Page 100 of Kings Don't Break

“So tell me. Over drinks?”

It takes me a second to decide, but I wind up taking Sydney up on her offer. In no more than fifteen minutes, we’re perched on stools at the saloon’s bar counter with Mick pouring us drinks called cherry bombs.

“For the beautiful ladies,” Mick says, sliding the two glasses toward us.

I smile and reach for my wallet, but the seasoned bartender waves me off.

“Don’t even dream of it, sweets. On the house. You two are much easier on the eyes than the usual Kings crowding the place up.” He winks at us before he returns to wiping down the rest of the counter.

Sydney turns to me on her stool. “Leave it to Mick to flirt with some of his only female customers.”

We sample our drinks and find them bearable, even tasty after a few sips as a burst of sweet cherry pairs nicely with the spice of the whiskey. I go for an extra sip to prepare myself for divulging what’s been on my mind.

“This’ll stay between us?”

“In the vault,” she says.

I sigh, worn down by the mere thought of Ken’s threat. “I didn’t say anything… but I saw him at the police station.”

“Stricklin?!”

“Shhh,” I hush, glancing around the saloon. “He came into the restroom when I was in there.”

“And you didn’t tell Mace or Cash? Korine?—”

“A fight would’ve broken out,” I interrupt. “Don’t say it wouldn’t have when we both know it would’ve.”

“If he was in there hurting you?—”

“He didn’t lay a finger on me. It was one of our more… civil exchanges. Which says a lot considering Ken was still threatening me. He swears he’ll make the charges against Blake stick if I insist on being with him. He’ll make sure Blake winds up behind bars.”

Sydney’s brows jerk together. “Would he even be able to pull that off?”

“I’ve gone in circles about it. Everything from he’s bluffing to he’s serious and will make it happen. I’ve landed on putting nothing past him. He… he even insinuated my mother would have an accident.”

“You need to tell Cash.”

I swallow more of the cherry bomb as a distraction. “I tell Blake, he’ll refuse to back down from Ken. It’ll lead to more trouble. He has enough problems right now.”

“Korine, he would want to know. Mace would want to know.”

“You promised you wouldn’t say a word.”

“And I won’t,” she says, though her tight expression holds tension. “But I just think Stricklin’s proven to be dangerous. He could try anything.”

A sigh blows out of me. “I’ll think about it. I promise I will.”

“I feel that’s as good as I’m going to get out of you for now.”

“Maybe you do already know me well,” I say, giving off a snarky laugh. “How’s your friend doing? The one that was missing? Have they found her yet?”

Sydney peers into what’s left of her cherry bomb and shakes her head. “Still missing. I just don’t know where Tey could’ve gone. She’s the definition of straight and narrow. College. Church. The diner. Those are what she’s always been focused on. She doesn’t get mixed up with the wrong crowd.”

I end our conversation by thanking Sydney and wishing her friend returns safely.

For the rest of my work day at the Chop Shop, I’m preoccupied with how to move forward.

Mama notices I’m distracted later in the evening when in the kitchen cooking dinner. She pads into the room in her fuzzy slippers and robe, a deep frown dipped onto her mouth.