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“Hey, look at this,” the younger one said, sliding his phone to his friend.
The older man picked it up then nodded grimly. “Yeah, the MacGallan Clan. Nasty business, that.”
My heart skipped a beat as panic surged in my chest.
“What happened?” I asked before I could stop myself.
The bikers looked at me, surprise evident on their faces. “You know about the MacGallan’s, sweetheart?” the older one asked.
I shrugged, wiping at a spot on the counter with my rag, trying to appear indifferent. “I’ve heard the name before. What happened to them?”
“On here it says there was an explosion at one of their gatherings.” The younger biker leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Word is they were ambushed. Lost most of their men in a single night.”
The blood drained from my face as his words sank in. Rory. Declan. Wren. Connor.
“When?” I managed to choke out.
“Couple days ago,” the older biker replied, eyeing me curiously. “You alright, darlin’? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I nodded mechanically, my mind racing. A couple of days ago. That was around the time I’d last spoken to Wren. She’d called me, to see how things were going.
“Excuse me,” I muttered, stepping away from the bar. My hands were shaking as I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found Rory’s number. I hit the call button, holding my breath as it rang.
Once. Twice. Three times.
“Come on, Rory,” I whispered, gripping the phone tightly. “Pick up. Please pick up.”
The call went to his voicemail. I ended it and immediately dialed again, panic rising in my chest. This time, it didn’t even ring before the call was disconnected.
“Shit,” I hissed, fighting back tears. I tried Declan next, then Wren, then Connor. None of them answered.
I stumbled back to the bar, my mind reeling. The bikers were watching me, concern etched on their weathered faces.
“You know them, don’t you?” the older one asked gently.
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
“Listen, sweetheart,” he said, leaning in. “If you’re mixed up with the MacGallan’s, you need to be careful. Whatever happened in Toronto, it wasn’t random. Someone’s gunning for them, and they could come for you next.”
I didn’t care about that, all I cared about was my family. Then it hit me. Theyweremy family; my only family, and I now knew why Rory couldn’t leave them.
I grabbed my phone and called Derek and asked him to come immediately.
I paced anxiously behind the bar, my mind racing as I waited for him to arrive. The two bikers had long since left, leaving me alone with my chaotic thoughts and the soft country music still playing in the background. Every few minutes, I’d check my phone, hoping for a message, a missed call, anything to indicate that Rory and the others were okay. But each time, I was met with the same empty screen, my heart sinking a little further.
The familiar rumble of Derek’s pickup truck pulling into the parking lot snapped me out of my downward spiral. I watched through the window as he climbed out, his concern etched on his brow. The bell above the door jingled as he entered, his eyes immediately finding mine.
“Kat? What’s going on?” he asked, with worry evident in his voice. “You sounded pretty shaken up on the phone.”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to do. “Derek, I need you to listen carefully,” I began, my voice steadier than I felt. “Something’s happened in Toronto. Something bad. And I... I have to go back.”
Derek’s eyes widened in surprise. “Toronto? But I thought you were done with all that?”
I shook my head, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “I thought I was too. But I need to get back to Rory and my family, Derek. I can’t justabandon them when they might be in danger.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys to the bar, the metal warm from being clutched in my hand for the past hour. With a deep breath, I held them out to Derek.
“The bar is yours,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
