Fallen Crest Home(30)

“But—”

“Get out! Now!” Keifer motioned behind him, and five or six big guys started forward.

Caldron’s eyes widened as those guys plucked him up. His friends, too. All of them were literally carried from the carnival.

Keifer waved his arms at the crowd that had gathered. “You all get going, too! Get back to the rides and games. This show’s over, folks!” He turned, his sharp gaze landing on me. “You best start explaining, Missy, or you’re out of a job.”





“Uh, it’s like this, boss…”

Petey took over for me, and was explaining what happened, or trying to explain, in Keifer’s office. The rest of us waited out in the hall. Adam, Becky, and Cass were standing, and Mason and Matteo sat next to me. Mark had been sent back to his booth once Keifer realized he’d only come over to help.

I sighed, standing up. Petey’s explanation was sucking at some major levels.

Mason looked over. “What are you doing?”

I nodded at the opened door. “I need to do something. Petey’s making it worse.”

It was obvious Keifer wasn’t buying the first excuse Petey had given him—that the guys attacked us for no reason.

Petey’s hands were all over the air as I walked in behind him. “I was busy with some customers when I heard them. When I got there, the guy was already advancing on Sam. I don’t know why they chose to have a problem with us,” he said. “I mean, we didn’t do anything, and Sam here, it looked like she’d had enough. She got fed up, you know? So yeah.”

Keifer still didn’t look like he was buying it, his eyes flat and a skeptical expression on his face. Or he was just pissed about it.

“Sam’s a cool chick, boss,” Petey added. “I’d keep her around for sure—all twisty and fierce.”

“Okay.” Keifer held a hand up, sitting forward in his desk chair. “Stop. You’re not going to roll over on your co-worker. I got it. Now…” He transferred his no-nonsense gaze to me. “How about we get the real story, hmm?” He snapped his fingers, pointing to the chair next to where Petey stood.

I folded my hands on my lap. “Petey had nothing to do with those guys. He was trying to protect me.”

“I’m aware. Petey hasn’t been in a fight for an entire year.”

“Yeah?” Petey grinned.

Keifer shot him a dark look. “I haven’t caught him, I mean.”

Petey laughed.

Keifer returned to me. “You were saying?”

“Those guys didn’t come to the carnival for me, but now that they know I work here, or…” I coughed. “…used to work here, they’ll be back. This is all my fault.”

“Come on.” Adam came inside, followed closely by Becky. Cass stayed out in the hall. “It was four on one. That’s not fair, and it’s not Sam’s fault. You can’t fire her, sir.”

Keifer’s eyebrows furrowed together. He leaned back in his chair, taking his time as he studied Adam. “And who the fuck are you?”

“Oh. Uh.” Adam held his hand out. “I’m Adam Quinn. You might know my father, Steph—”

“Get that hand out of my face.” Keifer stood up, looking at me. “This is what we’re going to do. You are fir—”

“That’d be a mistake.”

Mason spoke from the back of the office. He must’ve come in after me, and now leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Everyone looked at him. It was like a sleeping panther had woken up, and everyone remembered they’d left the cage door open. Tension rippled through the air, and I glanced at Keifer. His eyes were locked on Mason. He didn’t know Mason, but he knew this wasn’t another Adam Quinn who’d tried to assert his dominance with a weak handshake. Mason was the real deal.

Keifer responded with a softer, “And you are?”

Mason shook his head. “My name doesn’t matter.”

“Then what does?”

“You have an opportunity here.” Mason pointed to Adam and Becky, then to me. “If I were you, I’d be hiring townies for one reason and that’s the draw they can have on the local community. That’s why you hired Sam and Mark, right? You were eventually going to put them somewhere their friends would come and hang out? Spend their money on your food, games, booze.”

“Maybe.”

Keifer wasn’t giving a lot away, but neither was Mason. He continued to lean against the wall. He rested one foot over the other, striking a casual pose.

“Those guys who attacked Sam aren’t guys you want to side with,” Mason said evenly.