Chapter Eighteen

Adalee

Decorating a cake after so long felt like coming home. At first, I was a bit rusty, but it was kind of like riding a bike. After a few attempts, I finally got it right.

"It looks like we got it from some fancy bakery," Sloane marveled, her eyes wide as she admired the cake.

The cake was a four-layer masterpiece, each layer separated by a rich caramel filling promising a sweet, decadent treat. The entire cake was covered in a smooth, white buttercream icing, providing the perfect canvas for the decoration.

I decided to go all out on the cake with painted buttercream flowers. I used a small spatula and smeared each flower petal in shades of blue and green. There was a big, puffy border on the top and bottom, and dark green leaves were scattered around the flowers.

"Wow, Adalee," Dove said, stepping closer to get a better look. "These flowers are incredible. How did you do that?"

I smiled, feeling a sense of pride. "It's all in the technique and a little bit of luck and patience. If you slather enough buttercream on, it starts to look good. It's very much a trust-the-process technique," I laughed.

"Patience?" Sloane laughed. "Girl, I don't know if I have that kind of patience. But it looks amazing. I can't wait to try it."

"Do you think we could just have cake for dinner?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Sloane laughed. "I don't think anyone would complain about that."

"Wait!" a voice rang out, cutting through our conversation. We all turned, surprised to see Garett standing there with a duffle bag in his hand and Mark close behind him.

"I'm not waiting," Garett spat. "The longer I wait, the closer I am to winding up dead."

Oh boy. Yarder's meeting with Garett and Mark had obviously not gone well. I made my way over to them, with Sloane and Dove following close behind. Olive and Poppy, who were lounging on the couch, perked up their ears at the commotion.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Mark gestured to Garett, his expression grim. "He's leaving."

"Leaving?" I repeated, my heart sinking. Things were definitely not going well.

Garett hitched his duffel bag higher on his shoulder. "I'm leaving, Adalee. I can't stick around and wait for whatever shitstorm is raining down on the Iron Fiends. I've got Savannah and Joe waiting at home for me. This job isn't worth losing them over."

I understood what he was saying. Things were a bit different for Mark and me; we didn't have families waiting for us at home. But Garett needed his job to support his family. I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to say.

"We're almost done," Mark cried, desperation clear in his voice. "We've got maybe two weeks left."

Garett shook his head. "Two weeks could be too long. You've seen the shit going on around here. I can't risk it."

I glanced at Mark, seeing the worry etched on his face. He was right; we were so close to finishing. But Garett's fear was palpable, and I couldn't blame him for wanting to protect his family. I placed a hand on Garett's arm, offering comfort. "Is there anything we can do to help? Maybe we could talk to Yarder and the club," I offered softly.

Garett's eyes softened a bit, but he shook his head again. "No, Adalee. I appreciate it, but I have to think about Savannah and Joe. I can't stay here, knowing what could happen. At the end of the day, this is just a job."

The room fell silent as we all absorbed Garett's words. Sloane, Dove, Olive, and Poppy watched with concern, understanding the gravity of the situation. The Iron Fiends had been through a lot lately, and it was taking a toll on all of us.

We were all connected to the Iron Fiends in a way that made staying make sense, though. Even me now.

Garett and Mark didn't have a horse in this race.

"Maybe we can talk to Yarder again," Mark suggested, though his voice lacked conviction.

Garett snorted. "You really think Yarder cares about me? I'm just the camera guy. Production will have a new guy here in the morning."

I knew Garett was right. Yarder was working on keeping everyone safe, but his main priority was the club. I looked up at Garett, feeling a pang of sadness. He had been a good friend and coworker, and I hated to see him go. "I'm going to miss you. Who is going to help me reign in Mark?" I laughed.

Garett chuckled. "I think you can sic your biker on him if he gives you too much hassle."

"I can take him," Mark laughed. "Though you can handle Don."

I rolled my eyes. Don was going to have a field day when he heard that Garett was quitting. I could already imagine his reaction, full of exaggerated gestures and loud complaints about loyalty and commitment.

"Uh, can I ask what you're going to tell your bosses?" Dove asked, her voice tentative.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe we should get Yarder in here before you leave," Poppy agreed, glancing around.

"Get me in here for what?" Yarder appeared in the common room, his imposing figure making all of us straighten up a bit.

We all looked at each other, the tension rising in the room. Yarder was intimidating, and none of us wanted to be the one to break the news.

Garett raised his hand slightly. "I'm heading out, man. I need to think about my family back home."

Yarder nodded, his expression unreadable. "Can't blame ya, man. Let us know when you get home."

I was shocked that Yarder was okay with Garett just leaving, not knowing what he would tell anyone. I had expected more resistance and more questions, but Yarder accepted it. Maybe he understood better than any of us the kind of pressure Garett was under.

I could tell the girls were just as surprised as I was. I hugged Garett goodbye, feeling the weight of his decision settle heavily on my shoulders. Mark followed him out, casting a concerned glance back at us.

"Hey," Poppy called out to Garett. "Are you sure—?"

Yarder sliced her with a look, his eyes sharp and warning.

She raised her hands in surrender. "Never mind."

"What time is dinner?" Yarder asked, his tone shifting abruptly to something more casual.

"Uh, half an hour," Sloane called.

Yarder nodded and headed back down the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the tense silence. Sloane and Dove exchanged a knowing look, clearly understanding something I didn't. I felt a knot of frustration tighten in my stomach. Yarder obviously didn't want to discuss the situation because of the cameras, but when would we talk about it?

My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts. I pulled it out to see a text from Don. Jesus, that didn't take him long.

Zoom meeting. NOW.

Yup, this was not good at all.