before.”

Noah shoots me a look. He wants me to be quiet. I’m ruining his cover story. I just can’t believe Chase was blackmailed like this before. It’s like he’s walking around with a target on his back, waiting for the next deranged fan to make up some wild accusation. That has to be a stressful way to go through life.

“Noah, can you help get Chase inside? The ground is kind of uneven and he’s still getting used to his crutches.”

“I don’t need any help. I can manage just fine on my own.”

As if to prove his point, Chase lowers himself out of the truck and onto his good leg. He rockets forward on his crutches, not even waiting for us to catch up.

“Noah, take your car and wait for me at the bottom of the mountain. Make up some excuse and get out of here.”

He pats me on the back, knowing this can’t be easy for me. I hope he’s not leading me into a trap, but if I can put an end to the mess I created, it’ll be worth it.

“Chase, I gotta run. I have to pick up a client for my dad. I just wanted drop by and tell you face to face that it wasn’t me. I’m on your side, bro.”

“The Kings will make Keith pay. You can count on it. That boy’s gonna be sorry he ever laid eyes on me,” Chase seethes over his shoulder.

“You better believe it,” Noah chimes in, carrying our bags into the trailer.

“Thanks, Noah, for everything.” I smile up at him like nothing’s going on.

“We’ll all have to hang out sometime since the butler gig is on hold until further notice. You gonna be in Stockton for a while?” Noah has his hand on the screen door, anxious to depart.

“I’ll be in and out,” Chase answers, still acting a little cool toward Noah, no doubt taking his frustration with Keith out on him.

“Call me, all right?” Noah gives us a wave before heading out to his car, pretending like he’s not going to see me in the next few minutes or so.

“Don’t count on it,” Chase mutters, slumping into the faded armchair in the corner.

“C’mon, Chase. It’s not his fault.” I stand at the door, watching Noah leave.

“Yeah, well he’s the one who took me to that damn restaurant in the first place. If it wasn’t for him, I never would’ve met Keith.”

“Or me.”

“Well, if you put it like that…”

“You’re awfully grumpy. Are you okay?”

“The undersides of my arms are killing me from these crutches.”

“Hold on. Let me get your painkillers out of your bag.”

“Nah, you don’t have to.”

“Don’t be silly. I want to.”

I say a little prayer as I grab the bottle out of the front zipper compartment and walk into the kitchen. I look behind me and see that Chase already has his eyes closed. Quietly, I root through the bottles of pills I have stored in the medicine cabinet, shoving my hand all the way to the back. When I was moving into the trailer, I stepped on a rusty nail, and the emergency room doc who removed it gave me something to help me relax. Finding what I’m looking for, I slide two tablets onto my hand and fill a glass of water from the tap.

Walking back out, I see that Chase is on the verge of falling asleep. Nudging him awake, I urge, “Here. Take these. They’ll help you feel better until you get used to your crutches.”

Chase doesn’t even look at what I give him, tossing them into his mouth before reaching for the water. He drains the glass before handing it back to me.

“Just take it easy for a while. I’ll start to unpack.”

“I think I’m going to…like having you as my nurse…after all.”

“Just don’t ask me to wear some uniform.”

“Now that…would be…sexy.”

“In your dreams.”

“But seriously…Grey? It feels so good…to be back here with you.”

I hate myself for what I’m doing to him, but it can’t be helped. I walk over to where he’s sitting and kiss his forehead. His eyes are closed again, the sleeping pills I gave him not taking long to kick in. One probably would’ve been enough. He’s out like a light. They’ll be no waking him until morning.

I hurriedly sling my purse over my shoulder and grab my keys. Stepping onto the stoop, I glance back at Chase before locking the door. He’s totally unaware of what I’m about to do. But at least he’ll be safe here until I get back.

I have a feeling that, wherever Noah’s taking me, I’m about to enter the danger zone.

***

Shit. I should have known this is where we’d end up.

It’s all coming full circle now as Noah pulls up alongside The Blue Room. It’s time to pay for my sins. No one escapes this place unscathed, not when Stanley Larson’s involved.

