Page 16 of Callow

But no cars slowed.

“They’re not from the area,” Nave said, shrugging as he leaned against the back of the SUV. “Probably estimated the time wrong.”

Still, we were all a little tense, shifting uncomfortably as the moments passed.

I was wound so tight that when I heard my voice called, I felt my heart leap up and lodge in my throat as I whipped around.

I didn’t even realize that my name hadn’t been said in one of the deep male voices of my brothers.

Until I saw the source of it.

“Daphne?” I asked, blinking hard, sure I was seeing things.

“I thought it was you,” she said, giving me that uncertain smile of hers.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked, too aware of what this situation was to be kinder.

“I was getting ice cream across the street. I thought I saw you,” she added.

The ice cream place was a couple-minute walk away. And with no cut in the stone guard, she’d hopped over it and crossed traffic to get here.

The fuck was up with this kid?

Could a silly teenage crush make a girl so reckless?

“You need to leave,” I said, striding toward her.

“Ah, afraid it might be too late for that,” Sully said. And just then, I heard the rumble of bikes getting closer and closer.

“Fuck,” I hissed, rushing forward to grab Daphne’s arm, pulling her with me back to the SUV, opening the back passenger door, and pushing her inside. “Get on the ground and stay there,” I demanded, watching her eyes go round, finally having some fear slip into her, it seemed.

Good.

“Don’t listen while you’re at it,” I said, slamming the door.

All the guys’ gazes cut to me as three bikes came around the back of the building as a car came around the other side.

Trapping us in.

My hand itched to go to the gun at my waist. But I didn’t want to set these guys on-edge if the drop hadn’t just gone sideways and they were just too clueless to see that caging in another crew was not the right move.

The Henchmen were a bit of an eclectic club. Lots of different looks and shit. These guys were all practically mirror images of one another. Long hair, tattoos, scruffy beards, worn jeans and jean jackets with patches instead of leather cuts.

The four men in the car climbed out and approached us. When no one reached for weapons, everyone on my crew relaxed.

The one who must have been the leader, if not the president, moved forward toward me as I stepped toward him.

“Bon,” he said, offering his hand.

“Callow,” I said, shaking it.

Bon waved behind him, making one of the men move forward with a tan tote bag that looked appropriately heavy and stacked.

Bon took it, holding it open for me to look inside, then offering it to me. An act of good faith since he hadn’t even seen the guns yet.

“It’s all there,” he assured me as I handed it off to Perish to check.

“Nothing against you,” I said, as Perish did a quick fan of the stacks then gave me a nod. “You’re just new to us,” I added.