Page 6 of Knot So Sweet (Leather and Lace #1)

Chapter 5

Candi

A s we huddled behind the garage, the muffled conversation from inside remained frustratingly out of reach. Damn it. My attempts to make out the details only deepened my frustration.

"What are they saying?" Julia asked, her voice tight with impatience.

"I don’t know yet. I need to get a closer look," I replied, wincing as I tried to climb on a stack of pallets behind the shop. Being so damn short wasn’t helping. "Owe, fuck!"

"Shh!" Julia hissed, her eyes darting nervously toward the garage entrance. "Is the window unlocked?"

"Seriously? You’re shushing me? And how the hell should I know? I can’t even reach it," I growled, balancing precariously on the unstable stack.

This wasn’t working.

"Well, there’s got to be something we can use to boost you up. Or I can lift you?" Julia suggested, a hint of determination in her voice.

"No way. You’re not picking me up. You’re pregnant," I protested, shaking my head firmly.

"You sound just like Roman," Julia grumbled, though her lips twitched with a faint smile.

"Shut up and help me move these pallets. We can stack them to make a ladder."

Julia sighed dramatically as she helped. "Fine. But if I hurt myself and Zane gets mad, I’m holding you responsible."

"Deal," I said with a smirk as I managed to balance precariously on the makeshift ladder of pallets. With a final adjustment, I slid the window open, my heart racing with adrenaline. "Got it!" I whispered, barely able to contain my excitement and nerves.

Without the window blocking it, the conversation grew clearer. Linc’s voice cut through the murmur, low and dangerous. "—Why the fuck is he here, Shade?" Linc growled. "Are you trying to set us up, bro? We had a deal. You know what we do to those who cross us." His voice dripped with the thinly veiled threat.

I shivered. Linc was known for his ruthlessness.

Owen stepped between Lincoln and Shade. "Look, we all have the same goal here. Protect our city. Protect omegas."

"I would never fucking trust someone who works with snakes," Linc bit back.

I scoffed. "Viper would never want to work with you either," I murmured under my breath, barely containing my frustration.

Julia snickered, but I ignored her. I wasn't sure why I was defending Viper, but hearing Linc talk about him like that rubbed me the wrong way.

"But you trust me, right? We've been friends since grade school," Shade countered smoothly, stepping up into Linc's face. The two alphas were around the same height, though Linc was built more like a swimmer, while Shade was broad with thicker arms. "Hux is family, Linc. Kay’s alpha, my sister's alpha. So help us protect her, please. The only way to make things right and protect our city is to work together. Adam and his family can't continue to reign over Sterling."

For a moment, I thought Linc would back down and help him. Linc was all about family, and he put his pack, including Julia, above all else.

But I was wrong.

"Hell no. Never going to happen," Lincoln growled, shaking his head. He glanced over at Roman, who stood off to the side, a perfect picture of calm. Roman was the silent, deadly type—massive everywhere. He might even be bigger than Ghost. My core throbbed just thinking Ghost's name.

No, Candi, focus. Don’t think about dick right now.

God, these alphas kept swimming through my thoughts—Ghost and Viper. I hated how quickly they had consumed my every thought. I couldn’t let them get any closer. This deal with the Cromwells had to pan out. I really didn't want to go see them tomorrow.

"I wouldn’t have to work with the Serpents if we worked together," Owen interjected, trying to reason with Linc.

I found myself nodding along as Lincoln shook his head again. "Not gonna happen," Linc repeated, more firmly.

"Lincoln." Sean spoke for the first time, his voice calm, but authoritative. Sean Cromwell, dressed in a flawlessly tailored suit that emphasized his commanding presence, crossed his arms with a stoic expression. Dark hair, dark gaze, and an even darker demeanor. He was a scary motherfucker in his own right, and was the leader of their little pack of alphas.

He flexed his leather gloves as he stepped into Owen’s face, making it clear he wasn’t to be trifled with. But my brother didn’t back down—he raised his chin and met Sean's gaze head-on. "Why should we help you, Huxley?"

"Because we fight on the same side, Sean," Owen said simply.

Sean didn’t move, didn’t blink as he stared Owen down. "We will hear you out, but at the end of the day, Hux, we don’t need you. You need us. You’d do well to remember that. Your little club is in Hound territory, and eventually will be under my jurisdiction."

