The church meeting finally broke up in a slow, restless shuffle—brothers filing out in twos and threes, boots thudding against the old wooden floors, voices low as they talked patrol routes and supply runs. The tension that had filled the room lingered in the air, clinging to the walls like smoke.
I was halfway to the door, freedom practically calling my name, when Bear's voice snapped behind me like a steel trap.
"Joker. Ace. Stay."
Well, that couldn't be good. Ace froze beside me, his whole body going rigid, jaw locked tight like he was bracing for impact. Me? I seriously considered making a break for it. I could've made it three steps, maybe four, before someone tackled me.
Still… tempting.
Bear's gaze landed on me first, heavy and unblinking. "You're assigned to her school. When classes start next month, you watch her. Walk her to class. Keep an eye on the the adults. While I don't think there will be trouble, drugs are in the community and I want to make sure she doesn't get pulled down a bad path. God knows, she has been through enough."
I blinked once. Then slowly, a grin spread across my face. I pictured myself as James Bond. Ace could me my Money Penny.
"Oh," I said, straightening a little. "So you want me to be like… a secret agent."
Saint groaned, dragging both hands down his face like he'd just aged ten years. "Just don't get expelled."
I shrugged, completely unbothered. "Hey, accidents happen."
"Yeah," Saint muttered, "usually when you're involved."
I shot around. I forgot the 'Holier than Though" dick was still here. Bear ignored the entire exchange like he had better things to do than manage my personality, and turned his attention to Ace.
The shift in the room was immediate. It always was with Ace. The air tightened. A few of the guys suddenly became very interested in the floor, like it held the meaning of life. Even the cracked stained-glass windows seemed to hold their breath.
"Ace," Bear said, voice low and steady, "you and Joker are taking your sister shopping on Saturday. She needs clothes. Shoes. Anything she doesn't have."
Ace's eye twitched. Not subtly either. Full-on, about-to-snap twitch.
"No," he said flatly. "Hell no. I'm not babysitting some kid who..."
"You are," Bear cut in, calm but final. "She needs things. And you're her brother."
Ace let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Half-brother."
The word hadn't even finished echoing before Tank slammed his fist into the back of a pew. The wood cracked under the impact, the sound booming through the room.
"Blood's blood."
Silence dropped hard after that. Ace stared straight ahead for a second, something dark flickering behind his eyes, before he dropped back into the seat like the fight had been knocked out of him. Mudd leaned in close, murmuring something under his breath too quiet to catch, but it landed. Whatever it was, Ace's jaw tightened once more before he gave a short, stiff nod.
Yeah. He wasn't happy.
I, on the other hand?
I leaned over just enough to keep my voice low. "So… does this mean I get to push the cart? Because I am absolutely running that thing into every endcap I see."
Ace didn't respond. But the look he shot me? Yeah, pretty sure he was already planning my funeral.
For the record… I could not wait.