Page 83 of Fallen Flame

I looked up at him, ready to tell him then that meant he was like Wrecker, but then noticed Nikki watching us.

Our eyes met.

She looked at Oliver and then back at me. A soft smile crossed her face. It warmed me in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

Across the room, Drew stepped forward. “Wrecker?”

He looked over.

“We’re staying.”

Demi nodded. “And we’d like jobs at the Social Club.”

The room quieted.

Wrecker looked at the two of them for a long moment. “You serious?”

“Very.”

Mason cleared his throat and put his finger to his lips.

Wrecker sighed. “You’ve already hired them, haven’t you?”

Demi pointed at Mason. “He said it was good, but that we should run it by you first.”

“Jesus,” Wrecker shook his head. “Does this Prez patch mean anything anymore?”

Then Wrecker’s phone rang.

He pulled it from his pocket and answered immediately. “Wrecker.”

His expression changed. The smile disappeared, and the easy conversation died around the room.

What now?

Chapter Nineteen

Oliver

“Wrecker.”

The room had been buzzing with conversation one second. Next, it went dead silent.

I watched Wrecker’s expression harden as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone. He didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds before looking around the room. “Yeah, Basil. Let me put you on speaker.” He tapped the screen before setting the phone on the table. “Go ahead.”

The first thing that came through the speaker made half the room groan. “It’s B.”

Wrecker slowly closed his eyes. “You just called to tell us that?”

“Well, no,” Basil answered. “But it’d be real nice if you’d listen to me when I tell you to call me B.”

Wrecker pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah. I’ll work on that.” A few snickers echoed around the room. “Now tell me why the hell you called.”

“The van.”

Every muscle in my body locked.

Jude straightened beside Ever, and Lark instinctively reached for my arm. The only people who looked completely lost were Drew and Demi.