Page 10 of Hollywood

More than a friendship, if Hollywood had gotten his way.

My lips prickled at the thought of Hollywood’s mouth against mine. I shifted the truck into reverse and focused on backing out of the long driveway. There was no point to thinking about any of that or what it might mean. Because I’d walked away from him, and he didn’t show any sign he was going to ever forgive me for that.

“Christ, it’s hot,” Dad said, fanning his face. “Start the AC.”

Dad was a tall, powerfully built man. I took after him. But he’d added some weight around his middle in the past few years. His face was bright red and sweat ran in rivulets down his temples. His hairline was receding too. Good thing I liked to wear baseball caps. If I thinned out like him, I was hiding that shit where nobody could see it.

I turned the ignition and flipped on theblowers, grimacing at the burst of hot air. “It’ll take a while to cool down.”

“Better than nothing,” Dad grumbled. “Let’s get that beer. We’ll cool off and I’ll tell you about the job I’ve got lined up for next weekend.”

Resigned, I gave up arguing. When Dad made up his mind, there was no dissuading him.

I drove along quiet residential streets, making my way toward Hayworth’s little downtown. Keg Haus had a parking lot behind it, so I turned into the alley and found a space to park.

Frigid air-conditioning swept over us as we entered, deliciously cool but making me even more aware of my grimy, sweat-sticky skin. The pub was a wide-open space with stained concrete floors that gave it a warehouse vibe. Wooden booths lined one wall, along with a collection of tables scattered throughout the room.

Dad bypassed the hostess stand and made a beeline for the bar, which curved along the back wall. I followed with less enthusiasm. I recognized Pete Casepear. He was one of Dad’s drinking buddies and I’d be lucky to get out of here in two hours, much less the twenty minutes I’d prefer.

“Petey, how’s it hanging?” Dad asked, a big grin creasing his face as he eased into a chair. “We worked a big one today. Gotta spend some of this money I’m raking in.”

Petey grinned. “Well, shit man, you’re doing better than me. I just got my hours cut over at the college. Assholes have all that money and it kills ’em to fuckin’ share it with us townies.”

I was no great fan of living in a college town. There was a massive class gap between students flush with their parents’ cash, professors and deans making upper-middle-class income, and the townies who mostly worked blue-collar jobs.

“Fuck ’em,” Dad said. “Right, Jed?”

“Yup.” Wasn’t like I had any love for any of them. “Fuck ’em.”

Petey laughed and raised his beer in salute. “Hell yeah!”

My phone vibrated in my pocket, saving me from the rest of their conversation. I pulled it out and checked the screen. Knight flashed up, and my stomach dipped. He was a good guy. A good friend. But he wasn’t the one I wanted to call me.

“I gotta take this,” I said, standing up.

Dad waved his hand, no longer concerned with me being here, even though he’d dragged me along. He had a better audience now.

I walked a few steps away to a vacant pub table and leaned against it as I took the call. “Hey, Knight. You’re not tangled up in another fight, are ya?”

“Fuck no. Never again.”

“Good. You only got so much karma. Even though you had somereallygood karma in that back seat.” I chuckled at the memory of him and Aiden going at each other in the car after Knight won the fight that got him out of the Sons of Serpents outlaw biker gang.

Knight was silent.

“Sorry, man. I didn’t see details. I just?—”

“It’s not that,” he said, his tone grim. “I’m not calling with good news.”

I straightened, muscles going tense. “What is it?”

“It’s Hollywood.”

No, no, no. I sat down heavily. I’d walked away from him. Ruined everything. He had to be okay. Hehadto be. My breathing went haywire. Enough that Knight must have heard me panicking through the phone.

“He’s okay, Tex!” Knight exclaimed. “Hollywood isn’t hurt, man. It’s his ex-girlfriend.”

“Coulda led with that, you fucker.”