“I’m sorry you got dragged into this, Noah. You were out. Stanley shouldn’t be bothering you.” I feel nothing but sympathy for the big guy after he gave me the lowdown on the way here. I knew this all couldn’t have stemmed from Keith. He had to have a backer. No one takes on an organization like the Kings without some leverage. Keith would never be able to pull off a scam of this magnitude.

“No one’s ever really out, are they?” Noah stares at me glumly. “Not in this shady, fucked-up world.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re done. And I’m going to make Stanley understand that.”

“No one tells Stanley what to do.”

“You’d be surprised. He’s always had a soft spot for me.”

“Yeah, because he wants to get in your pants.”

“Do you think I’m stupid for facing him alone?”

“If you’re not back in twenty minutes, I’m going in after you.”

“They’ll never let you through the door.”

“Then I’ll break it down. I won’t let anyone hurt you, Grey. Chase would kill me. And right now, I’m more afraid of him than I am of Stanley.”

“If this all goes sideways, I don’t think Chase is going to be too happy with me either.”

“He’s still pissed at me, isn’t he?”

“He’ll get over it. He’s just been burned so many times before. He lives in a different world than we do, Noah. The rules aren’t the same. I’m just glad he has us now. He needs people he can depend on, who will look out for him.”

“Well, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

“It’s the only reason we’re here,” I sigh, double-checking the battery life on my phone, making sure it’s fully charged after plugging it into Noah’s cigarette lighter on the way here. “I might as well get this over with.”

“Be careful, Grey.” Noah envelops me in a hug so tight I can barely breathe.

“I’ll be fine. Just watch your back until I come out, okay? Stanley’s henchmen are probably lurking around somewhere.”

I leave the safety of Noah’s car and step into the alleyway. There’s a bunch of motorcycles lined up in a row outside, so Stanley’s definitely not alone in there. He probably thinks I’m going to come in guns blazing. Man, is he going to be surprised that I didn’t bring any reinforcements. I intend to deal with him one on one.

I pound my fist on the graffiti-covered door and jump back when it opens right away. Great, my cover’s already blown. They know that Noah’s my only source of backup if things go wrong, and they could silence him easily. Having worked with Noah, most of them are well aware of what a softie he is.

I recognize the guy behind the door. It’s Brent, the head of Stanley’s security team. He served as a sniper in Iraq, but not for the government. He made big bucks working for a private defense contractor, reaping the financial benefits of protecting company higher-ups while soldiers fought and died all around him. Needless to say, I never cared for the dude, but now my fate depends on him.

“Hey, Brent. Is Stanley around? I kinda need to talk to him in private.” I bat my eyelashes at him, but to little effect. I forgot. He’s into blondes.

“Well, if it isn’t the lady we’ve all been waiting for.” Stanley salutes me by coming out of his office and raising a tumbler of whiskey in my direction. “Come in, little lady. We have a lot to discuss.”

Brent raises his arm, pointing me in Stanley’s direction, but not before I notice the gun sticking out of his waistband. My knees start to tremble, but somehow I make it down the hallway past the glow of neon beer signs illuminating the wall. The place reeks of cigarette smoke mixed with a damp earthiness of mildew and sweat. So many women have toiled in this rathole only to be cheated and exploited. No wonder the off-hours atmosphere has the same oppressed vibe as a prison ward.

I never thought I’d be back here, but here I am. Why did I sell my soul and make a deal with the devil? Oh yeah, to escape this meat market. Too bad I thought I was actually free of it. There’s one more sacrifice that I’m required to make. How could I forget?

“You took your time getting here. How long did you expect me to wait?” Stanley lights a cigar, puffing on it for all it’s worth.

“I came as soon as I could.” I’m not looking forward to this conversation. I hope he doesn’t demand too many details.

“Well, pull up a chair. Sit down. Relax. Let me get you something to drink.” He starts to walk over to his liquor cabinet, but I stop him.

“Even though it’d probably be easier to get through this a little buzzed, I think I’ll stay sober.” I hold up my hand to ward him off before lowering myself into a chair with lining that looks like it’s been sliced open with a knife. I don’t even want to think about why.