Channing nodded. He grimaced, but finished the rest of his beer and tossed the bottle. “At Manny’s like I said. They were there hoping to run into you guys. Heather tossed them out. Brett’s got a soft spot for her, and he promised they wouldn’t come back to start a fight.”

“They don’t know about Sam?”

“No, but they talked to her. Heather admitted that she didn’t make the situation better. She almost let it slip who Sam was, but Sam stopped her. She shoved Budd or something. Brett got him cooled down. It blew over after that. She sent Sam packing and kicked them out, but there’s something else.”

The idea of them being with her, talking to her, scaring her … My hands curled into fists. A litany of curses flashed through my mind. I wanted to find Budd and Brett. I wanted to finish this entire thing, right now, between them and me. Fuck it. Logan could help if he wanted, but I had enough rage pumping through me. I wanted both of them.

They talked to her. They scared her.

I didn’t want to know the rest, but dammit, I had to. Sam had lied to me. “What is it?”

“Brett asked her out.”

“What?”

“He asked her out.” Channing raised his hands in the air, backing away.

I wasn’t going to attack him. I had enough control. “Spill the rest, Monroe. Stop wasting my time.”

He dropped his hands. “I don’t know how it happened or when, but Brett asked Sam on a date. Budd figured it out. He’s been teasing Brett all week, asking if he’s going to visit her in the hospital or not.”

Everything changed then. Brett Broudou liked Sam and knew she was in the hospital. Budd knew she was in the hospital. They knew about Sam. I was going to have to—

“They were waiting by the door where Sam was loaded into the ambulance. Budd keeps calling her Brett’s weakling.”

I stopped thinking. Everything kicked into slow motion as I heard those words in my head. They were at Manny’s. Brett asked her out. He was with her AGAIN when they saw her by the ambulance.

They saw her at her weakest moment.

It was enough. I had to end them.

I started past Channing, but he darted in front of me. “Whoa. Where are you going?”

“Move.”

“No way.”

“MOVE.”

“No,” Channing shot back at me. “You need to think, man. I don’t know you, but I know your reputation, and you don’t react like this. You’re cold and calculated.”

“They saw her when she was hurting.” My tone was like ice, but my blood was pumping. I needed to do damage and I needed to do it now. Brett Broudou would be the first. “Move, Monroe or I will move you.”

“We’re not buds.”

“I know.” My tone turned lethal. I didn’t want to hurt Jax’s on-again-off-again whatever, but I would.

One second.

Two.

Channing’s eyes flashed back at me. “I care about Heather and she cares about Sam. You mess with me, and that comes back to you. You know that, and I’m trying to help you.” Gone was the easygoing voice. Channing straightened and the threat of violence was there. “I understand. I do. I’d feel the same way. We both know the damage Budd can do to someone. He doesn’t give a shit who the person is, but you need to hear me when I say that Brett could be an asset to us.”

“He went to her.”

“I know.”

“He was alone with her.” He could’ve hurt her.

“Everyone at school is teasing Brett about the hospital chick. They’ve all heard about the girl that got jumped at the basketball game. Half of them think it’s because Brett liked her. That psychotic bitch crew at your school jumped her for you. They think it’s an entire Roussou/Fallen Crest thing, and they’re waiting to see what Budd’s going to do now.”

“I don’t care about any of that.”

“I know. I know.” Channing pointed to his head. “Think about it. Brett knows who Sam is, he asked Heather if her friend was okay.”

The rage in me stalled.

He asked if she was okay … after he knew who she was.

It settled me, enough to slip back into my old skin. I began picking up the pieces. I saw where Channing was leading me. “He covered for her that night. Budd was starting to figure it out, but he stopped him. He said we had school problems.”

“Because that makes sense to Budd. Someone got hurt in your school. He knows you’d want to know about it.”

I frowned. “We’re not that controlling.”

“But Budd is, or he tries. Brett covered for you.”

“I’m getting that now.” It’d been something I had kept in the back of my mind, but I hadn’t given it enough time. “Brett’s continued to lie for her?”

She lied to me. I flinched at that reminder. It stung.

“He has.” The tension left Channing, his shoulders dropped, and he nodded. “Heather was at my place earlier. He wanted to know how Sam was doing. He told her that he’d keep the secret, too. He promised that Budd wouldn’t know. In fact,” he took a deep breath, “that brings me to the next part of business.”

I knew where this was going.

“She said that Kate’s back in power. She’s acting like your girlfriend and the rest of her friends too, like everything’s back to normal. This isn’t any of my business, but it’s making her lose sleep. I care about Heather and I don’t like seeing her suffer. She doesn’t know if she should tell Sam you’re back with the Bitch Crew or wait till you do. Either way Sam is going to find out.” He touched his chest. “And that’s where I’m coming in. I’m thinking you’re doing that for a reason. Am I right?”

“It’s none of your business.”

I kept my calm. My voice was cool, but it was the truth. I didn’t care what Heather Jax was worried about. She could say all the things she wanted. My relationship with Sam was my relationship with Sam. No one else got in there.

Channing sighed. “I was afraid you would say that.”

“MASON!”

Kate had arrived. The bottom of my gut dropped, and I fought against the disgust of being near her. I had two ass**les to deal with, Kate and Budd Broudou.

“MASON, WHERE ARE YOUUU?” She hiccupped at the end before shrieking with her friends. All of them began calling my name.