The following days at the bar were a tapestry of unspoken tension and awkward glances. Crow and I maintained the façade of indifference, but it was as fragile as a house of cards. Every time our eyes met, the weight of how we’d parted, weighed on me.
The bar was busier than ever, with the anticipation of the gang war hanging in the air like a thick fog. The Riders came and went, their conversations hushed and urgent. I knew that Crow was deep in planning mode, but he never talked to me about that part of his life to me anymore. It seemed for whatever reason, Snake had set his sights on Crow and Crow alone.
One evening, after closing up, Mel and I sat on the curb in the parking area of the apartments, watching Leo play on the small playground provided for the occupants children, the air t
