Matt’s face darkened. “Jesus Christ, Allie, that’s fucked up.”

“Yeah, I know. I saw your car when he dropped me off, and I wanted to know if you could help me. If you could just… I don’t know, make some calls and ask if anyone knows what’s going on. I mean, surely you know people from that gang, right? You know everybody!”

He thought about it, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared off into space. I watched him nervously. I hoped to God he might know the answers.

“Yeah, I might have a person I can call up,” he muttered. “Fuckin’ hell, Ryker. He’s such an asshole, isn’t he? He never changes.”

I shook my head. “Never.”

I felt like an idiot for thinking he had come out of prison a different man. Most prisoners don’t. In fact, most wind up back in jail, and my bet was his day was coming.

“Always having to hassle Heath,” Matt went on. “That guy had his fuckin’ throat cut by fuckin’ trench coat wearing druggies. And what’s Ryker’s excuse for being a shit? Because he saw some fucking baby half-dead under a bed? Ridiculous.”

Matt’s anger over Ryker was startling.

But what was most startling… were his words. My nod slowed down, and I stared at him with a peculiar look, wondering just how far drunk he was to say something like that. He noticed my look, and instantly his body tensed and he sat up straight.

“I’m going to make that call,” he told me. He turned away and pulled out his phone. He dialled a few numbers and disappeared into the kitchen. I held my breath and tried listening in, but my brain was too occupied by what he’d just said.

That guy had his fuckin’ throat cut by fuckin’ trench coat wearing druggies…

How did he know they wore trench coats? Had I said that to him? I didn’t think I did. When Heath went out searching for those men, he never described the coats to anyone.

And what’s Ryker’s excuse for being a shit? Because he saw some fucking baby half-dead under a bed?

Now that… How in the hell did he know about that?

I turned my head in the direction of the kitchen just as he began talking. I couldn’t hear what he was saying. My body felt all wrong, though. I didn’t feel safe anymore. My vision blurred and I shook my head and edged off the couch.

Being here wasn’t a good idea.

Matt knew too much.

And he knew too much for a reason.

A reason that was literally smacking me in the face.

“You’ve been sitting there for five minutes and you’re looking freaked the fuck out,” he said from behind me.

I jumped at the sound of his voice. Five minutes? I’d been sitting here for five minutes? It felt like five seconds…

“I said something stupid to you before I left, and I want you to completely rid it from your memory, Allie.”

I nodded just to please him. I knew inside I couldn’t.

“I’ll do that,” I whispered hesitantly. I looked towards the hallway. I needed to get out of here.

“You’re lying,” he stated, and then he exhaled slowly. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“I’m not lying,” I responded. “I swear –”

“I’m fuckin’ drunk right now and I’ve just told you something I shouldn’t have.”

I began to tremble. He was acknowledging it. He was admitting he was a part of something, and I didn’t want to hear anymore.

“Allie,” he said softly.

“I need to go.” I stood up and nearly stumbled over my legs from the nerves. All the while, he just watched me by the entrance of the kitchen with this look of sadness and exhaustion. He put his hand behind his back and grabbed at something.

“You’re not going just yet,” he told me.

My eyes connected to the gun he produced, and I froze. I stared up at him in shock, but I felt betrayal most of all. “What… What is this, Matt? I came for help –”

“I’m not helping a pair of Lawson pricks,” he interrupted sharply. “They’ve done nothing but turn this fucking town apart!”

I shook my head. “No, Matt, the town was already torn apart by that gang.”

“The Syndicate started out helping people,” he shot back. “They loaned out money for the people in need! They never did the drug shit until my father died and he came in!”

I was confused. So damn confused. “What’re you talking about, Matt? Your father?”

“My father started it from the ground up, Allie. Got his head blown apart by some druggies that robbed him blind. Druggies that were actually about to pay a premium and didn’t care it meant killing somebody innocent for the dough. And what did my Uncle do? He decided there was too little demand and there was room in town for a drug cartel.” Matt shook his head in disbelief. “I was five fucking years old, Allie, and all he saw when his brother passed on were dollar signs!”

“Your Uncle? He’s… he’s the boss?””

“Yeah,” he answered quietly. “What kind of fucked up man calls himself Boss, anyway?”

I looked around the room. “All this time, he’s been living here?” Here, in a shitty house half a block from my own?

“He’s kept his identity under wraps. Forced me out of the gang that belongs to my father.” Anger rose in him. “Fuck, I did everything in my power to prove I was worth it to lead. To take his place. Instead, he made me into some spy bitch, and who the fuck gets the cream of the glory? Fuckin’ Ryker. Some pussy little bitch that bitched about pulling a trigger on anybody.”

I was shaking hard. I had to hold onto the arm of the couch to steady myself.

“Ryker never killed anyone?” I found myself asking. I’d genuinely thought he’d taken it that far if he was being considered to lead.

“He did,” he growled out, rubbing his nose again. He was high too, I realized. “But he didn’t want to. He relied on fucking Ricardo to do most of the dirty work, and only when it involved some abused fuckin’ kid did Ryker take care of it. It was bullshit. Ricardo had enough of him, and I fucking wanted to see him fall. You can’t tell me he doesn’t deserve it after what he did to you! I saw the way Ryker treated you, Allie, and fucked other chicks behind your back. Ricardo told me how he used to glare at my Uncle and avoid listening to the rules. Ryker was irresponsible. He wasn’t meant to lead. No. That’s why I put him away. I needed that time to gain my Uncle’s trust. I’m sick of being everyone else’s bitch, Allie. So sick of being taken advantage of. But you know how that feels, right? You can relate.”