Their Rustic Retreat (The Men of Evergreen Mountain #5)

7. Tristian

SEVEN

tristian

I headed home to my small apartment on the edge of Evergreen Valley. It was actually the only apartment building in the town, which isn’t surprising, given Evergreen's size.

It is tiny as all hell, but it does what I need it to. I’m one guy with no family now, and even if I can afford more, I don't need more. The money I saved over the years, I told myself, would be put to building something I could really live and thrive in. Something worthy of a family.

The Evergreen Valley way of things is to build it yourself, and that little nest egg I’ve built up will still be good for that. Lumber and labor aren’t exactly free.

On my apartment door, I see something pinned.

I cock an eyebrow as I approach and peel it off. A single piece of paper. I’m filled with dread as I see it. If the superintendent had a message for me, he'd use the mailbox.

No, this is the way of a certain skinny slimeball.

I rip it off. And read it.

Come Home, We’re Waiting For You.

I shudder and crumple it up.

I go into my apartment. I’m sick of it. How long were they going to bother me about this? I told them I wouldn’t talk. That I didn’t want anything to do with any of this. And yet they still persist on nagging me.

All further threats of drunk perverts in my life will be done, free of charge. I’m not going back.

I found something so much better in life.

I clean myself up. I’m a bit wound up by it, so I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do. I kind of want to spend it with Serena. I want to spend all my time with her, actually. But life is cruel sometimes and denies me. What can I do?

There’s a knock on my door.

I grumble. Is he here to plead with me in person again? Relentless asshole. Maybe I just need to deck him to send the message. Might work on someone as pathetic as Jessie Joe.

The knocking is more rapid.

“Open up, or I’m going to kick this thing down.”

That is not the voice of Jessie Joe.

So I answer it.

It’s Hawk.

He pushes in, pushes me, but I stand my ground. “Where the fuck is she?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Serena? I saw her leave the parking lot, man. I assumed she went home.”

“Well, she’s not at home, and she’s not answering my texts or my calls. Your shady ass is the last person seen with her, so you better start giving me an answer, or I’m going to start beating your face in.”

There’s a ringing sound, accompanied by vibrations against denim. “Are you going to answer that?”

“Is it related to Serena’s whereabouts? I’m busy.”

“Man, it could be Serena, and I hope it is. I want her safe, and I would rather have you flipping out over nothing instead of flipping out over something and having her endangered.”

He grumbles and pulls out the phone. “It’s not Serena, but I have to answer it anyway. You stay right there.”

“This is my home. I don’t have anywhere else to be.”

Hawk steps aside and answers it. I hear his end of the conversation. “I’m in front of him right now. My sister hasn’t gotten back to me, Fox. Really? Speaker? For him?”

Hawk shakes his head in frustration and presses the button.

“Am I on? Tristian Franklin? Is that you? Can you hear me?”

“Uh, yeah. Hi?”

“Didn’t take many calls to figure out your deal. Listen, I’m one of Hawk’s friends. Call me Fox.”

“Hi, Fox?” It’s a strange way to meet someone for the first time.

“I don’t want to be dealing with the organization any more than you do, but I still have some family ties. I’ve been digging, and I know you were there when Paul Voss iced Kenny. You saw it.”

I stare at the phone in disbelief as this guy just spills my secrets like it’s the most mundane thing in the world.

“We’re lucky this organization we’re dealing with has at least some people with brains. And they have feelings and ties too. People liked Kenny. Paul crossed a line. No one’s protecting him anymore, and there are leaks to certain authoritative types, tying him to his crimes. You shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Maybe you’ll need to testify or something? I don’t know. I’m no lawyer.”

“Listen, all this is good and all, but how do you know this? Why do you even care?”

“My brother here wanted to make sure his sister wasn’t going down the wrong path. And I don’t know you personally, but I don’t see anything suggesting you’re any more guilty than I am for my connections.”

Hawk seems more annoyed by this than anything. “Great, Fox, great, but I don’t know where my sister is.”

“She’s missing?”

“Yeah, it’s the whole reason I want to throttle this guy.”

The gears start to turn in my mind. “Hey, what about Paul’s minions? Like a certain Jessie Joe?”

Fox hesitated a moment before answering. “Probably scattering like the rats they are. Family won’t protect them, would even come down on them if they did something stupid like violate our rule not to mess with Evergreen Valley.”

I take another breath and look at the crumpled note in the trash. “I know where Serena is.”

I had thought Jessie Joe using “We’re” in his note meant him and Paul.

Now I know the bastard meant for it to represent someone else.

I push past Hawk.

“Where the hell are you going?”

“To go make sure your sister is okay. You coming along?”

Hawk cracks a grin. “Maybe I can take solace in the fact that you do actually perhaps care for her.”

“Every moment I’m without her makes me realize how much I do care, man.”

I swear, if that little freak does anything to her, well…

All the things Hawk threatened to do to me I’m going to do to Jessie Joe, then I think Hawk will continue.

Even if he doesn’t do anything, I may well do those things anyway.