Tension crackled in the air between them. I barely had a second to register what Sean just said. What did he mean by his jurisdiction? Was he planning to overthrow Titus?

FUCK.

A sudden blast of music shattered the moment.

"—Daddy shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo."

My hold on the window wobbled, fingers slipping as I whipped my head toward Julia, who was digging through her jacket. Her phone continued to blare out loudly.

"You’ve gotta be kidding me," I muttered, shooting daggers her way. "Who goes on a stakeout and doesn’t silence their phone?" I whisper-shouted through clenched teeth, trying to regain my balance on this rickety as fuck palate.

Julia, unfazed by my death glare, finally fished out her phone. The song just got louder, making me want to both scream and laugh at the absurdity. Julia held the phone to her ear, utterly calm.

"Hello?" she said, as if she wasn’t blowing our cover.

" Seriously ? You’re going to answer it? Now ?" I hissed, barely containing my disbelief.

She shrugged, pressing a hand over the receiver of her phone. "Yeah, Zane will be worried if I don’t," she said, shooting me an apologetic glance. Then, back into the phone, "Sorry, babe. I’m with Candi."

I wanted to facepalm so badly, but kept quiet, trying to refocus on the situation inside the garage. Any trouble the Cromwell's were planning was not on my to do list. I didn't give a fuck which alphahole was kingpin of the Hounds. I tried to glance back in the window, but the frame was slipping under my grip, my feet teetering on the edge of the pallet ladder.

This was a stupid idea.

All I could hear were snippets of Julia’s conversation as she cooed softly into the phone. "No, we’re fine… No, I haven’t eaten yet… Yeah, we’re just…" Julia’s voice faded as she walked a bit farther from the pallets. I glanced over at her, wishing she would help me stabilize the stupid ladder, and that’s when she turned back toward me, her eyes wide with realization. "Oh my God—Candi!" she screamed, pointing behind my head.

I didn’t even have time to react before I lost my footing completely. With a yelp, I fell off the stack of pallets, hitting the ground with an ungraceful thud. "Owe…"

"Hey Jules," a voice drawled from above, and I glanced up to see Linc peering out from the window, his face twisted into a smirk.

Lincoln Cromwell wasn’t exactly subtle. His buzz cut made the tattoos on his face stand out even more, the word Hound was inked just above his brow like some kind of warning label. Black lines snaked down from his jawline to his neck, curling into intricate designs that looked like they’d bite you if you stared too long. He had a joker like vibe to him, always wearing a smirk like the world was one big joke, and he was in on it before everyone else. But behind that smile, he could turn on a dime, his sharp blue eyes daring anyone to test him.

And people rarely did.

"Fuck, Linc! You scared the shit out of me!" Julia exclaimed, laughing through her panic. She glanced down at me in the dirt and covered her mouth, her green eyes wide. "I’m so sorry Candi! I didn’t think you'd fall."

I glared at them both, now flat on my back, gripping a pocket knife that I’d instinctively pulled during the fall. But really, it was Julia's fault I fell. Her scream scared me more than Linc hanging out the window like some kind of peeping Tom.

"Oh, a bit of knife play, huh Candi? Kinky," Linc teased.

"Shut up, Linc. I’ve known you since we were twelve. If I was going to fuck you, it would have happened by now."

Linc cackled good naturedly, turning back to Julia. "So what are you guys doing, Jules? Having fun? I'm glad Zane is being a good boyfriend and checking in on you and the baby. Though it did blow your cover." He laughed, letting out a full belly laugh as he taunted her.

"Shut up, Lincoln! You know how Zane can get if he can't get a hold of me." She looked at me and cringed. "Sorry I screamed. You okay, Candi?"

"I’m fine," I grumbled as she helped me to my feet.

Lincoln cackled again. "You don’t look fine. You look like you saw a ghost."

My cheeks flushed at his choice of words. I knew he didn’t mean to reference Ghost, but he didn’t realize just how right he was. Ghost was always on my mind. I shook my head and looked at Julia, trying to suppress the laughter bubbling in my throat as I thought about the absurdity of the situation. It was so ridiculous that I had to bite down on my lip to keep from bursting into a full-blown cackle.

Worst stealth mission ever.

"What song even was that?" I snorted.

"What? I think it's cute," Julia pouted, hands clutching her belly protectively.

