Colin bolted down from the terrace without even thinking about what he was doing. He was clutching Brad's car keys so tightly they dug into his palm. Cold, slick tendrils of unease crawled up his spine. They were reaching for his throat and gut.
Why?
He'd seen the Lipski twins' eyes. He'd seen the worry shining through them. He didn't know them well yet, but he knew they weren't the panicking type. If they were scared, they had a reason.
Brad hadn't ridden a motorcycle in years. Why now?
A flash of what he'd seen outside the roadhouse blurred his vision.
Brad and another man. Too close for something casual.
A biker.
Brad's behavior had been off. Sudden. Unexpected. It had thrown his nieces completely out of rhythm. That was why the girls were afraid. And they hadn't even seen the whole picture. Colin barely knew Lipski, but he'd seen him today with that red-haired guy and… there had been something between them, some kind of tension.
Damn it.
Stone knew far too little about what went on in this town to tell what was normal and what wasn't, but some instinct told him today was wrong. He was just as on edge as the girls.
He started the engine.
He was supposed to head north. He glanced at the sky to orient himself and pulled out into town. On the main road he hit the gas.
Those cold, slick tendrils were still crawling over him. But why? Brad wasn't anyone important to him. Just a guy who let him stay at his place and fed him, and… invited him into his family. Looked out for him. That tough, dangerous troublemaker who'd grabbed a biker by the throat and pinned him to a wall… cared about him.
Was that it?
Had those bikers come to teach Lipski a lesson? Get back at him?
The tendrils grew so cold Colin shivered.
Brad had lashed out back then because he'd been protecting him. So if something was threatening him now—Colin was the reason.
He tightened his hands on the wheel. His knuckles turned white, though he didn't notice. He couldn't let anyone get hurt because of him again, because of his mistakes.
Never again.
He didn't know White Shore yet, but the road felt familiar. Right, he thought—it had been darker then, but this was the exact road he'd taken with Brad to that bar where the brawl had broken out. Was this the place one of the girls had mentioned? He didn't know which one. He still couldn't tell them apart.
Still—the word hit him hard, a reminder that he was just an outsider, that he knew nothing about this place or the people who lived here. Maybe he shouldn't interfere?
Too late, he thought, clenching his jaw. He'd interfered the moment he'd threatened Steve into keeping quiet.
He drove on without knowing what he'd find. Hell, he wasn't even sure he was headed in the right direction. But the girls were scared for their uncle. And Brad wasn't the kind of man who put fear into the lives of the people he loved. There was no doubt he loved his nieces.
What had he gotten himself into?
Was this really connected to the fight the day he'd come into town?
Dr. Stone floored the gas pedal.
***
Yes, he recognized that roadside bar instantly. Just a plain wooden building—your stereotypical highway joint, but the first one outside town. And those trees. He remembered them. He remembered the smell.
Several motorcycles were parked out front. Was one of them Brad's? Colin's heart kicked harder. He couldn't know—he'd never seen Brad's bike. But these weren't the bikes from the guys at the seaside dive. Those had blue flames. These had red skulls.
Another gang?
How many gangs were in this area, anyway?
He didn't have time to figure it out. Lisa might know where Brad was—assuming he wasn't inside. He killed the engine and crossed the threshold.
The bartender noticed him immediately and recognized him at once.
"Dr. Stone!" she called, waving the dish towel she'd been using to polish a glass. "Good to see you again! What poison you drinkin'?"
He glanced around the interior: four bikers sitting together, two guys who looked like lumberjacks, and an old man swaying over a glass of whiskey. No sign of Lipski.
"I'm looking for Brad," he said as he stepped up to the bar. "Have you seen him today?"
"Not today. Something wrong?" Her eyes sharpened with interest.
"I have no idea," he admitted. "His nieces are worried because he took the motorcycle and—"
A chair scraped loudly behind him. He turned on instinct and saw a lean, not-very-tall blond guy, maybe forty. He wore a black leather jacket, and from underneath it, red-skull eye sockets glared right at Colin.
"He took… a bike?" the man asked in a smooth baritone.
Short as he was, the guy radiated pure intimidation. But whatever was going on with Lipski wasn't this man's business. Colin turned back to Lisa.
"Dr. Stone, this is Sean, Brad's friend. You can talk in front of him. He'll help."
Colin clenched his jaw. He didn't know this man, didn't trust him. But if Lisa said so…
"Yeah. He took the bike. The girls are worried 'cause they've never seen him ride it…"
"He doesn't," Sean cut in. Stone noticed the other bikers had stood up as well, watching him with cold, grim faces. "He made a promise he wouldn't. That was the condition."
"Condition for what?" Colin frowned.
"That doesn't matter now. Do you have any idea what could've made him break it?"
"How would I know? I've only been here three days. He talked today with your buddies—"
"What colors did they have?" Sean interrupted. His eyes narrowed like a cat about to pounce.
"Colors?"
"On their bikes. We've got red skulls. What did they have?"
"Blue flames…"
A rumble of anger passed through the bikers. A chill crawled down Colin's back. Confused, he looked at Lisa. Her face had gone pale.
"When did he leave the house?" Sean's voice sharpened, his stare turning razor-keen. This man was no joke.
"I didn't ask. Half an hour, maybe an hour ago…"
"We're going!"
Sean spun around and headed for the door, his crew right behind him.
"Follow him," Lisa grabbed Colin's arm. "Somebody's gonna need a doctor."
"Who?"
"I don't know," she shook her head. "I just hope it's not Brad. Brad used to run with Red Skull, so if he's mixing with the West Vikings now…"
She didn't need to finish. Colin understood and bolted after the men.