Then Ghost turned to Tango. “What’s up?”
His smile dimmed. “I’ve got something to show you.”
That earned him a curious glance.
They walked out to the parking lot, and Tango passed the map over.
Ghost studied it a moment, eyes sharp when they lifted from the paper. “Is this what I think it is?”
“All of Ellison’s properties.”
Ghost’s expression tightened. “Where did you get this?”
“You know where,” Tango said quietly.
“You stole it?”
“He gave it to me.”
Ghost’s head reared back, his nostrils flaring. “Hewhat? How many goddamn favors do I owe the guy now?”
“No disrespect, sir, but this map isn’t about you, or the club, or any more favors. It was a gift, from him to me.”
A cold silence fell between them, full of questions it was obvious Ghost didn’t want to ask.
Tango shrugged and stepped back. “I wanted you to have it. I thought that was the right thing.” He turned away.
“Kev.”
He froze, but he didn’t look back. He couldn’t.
“When you see him next time,” Ghost said, stiffly, “tell him thank you.”
He nodded and kept going.
~*~
The butterflies were back with a vengeance. Last night had been spontaneous, and so there hadn’t been any expectation on either side. But tonight was planned, and that led to all sorts of planned-dinner nerves that Sam took out on the carpet, vacuuming furiously with one hand and dusting the hard surfaces with the other.
She was putting the pork tenderloin into the oven when Erin walked in the back door.
“Good, you’re home,” Sam greeted. “You can move the load from the washer into the dryer and then get started on your homework before dinner.”
“Oh my God…” Erin started, rolling her eyes, dumping her backpack to the floor.
“Nope, I don’t want to hear that,” Sam said. She kept her tone pleasant, but firm. Barking orders never worked with someone as petulant as her little sister. “You’re grounded, Erin, and being grounded doesn’t involve locking yourself away in your room and video chatting all night. You’re going to contribute to the household, starting with taking your bag upstairs as you go. No more leaving all your stuff lying everywhere.”
Erin gave her a bitter look across the kitchen table. “Can’t you just be thankful I’m not dead or addicted to anything?”
“I can, and I am. But I’m also putting my foot down. You’re killing Mom,” she added, lowering her voice. “And honest to God, I don’t know what you’re trying to prove or accomplish.”
Erin made a face. “Oh, yeah sure,I’mkilling Mom. But you think it’s totally okay to fuck some biker guy all obvious where we can hear it.”
Sam felt heat bloom in her cheeks. “We’re not talking about me right now.”
“Why not? ‘Cause you’re just as bad as me?”
“Because I’m a grown-ass woman with a decent job and I can go out with whoever I want to. Also because I wasn’t the one at risk of getting arrested last night. So. Backpack, dryer, homework. Now.”
