“Her sister was crushed, man,” Joker bit out, and Tack felt that. He had two young sons, a grown one and a grown daughter. He felt that deep in his gut. And he knew, God forbid, shit happened like that, his kids would feel it too. “And it’s been a long time, but none of us ever forgets that high school kids are assholes,” Joker kept at it. “The ones who aren’t are just tryin’ to make their way without sustaining too much damage. She wasn’t either of those.”

“A good girl?”

“Last person I saw in Denver before I ran away from my old man. She knew I was doin’ it. Probably knew I was underage. Definitely knew I should do it. Kissed my cheek and told me I was gonna have a beautiful life.”

There it was.

And it was more than Joker had ever given them. Out loud at least.

Joker’s voice suddenly went quiet. “I have that life. What she wanted for me. Good around me. She doesn’t. That shit ain’t right. Now, that’s all you’ll get from me, brother. She’s worth it. Carissa Teodoro doesn’t lean against a door like she held all the joy on earth in her veins and it leaked out, not without retribution. That’s what I know. That’s what I’m tellin’ you. That’s what I’m doin’. The Club is either in it with me, or they’re out. But that’s what’s happening.”

He said no more.

He also didn’t wait for an answer.

He stalked out.

Tack looked to his son.

“Rush, on him,” he ordered quietly.

Rush nodded once and followed his brother.

“Baby,” Tyra whispered and Tack looked to her. “There’s a lot more to share.”

“Why am I not surprised?” he muttered.

She didn’t hesitate.

“She’s hurting, Kane. She has a full-time job, it doesn’t pay much, benefits are great, she likes where she works, but what income she has is eaten up by daycare expenses and paying off her old attorney. She’s tight with her dad but he’s in Nebraska. She won’t tell him what’s happening, is insistent he’s shielded from it, and now I have a better understanding of why.”

She paused and Tack nodded.

He understood too.

Tyra kept going, “Her friends migrated to the ex. You know she’s got a shit car. She’s also got a one bedroom apartment in a very bad part of town. And she’s convinced, and it sounds like she isn’t making things up, that her ex is carrying forward a strategy to take her son away from her and get her gone for good so he can set up house with his fiancée and forget she even existed.”

“What’s your take on this girl?” Tack asked.