“We’d treat them better than any other random person coming through,” Lettie tossed over her shoulder.

“I’m sure you’d give them five course meals and paint their fins,” Callan teased. Lettie shot him a glare before focusing her attention back on the ball.

“Avery looked real cute in the parade,” Bailey told me.

I smiled. “She really did. It was the highlight of the year for her, I’m sure.”

“Where’s she at?” Lettie asked after missing another throw.

“With Charlotte. Speaking of.” I turned to Callan. “I should probably go check on her.”

“I’ll come with,” Callan offered.

“It’s okay. I’ll come back after I make sure she’s not raiding the cotton candy stand. I’ll be quick.”

He looked like he wanted to push, but then he let it go, thinking better of it. His hand slipped into his jeans, pulling out his wallet, and he handed me some cash. “Give this to Avery for some more tickets.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I want her to have fun,” he said, and I knew he was being genuine. There was no ill intent behind giving me the money. 

“Okay.” I grabbed the cash from him, then he leaned in for a quick kiss. 

“I’ll wait for you here.”

The fair wasn’t too big, so even if he moved for some reason, I was sure it’d be easy to find him again. “I’ll be back.”

Heading away from the booths in the direction of the lit up rides, I meandered through the crowds of people. A couple shoulders bumped into mine despite my attempts to avoid them. 

As I rounded the corner booth, the field opened up a bit before it turned into a few rows of food trucks and metal storage containers. The lights from the rides and spot lights dimmed slightly over here, shadows cast over the flattened yellow grass. Behind me, a balloon popped, causing me to jump. 

My hand covered my racing heart as I paused, taking a steadying breath. As Avery and I didn’t go many places like this, the sounds were a bit overwhelming at times, but nothing I couldn’t handle. It was just a balloon.

Seeing a small alley I could cut through to get over to the rides, I turned in that direction. It was a narrow pathway between two storage containers, but it was the only opening not blocked by food truck doors or garbage cans. About five feet from the alley, I stopped in my tracks as my gaze landed on the man from the bar. 

He stood an equal distance away from the opening, staring threatening daggers at me as children and parents walked by in every direction. Blissful chaos ensued around us as every breath, every beat of my heart, narrowed in on the man, blurring the rest of the world out as panic settled into the marrow of my bones. 

There had to be only one reason he was here—the same reason he was at the cafe and the bar—and this time, I had no one to pull me out. 

The familiar squeeze of my shrinking lungs penetrated my thoughts, and the urge to flee coursed through my veins. I didn’t ignore my mind screaming at me to go the other way. I spun on my heel, nearly barreling into a group of teenagers passing around a giant corn dog. 

“Excuse me,” I muttered, the words barely audible as I maneuvered around them. My heart beat faster than a herd of wild horses galloping across flatlands, and my breaths came in short pants. My feet stumbled over one another as I looked back over my shoulder to find the man storming toward me with a mask of calm that did nothing to settle the terror washing through me like a wave. 

Callan was too far away for me to get to him, and if the man figured out I was going to him, I was sure he’d quicken his pace in moments. Under the glow of the rides and food trucks, I could see the faint traces of a black eye lingering from the night at the bar when Beckham sent his fist swinging. I swung my head around, my eyes darting in every direction to find a pair of familiar eyes—whether they belonged to Callan or one of his brothers. I wouldn’t involve the girls in this, even if I found one of them first. The man had already made it clear he didn’t have boundaries, and I had no idea what his intentions were tonight.

“Oh, Sage,” the man sang behind me, and my lungs seized as my stomach spun in on itself as his voice stuck out over the crowd. “There’s no point in running this time.”

I picked up the pace, brushing past people in a whir. But one glance over my shoulder told me he was doing the same, and gaining fast.

My eyes landed on the opening to the rides, but the hesitation to turn that way was one second too long as his hand clamped around my wrist. With his punishing grip, pinpricks of pain shot up my arm, making my attempt to pull away futile.

He yanked me toward him, pressing his lips to the side of my head as if this was some act of affection to any watching eyes. “Wouldn’t want to make a scene, would you?” he mumbled into my hair.

A shiver broke out over my body with the multiple points of contact he had on me. I wanted him off. Off. Off.

“I don’t know what you want from me.” My pitch was high, my voice shaking as my fist gripped the cash still wadded in my hand.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, letting go of my wrist as he kept me close. His hand on my upper arm was bruising as he squeezed it. “I want a lot from you, sweetheart, but unfortunately, you’re strictly off-limits.” 

My body shook harder at his words. I knew he didn’t mean that because of Callan, which meant Jason was here, and he’d clearly staked his claim.

“Come on,” he said, strict command behind his words despite the relaxed image he tried to put on for any prying eyes around us. Everyone was so distracted with the fair, though, that I doubted anyone would catch on to what was really happening between us. 

“Please don’t do this,” I begged as he steered us back in the direction of the food trucks. “H-he’s a bad man. Whatever he’s paying you, I can double it. Please.”

“He had my back for years. I’m not about to betray him for some bitch like you.”

I glanced up at the guy to see if I recognized him, but still, no recollection hit besides the two interactions I’d had with him prior to right now. Were they friends in prison, and now he was helping him out?

“Whatever he’s told you—”

“Is the truth,” he filled in, tightening his hold around my shoulders. I had no choice but to press into his side. “Women like you always manage to get away unscathed while us men suffer. Same fucking shit with my ex. I’m not letting the same happen to him.”

My fingers felt stiff as my body wanted nothing but to freeze and fold in on itself. This man hated women to begin with, and after the stories Jason probably spun to him, I had no hope there was any getting out of this. 

He steered me past the alley I was originally going to cut through, heading to another about fifteen feet down the way. As soon as we were in the opening, he dropped his arm and shoved my back. I tripped, holding a hand out to the wall to catch myself. 

The buzz of the generators filled my ears as I righted myself, but as soon as I looked up, all the noise drowned out as the pounding in my chest beat a rhythm I had no chance of escaping. My eyes narrowed in on the familiar smirk in front of me.

Before I could blink, I was shoved up against the metal, my head snapping back with a clang. On impulse, my hand released the money Callan had given me, the bills falling to the ground.

“It’s not all of it, but I’ll take it,” his deep, scratchy voice said.

In the shadowed alley, I focused in on Jason directly in front of me.

And my heart sank.

38

Callan

The goldfish in the bag Lettie held swam around in the few inches of water the worker gave her.

“What about Goldie?” Lettie said, offering up what had to be the fortieth name suggestion.

“How about we give it to Avery?” Bailey was not a fan of keeping the goldfish, regardless of him egging her on as she played.

“Already giving her a horse,” I told him. “I don’t think Sage needs a fish on top of that.”