Chapter Thirty-Four #2
“Go,” Theo says, lifting his head from the crook of June’s neck.
I don’t need convincing. With a quick nod at him and a glare at Kip and Daryus, I head out, taking the steps three at a time.
At the bottom, I swing around the corner and rush for the front door.
The house is still full of Saints, all of whom seem slightly concerned and completely confused.
Which makes sense, considering all the officers disappeared not long after church, then four non-members showed up, only two of whom everyone knows.
“James.” Sadie’s voice pulls my attention, and I turn to see her walking over from the living room, where she and Rose had been sitting with Benny and Nico.
“What’s going on? Ev didn’t explain…” Her voice trails off at the look on my face, and instead of asking for an explanation, she stands on her tiptoes and links her arms around my neck.
My own naturally go around her waist, and I shudder at the way her touch seems to sink under my skin, into my muscles and force them to relax.
Far too soon, we’re letting go and she’s stepping back. Her hands slide to my shoulders, then down my arms, stopping to hold my hands. “What do you need?” she asks.
My lips part, but I don’t have an answer. I don’t know what I need, and even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to put that into words. I also don’t have the strength to explain everything that’s happened or what we’ve learned.
Thankfully, I don’t have to do either, since we’re distracted by Ace walking in. He scans the place before his gaze stops and zeroes in on a small girl with curly blonde hair hovering awkwardly in the corner of the living room.
“Do you know what’s going on there?” I ask, jutting my chin in the woman’s—who I’m sure is Evelyn—direction. Sadie looks to her friend, then back at mine, a frown on her face.
“I have no idea. She didn’t even tell us who called. Just said you and Theo needed us. We were going to drive ourselves, but she insisted she and Rose come. It was odd enough that no one argued.”
“Ace called her. Talked to her like they were… an item.”
She lets out a short bark of laughter, then covers her mouth with a fist. “Did you just say an item? What are you, eighty?”
“I don’t know, what am I supposed to say?”
She shakes her head, still smiling at me like I’m a lovable idiot. “She’s been acting off recently. Maybe it has something to do with him.”
Curiosity scratches at the back of my brain, but it’s less insistent than everything else currently going on. So, I turn away from Ace, who has now grabbed Evelyn’s elbow and is pulling her toward the back door, and face Sadie.
“Ace got a tap on the cop’s phone and found out he’s dirty and working for Bowie,” I explain.
“He overheard a call between the two where Bowie threatened you. We’re sure they’re going to make their move soon, but they’ll go for you and June.
Maybe even Rose and Evelyn, since they likely know how close the four of you are.
That’s why we wanted you here. None of you should be out without protection until this is dealt with. ”
I expect to see fear written all over Sadie’s face. Instead, she nods, looking only determined. Until her brows fall, and she quietly asks, “That’s not all, is it?”
Swallowing hard, I shake my head. “No. We also learned that the South Five were behind Shiloh’s kidnapping and murder.”
“Oh, James.” She instantly wraps me in another hug.
As I hold her in my arms, I can’t help but remember the last time I hugged Shiloh and Scottie.
The tangling of emotions, from happiness for having Sadie in my arms to relief that she’s safe to grief for my sister and niece to anger and fear and guilt, is so knotted that I know they’ll never come undone.
For the rest of my life, one emotion will inevitably tug on another.
“Where’s Theo?” Sadie asks when she pulls away.
“Upstairs in Luna’s apartment. The rest of the officers are up there too.”
“Should you be with them?”
Yes. “I wanted to be with you.”
“The great thing about having a girlfriend with legs is that I can also come to you. So, unless I’m not allowed in the meeting, let’s go be with your family.”
I follow her to the front door. “Girlfriend, huh?”
She shrugs, the night wind causing her black hair to whip around her neck.
“Now isn’t the time for a labels discussion, so I thought I’d make an executive decision until further notice.
Plus, it’s easier to say girlfriend than ‘girl you’re exclusively fucking and clearly want to spend time with and get all alpha protective over but haven’t labeled yet’. ”
I laugh, and she gives me a wink before ascending the stairs to the apartment, giving me a perfect view of her ass.
I don’t know if it’s this gorgeous sight, the fact that she got me to laugh just now, how natural it felt to seek her out when I couldn’t breathe, or a combination of everything, but the sudden need to claim her completely rocks through me.
I want to tattoo my name all over her body so everyone knows who she belongs to.
I want to stitch her very essence into my heart.
I want to give her any label she could ever dream of.
But she’s right that now isn’t the time for that, so I mentally bottled up those desires and place them safely in the back of my mind so I can focus on the problem at hand.
Wiping Bowie off the face of this earth.