29. Veronica

Chapter 29

Veronica

T he Odd Duck’s charm never faded despite its worn-down booths and an old jukebox that constantly cycled through rock hits from the sixties. It was where you could walk in and feel like you’d stepped into a time warp—locals lounged, sipped their coffee, or scarfed down greasy burgers. The Duck wasn’t just any diner. It was where the Cobra and Iron Brotherhood MC guys liked to hang out, talk shop, or pretend not to notice each other in a delicate balance of peace.

It was also where my sister, Natasha, somehow made some friends and ended up chatting with Maddox’s wife, Helena, who sometimes worked as a waitress. They also had the best onion rings and milkshakes I’d ever had .

Eli had been here several times but didn’t seem as enchanted by it as I was. He walked beside me like he wasn’t feeling the vibe but was more focused on me. I still wasn’t used to the fact that I was actually with a man — let alone a man like him.

Eli was intense. I saw how he scowled, loomed, and put others off as we walked by them. To me, he was everything safe. I loved that hint of darkness in him, but I knew that he … my eyes shot to him.

“What is it, angel?” He tilted his head towards mine, his breath tickling my ear as he ushered me into the vinyl booth.

“Nothing.” My heart was in my throat as I caught the gentle look in his eyes. I loved him. The realization was like a tsunami. It washed over me as it passed in waves—the knowledge settling over me. Of course, I loved him. What wasn’t to love? I took a breath.

It felt like I could breathe a little tonight after letting loose earlier with Reed. It had been nice to have a normal day with a girlfriend. I thought it had helped her too.

Reed was more relaxed as she sat across from us. Her eyes were brighter, and the purple circles had disappeared from under her eyes .

Daisy, our waitress, came up with her usual bright smile. She had a friendly, chatty vibe that felt welcoming. Her red hair bounced as she approached us, and she balanced a tray like she’d been doing it forever.

“Look who decided to grace us with their presence,” she teased, setting down menus before we could protest. “Eli, back again. Nice to see you again. Can’t stay away now that you’ve been introduced to the Duck, huh?”

Eli smirked. “Yeah, must be that logo.”

She laughed. “It’s a winner for sure.”

The logo was of a goofy one-legged duck. If you squinted, it was cute, but who even knew where the original owner got the idea from? All I knew was that the diner was now one of the businesses in town that the Brotherhood owned. A few years back, the town was close to disappearing. The doors of shops and restaurants had been shuttering, and people had been leaving. The Brotherhood had taken the opportunity to buy a few of them up and keep them open. It had served a dual purpose. Their town had stayed open, giving them a way to launder their cash.

“I think it’s adorable,” Reed piped up. “What’s good here? ”

Daisy beamed, her ponytail bouncing. “Everything, doll. The shakes, burgers, and onion rings are my favorites.”

Reed leaned over and asked me, “Want to share some onion rings?”

Eli raised an eyebrow, looking mildly amused. “Share? No, I’m too hungry. I’ll have a double with cheese and bacon, onion rings, and an orange soda.”

“An orange soda?” Hmm. That sounded pretty good. Eli brushed some of my hair back behind an ear, distracting me from the menu, which I honestly didn’t need. The callused pad of his thumb felt delicious against my skin, and I wished we weren’t in the crowded diner with company. “I’ll have what he’s having.” Daisy’s eyebrows raised, but she just nodded and jotted it down.

“No splitting?” Reed frowned at me. “Fine. I’ll have a burger with everything, fries, and a Coke.”

“I’ll give you some onion rings,” I conceded as Eli’s hand drifted to my thigh and rubbed little circles on the muscle, making me shift in my seat.

“I’ll be back with drinks. Tell your family I said hi. I’m so excited for the baby. I can’t wait. Those tiny feet are so cute. Is there going to be a baby shower? We should have a baby shower. We could have it here. Maybe we should have little rubber duckies. Oh. We could have a scavenger hunt.” Daisy spoke as if she couldn’t say the words fast enough, all of them running together, her eyes wide as she came to the idea about the ducks.

“Excuse me.” Maxim stood behind her, scowling, still wearing the three-piece suit he’d worn to check out the venue with Eli. Very few times, I’d seen him in less than the tailored suits he preferred. She scooted to the side, ignoring him as he slid into the seat beside Reed. I was impressed. Most people didn’t just ignore Maxim, especially the women. They took one look at him and simpered or dropped their panties in his pocket, hoping to get a shot with him.

“So? What do you think? A scavenger hunt would be fun, right? With ducks?” Her nose crinkled. “Maybe it is one of those things only I think is funny.”

“I’ll talk to Nat and see if something is in the works for a baby shower. Maybe Hollis is doing a shower?” My cousin Dimitri’s wife was friends with Helena, and she might already have something planned. It was still a ways off, but I could help. “A scavenger hunt sounds fun,” I offered, and Daisy blushed. I wasn’t sure what women did at those things, but I could help — clues and hidden ducks were right up my alley.

Daisy nodded happily and turned pencil poised to Maxim. “Did you want something? Burger?”