Linc and I exchanged a look. One of those rare, fleeting moments of pure, unspoken hilarity, just like when we were kids—and before I knew it, we were both laughing again. The tension evaporated, replaced by the kind of laughter that made your stomach hurt.

"You guys are a riot. You know that?" Linc finally said, shaking his head. He glanced behind him, talking to someone over his shoulder before turning and giving us an apologetic look. "Sean’s pissed. You might wanna leave."

"Not going anywhere, Linc." I shook my head stubbornly. "What did Sean mean when he said my club will be in his territory? Is he planning to overthrow Titus? If so, are you planning on taking out his son too? There's no way Jordan will roll over and give up the top dog spot."

I snorted at the phrase 'top dog' and Linc frowned. His creased brow tugged at the tattoo there. He was clearly not amused by my title choice for the Hounds leader. But the irony wasn't lost on me.

I could tell they just wanted us to leave, but there was no fucking way I was leaving without knowing what Sean meant. Without knowing why Shade was working with the Cromwells, and where that left me and the Den. The tension in the air was thick, my mind racing with a hundred questions that I needed answered. I couldn’t afford to be in the dark any longer, not when everything seemed to be teetering on the edge of chaos.

But before Linc could respond, someone else did.

"Yes, you are leaving, Candice," came a voice from behind me, stern and unyielding.

I turned to look over my shoulder, my eyes narrowing into slits as I glared at my older brother, Owen. If looks could kill, he'd be nothing more than a pile of ash by now. He knew better than anyone how much I hated being told what to do, but after twenty-one years of dealing with my temper, he wasn’t easily rattled. Still, he had to know I wasn’t leaving without getting some damn answers.

"Why are you making a deal with Sean?" I demanded, my voice sharp.

Owen crossed his arms over his chest, meeting my glare with one of his own. "Why are you here?" he shot back.

A low growl rumbled from my throat, irritation flaring hot in my veins. "Don’t answer my question with a question. And I wouldn’t be out here falling off pallet ladders and shit if you were just honest with me."

Owen's frown deepened. "I’m trying to open the Den like you wanted," he said, his tone firm. "Shade is someone I trust. He trusts the Cromwells, and therefore, I’m willing to ask them for help."

I shook my head, disbelief and frustration warring inside me. "And I appreciate that. But why can’t I know about it?"

"Because it’s my job to protect you!" he roared, his voice echoing through the alley.

My heart skipped a beat, but not from fear—from anger. "Are you seriously fucking yelling at me right now?" I snapped, my voice rising to match his.

"Oh no, Candi does not like being yelled at," Linc's voice chimed in from the window above, clearly enjoying the show.

"She does have a point, Hux," Julia added, her voice more measured, but no less firm than my own. "If you weren't hiding things from her, she wouldn’t be out here right now."

Owen—Hux, to those who weren’t family—shifted his gaze to Julia. His eyes roamed her body, his brow furrowing. "You shouldn’t be out here either, Julia. Pregnant and alone? Not with Adam out there. He could be watching you both right now."

I flinched at the mention of Adam, the creepy stalker alpha who seemed to be lurking around every corner lately. As if his unwanted attention was somehow my fault. "I’m not leaving without answers," I said, forcing steel into my voice.

Why did alphas always feel the need to assert dominance? Like I couldn’t handle myself. Sure, I’d taken a fall earlier, and my ass was still sore from it, but I could manage. Mostly.

Owen pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly battling to keep his patience. "If I promise to fill you in on the details later, will you go home?"

I hesitated, glancing at Julia. She was scanning the street with a wary look in her eyes, tension tightening her shoulders. Guilt gnawed at me like a starving animal. I shouldn’t have dragged her into this. Adam was still out there, and she didn’t need to be caught in the crossfires of my mess.

I sighed, defeated. "Fine. But I’m serious, Owen. No more hiding shit from me. We’re a team, right?"

He exhaled, the tension in his posture loosening slightly, and pulled me into a hug. His familiar scent, a mix of spicy sandalwood and something uniquely him, helped ease the knot in my chest. "Okay," he said quietly. "I’ll see you when you get home."

I nodded, murmured a quick goodbye, and followed Julia across the street to Sully’s.

"Well, that went well," she said, rolling her eyes as we walked.

I gave a half-hearted shrug. "Yep, and it looks like I’ll still be making a visit to the Steel Serpents clubhouse tomorrow."