Page 90 of Truck Up

“So …” Sophia drags out the word. “I entered the Cleveland race. Mac and I will both be competing.”

“No way!” Chase beams at her. “That’s awesome. Which car are you gonna drive?”

The conversation shifts back to safer topics, and Clara visibly relaxes. I sit back and listen. Since I don’t follow racing, I don’thave much to contribute. As long as we make money and Grams is taken care of. That’s all I need to know.

“Hey.” Chase nudges my arm and nods toward the door. “I think Edge wants you.”

I look over my shoulder, and sure enough, Edge is staring at me. He points toward the corner of the room, indicating I should follow him.

“I’ll be right back,” I say before I push to my feet and head in his direction.

“We’ve got a problem,” he says as soon as I’m within earshot.

“What kind of problem?” I ask. His grim expression has my defenses on high alert.

“Local one.” He grumbles. “Emergency extraction. Needs to happen right now.”

“Local?” I furrow my brow. “But you don’t do local extractions.”

“I do now.” He sighs. He’s not happy, and from the tone of his voice, he doesn’t have a choice. It’s not like him to allow himself to get cornered into doing something he doesn’t want to do.

“Why?” I ask.

This makes no sense. Edge doesn’t bend the rules for anyone. Bending the rules risks exposure, and no one can know what he does. Too many lives are at stake.

“I promised the kid if he ever called me, I’d help. He called.”

“Okay.” I run my hands through my hair, trying to wrap my head around this. I’m not prepared to leave town. Not even for one day. I promised Amelia I’d never leave her again without telling her why.

Before I can ask him for more specifics, a chair falls over with a loud bang and it distracts me.

“Oh, my god,” someone calls out.

More mumbles fill the room as everyone looks at their phones.

“It’s the Fisher residence,” another person calls out.

I snap my eyes back to Edge, and he nods.

“Fuck,” I mumble. Half the county owns a police scanner. When dispatch puts out a call, everyone knows in a matter of minutes.

“What’s happening at the Fisher residence?” Liam yells above the rumble. He pushes to his feet and crosses the room toward the person who just spoke.

There was a time when Liam and Charlie Fisher were best friends. But they’ve been at odds with each other since Liam’s high school sweetheart, Hannah, married Charlie. It never made sense to me. I thought Liam and Hannah would be together forever. It shocked the hell out of everyone when she announced her engagement to Charlie.

“We better go,” I say.

Liam never got over losing Hannah, and if Charlie hurt her like I suspect, Charlie is a dead man if we don’t get there first.

“Agreed.” Edge heads toward the exit, and I follow. “We’ve got to beat these people there. Do you have your truck?” I nod. “Good. You drive. And drive fast.”

When we pullup in front of Charlie Fisher’s house, it’s eerily quiet. Based on how quickly the news spread across the bar, I expected the driveway to be blocked by cars and lots of flashing lights.

But there’s nothing.

“Looks like we beat the cops. That’s a fucking miracle.” Edge unbuckles his seat belt and hops out the second I throw my truck into park. “Let’s go.”

“Is Charlie still here?” I ask. Edge is moving so fast, I have to run to keep up.