“A club sandwich and an unsweetened tea.” He pushed the menu toward the center of the table. Daisy dutifully wrote down the order, but you could tell she disapproved by the way her mouth flattened out.

After she left, Eli gave a little laugh. “Wow, unsweetened tea. Live a little.”

“I don’t need unnecessary calories,” Maxim said flatly.

I rolled my eyes at him and said, “You sound like a snob, Max. One of these days, you will have to eat your words.”

“I doubt that very much,” he sniffed, and I was reminded how far apart our worlds were. Maxim looked out of place in his suit in this tiny diner in small-town America, but he didn’t look uncomfortable. The rest of us were all casually dressed, and the other diners looked our way occasionally, but Maxim didn’t even acknowledge them. He’d always had that air about him, the ‘I’m in charge’ aura .

“So you haven’t said why you’re in town for this meeting . You must have a reason,” I teased after our food was set in front of us. The burgers were towering masterpieces of greasy deliciousness, and I couldn’t wait to dive in. I’d been wondering why Maxim was after Spato. He hadn’t told us why he’d found it necessary to come in person to make the kill when Eli or even Dimitri would have done it for him. Maxim frowned at his plate and then glared at me for putting him on the spot in front of mixed company. He wouldn’t give details away in front of Reed.

“The person I’m meeting owed a debt to a friend. I’m collecting.”

My eyebrows shot up, but I nodded and took a bite of the burger, wondering who the friend was that had Maxim killing someone for them.

“Huh,” I mumbled around my burger noncommittally.

We’d been eating only a few minutes when Reed went ramrod straight and ghost white. She was staring out the window at something, but I couldn’t see anything that would cause that kind of reaction. Eli and Maxim had gone still.

“What is it?” Eli asked. “Do you see something?”

“Doug is right there. Green jacket and black baseball hat. He’s standing on the opposite side of the street.”

“I see him,” Maxim said, sliding out of the booth. “Ronnie, call Dimitri and tell him I need a pick up at the curb outside the diner. Make sure you say that we will need a closed transport.” He looked over at Eli. “Eli.”

“Yep. Reed, be sure not to stare. Keep chatting as if nothing is wrong.”

They slid from the booth and went to the back of the diner, speaking to Daisy for a moment before continuing through the kitchen.

“Oh my God, where are they going?” Reed asked, her words breathless as she leaned over the table. “He came early.” Her eyes were wide and frightened, and sweat had broken out on her forehead. “How did he find me here?” Her hands clasped the edge of the table, shaking.

“He did come early, but that’s fine.” I raised my phone to my ear.

“Ronnie, what’s up?” Dimitri asked, his voice tense. I never called him, so he knew immediately that something was wrong. “Are you alright?”

“I’m good, but Maxim told me to call. He needs a pickup at the curb outside the diner. Closed transport. Immediately.” There was a pregnant pause.

“I’ll be right there. Three minutes. Who am I looking for?”

“Green jacket. Black ball cap.”

“Got it.” He hung up, and my eyes met Reed’s.

“It’s so hard not to look,” she said. “What will they do? Are they just going to tackle him in the street? Won’t the cops arrest them?”

She was right. The urge to glance out the window was killing me. Haverboro was small, the sidewalks right up against the windows. Out of the side of my eye, I could see an occasional car go by, but it was hard to see any movement on the opposite side of the street unless I raised my head.

“More soda?”

Daisy had come up to the table with a pitcher of orange soda and a smile pinned to her face, but I could see that it wasn’t her usual smile. She gave us a wink.

“Sure,” I shrugged.

“They went out the back,” she confided. I’d figured as much, but she seemed unconcerned to be part of a felony. “Looks like they’re standing with some guy over there now. Oh, there’s Dimitri. Guess that guy did something bad, huh?”

Reed and I, in tandem, swiveled to the window. Sure enough, there was Dimitri in an SUV pulling to the curb. Maxim had what had to be Doug with his arm behind his back, and he was strong-armed into the vehicle with Eli right behind him. Great, a kidnapping in broad daylight. I reminded myself to go back and erase the footage from the security cameras.

“Erm, it isn’t what it seems.” I began to wonder if we were portraying ourselves in the best light for Daisy. She’d been super helpful in Pike’s case.

“I didn’t see anything.” Daisy shrugged. “Never happened.” She looked utterly unconcerned.

“You aren’t worried?” Reed looked completely unsure in the face of Daisy’s laissez-faire attitude. “That maybe you’re a witness of something?” I kicked her under the table. Beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that jazz.

“Look, we have all sorts in here,” she waved a hand around the diner. “But the Brotherhood runs this place. The men of the Brotherhood and the Cobras might do some things that aren’t exactly all above board, but they are good men. If I need to look the other way for a few things, that’s okay. I’m sure that guy out there deserves whatever happens to him.” She looked hard at me. “Am I wrong?”

“You aren’t wrong at all. That guy is very bad news. He’s going to get what’s coming to him,” I said definitively.

“I’ll get your orders to go,” Daisy said with a wink.