“Jericho didn’t tell you where he was going?” she asked suspiciously, slurping on the rim of her can.
I touched the wolf ring I’d taken off his hand and placed on my finger. The festival had everything we needed from food to clothes because of the vendor stands. Why would he just take off?
An errand.
God, please don’t let it be drugs. I knew addicts were compulsive liars and I wanted more than anything to believe Jericho was on the straight and narrow. But what if I had been duped once again? How could I not question my judgment after Hawk? I had no doubt Jericho cared for me deeply, but maybe he was ashamed to tell me he hadn’t completely stopped. No, that couldn’t be right. If that were true, he would have caved in Hawk’s basement. No user could resist that kind of temptation, could they?
“Izzy?”
“I’m sorry, just thinking. He didn’t tell me where he was going. Maybe he forgot a guitar he wanted to use in the show later on.”
“I didn’t think about that. You’re probably right.”
A hard knock sounded at the door.
“Reno,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“Wait,” I whispered, stretching out my arm. I quietly moved toward the door and peered out the window. Hell’s bells. It was Handlebars.
I looked at April with my index finger pressed to my lips for silence. He was only a human, but so was April, and she could easily get hurt.
“Go hide in the bathroom,” I whispered. “Now!”
“I can’t leave you,” she whispered back.
“April, I’m a wolf. If I shift, I could accidentally hurt you, and Reno wouldn’t be able to deal with that. I wouldn’t be able to deal with that. Go!”
She made fists with her hands and her brows knitted. The moment of uncertainty passed and April hurried into the bathroom, locking herself inside.
Handlebars beat on the door again. “Open the goddamn door. I know you’re in there.”
“What do you want? Hawk is dead.”
“Yeah, so I heard,” he said in a gruff voice. “But there’s one small problem.”
I paused. “What?”
“Delgado still wants his money and his drugs.”
“Did you check his house?”
He hammered his fist on the door. “Yes, bitch. We checked his house. Now open up.”
“There’s no money or drugs in here.”
“No, but your ass is in there, and your ass is going to show me where they are.”
“I don’t know where they are!” I screamed. “We split up and he tried to kidnap me. I had no clue he was selling drugs!”
He violently pulled on the door and it shook. These doors were not meant to keep strong men out. I turned around to find a weapon when the door wrenched open.
“There you are.”
I widened my arms. “Here I am. Sure you want to tangle with me, Handlebars? I bite.”
“That ain’t my name.”
I stood my ground as he entered the small room and ducked to avoid the low ceiling.
“How did you know I was here?” I asked.
He laughed once and it died just as fast as a mouse in a trap. “Coincidence. I just happened to be strolling by. Now tell me where the stash is, and I’ll be on my merry fucking way.”
The music blasted outside, and the crowd in the distance cheered. “I’m not playing stupid with you—I really don’t know. Do you think I enjoy all our run-ins? I’m telling you I have no idea where that stuff is. If you’ll get off my back, maybe I can help find what you’re looking for. The only problem is Hawk told me he had other homes, and I have no idea where they are.”
“Hawk wasn’t stupid enough to keep valuables out of reach. He would have kept his money and stash close by. I had one shitbag who hid the drugs in the floorboard of his wife’s car. You know why? Because if it’s found by the law, it won’t be in his possession. But I ain’t the law.”
“Then give me time to look.”
“Time’s up.”
I stepped back as far as I could. “You can bark at me all you want, but nothing is going to make that money magically appear. Or the drugs. Which one does Delgado want?”
“Both. All.”
I heard something clatter in the bathroom, and April quietly cursed.
“Who the hell’s in there?” he said, already moving his way toward the back.
I stepped in front of him and pushed. “No one. Go outside and let’s talk.”
“Get the fuck out of my way,” he said, shoving me.
“If you touch me again, I won’t be so nice,” I said through clenched teeth.
Handlebars smirked and cocked his head to the side. With one finger, he foolishly poked me in the chest.
Chapter 19
When Jericho pulled into the festival grounds and got the call from Austin, he broke into a hard run as soon as he parked the truck. A few drunks called him an asshole as he plowed through a group of spectators. The trailers were on the opposite end of the grounds, and the crowd was dense because people were dancing in large groups. He bumped into an immovable Vampire who eagerly showed him his fangs.
Jericho ran around him.