I replied, “I have to do something. I need a female to help out, and I only know one other girl here, and she’s not a fighter type. She’d more likely ask to read all their books than know how to back me up if things got dicey.”

Hawk’s mouth turned down, thinning. “I do not waste my time with sorority catfights.”

“How’d you know?”

Her eyes got big. “I was joking. Are you kidding me?”

I shook my head. “Are you sure?”

She swore. “No.”

“Okay, then.” Looks like I’d be going in alone.

Maybe I’d have Zellman sit in the vehicle, just in case.

Brock walked over, filling his own coffee. “Let’s go. We have a full day ahead of us.”

Hawk seared me with another look before turning and taking her items to the register. Brock was there, waiting, as everyone got their items rang up. When I waited, he had the clerk tally up what I was holding.

When they were done, he motioned for me. “Head on outside.”

I was learning that even though Gramps and Bonnie owned the business, Brock was the unofficial leader. When he said move, everyone moved. When he said breathe, everyone took in air. When he said to stand outside a door, no one moved an inch.

They weren’t scared of him. There was no argument. There was no flash of where someone wanted to protest. Everyone fell in line, listening to him with ease. They respected him. Even Shetland, who winked at me as I headed outside and veered toward Bonnie and Gramps’ truck.

The bell above the door rang behind me, and I heard Brock’s voice a second later. “No, Bren. You’re with me this time.”

I stopped, skimming over the group.

That’s when I saw Hawk already heading for Gramps’ truck as she gave me a big grin and a wave.

I faltered.

That wasn’t a good big grin.

Brock walked past me, nodding to the side of his truck.

Shetland was in the back, and as I got in, he was rifling through some paper.

Brock got in behind the wheel, putting his coffee in the middle compartment. He plucked out another emptied cup and tossed it into the trash. “There you go.”

I glanced at Shetland’s coffee, which he was holding in one hand.

Brock spoke, “He’s got a thing back there to put his coffee in.”

Alrighty then.

I climbed in, shutting my door and grabbing my seatbelt.

We took off and Brock said after we traveled a block, “So…Bren.”

Uh-oh.

The realization settled in my chest.

Hawk gave me an initial grill and everything had gone smoothly after that. Until this. Until I learned that Brock was the real leader of this group and so, of course, they’d all been waiting for his moment.

I prepared myself, having a faint assumption what was coming my way.