Chapter 19
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Coty
To say this day has gone from bad to worse is putting it mildly. Never in a million years would I believe Evelyn McLeod would be arrested, especially not for assault and battery. What a joke. Yes, she threw the candleholder at the preacher's wife—a candleholder of all things. I was there. I saw it. If that hit actually hurt the woman, Mrs. Rhodes needs to be in a bubble-wrapped house and never allowed to leave. Heaven forbid if she ever stumps her toe.
If social media hadn’t gotten behind this and hyped it up, this would have blown over in a week or two. Okay. Maybe a month or two. Alright, probably never, but it would have been contained in our little town. Nobody would’ve been arrested for darn sure.
Jack’s out of the truck before I have it in park. Mack is already halfway to the car, carrying his wife. Six more cars of our club members pull in behind us. Bankz is waiting by the front doors. He rushes to the car carrying his mother. Big Papa has to grab Bankz and hold him back before he gets arrested, too. It’s obvious which parent Bankz gets his attitude from.
My club brothers and our family members shout their disapproval at Sheriff Bowers and his deputies when they step out of their cars. Nanny shakes her head at her husband and son. Lil Mama is yelling. Not that we can hear her through the closed window.
Sheriff Bowers motions for Mack to meet him at the back of his patrol car. “Settle your people down. I don’t want to arrest anyone else.”
“You shouldn’t have arrested her.” Mack heaves with anger.
“Jacob, calm them down. I won’t ask again.” Sheriff Bowers lowers his voice. “This is what they want. Don’t give it to them.”
Jack steps in front of his dad and glares down at the Sheriff. “You arresting her like this is giving them what they want.” He slowly shakes his head. “You’re no better than the rest of them.”
“Rodeo,” Mack calls out.
“Jack, easy man.” I take his arm and pull him away. He’s in shock, or I wouldn’t have been able to move him otherwise. “We need to help Worley settle everyone down.”
“You help him.” Jack jerks his arm away. He storms to the front doors and waits for his mother. I let him go. I get it. I don’t know how I’d act if this were my mom.
Hendrix grabs Bankz from behind and squeezes tightly. “Shut up! You’re not helping her.”
Bankz doesn’t listen. The moment Lil Mama’s out of the car, he starts again. “These pigs need to let my Mama go!”
“Jerrad.” Big Papa gets in front of him and points his finger in his son’s face. “You settle down. If you don’t, Hendrix is taking you out of here.”
“But…”
“Jerrad,” Big Papa warns.
Bankz heaves several deep breaths and looks as though he might explode. He nods once to his father and thankfully keeps his mouth shut.
“We’re going to walk in here. You can stomp if you need to. You can glare holes into every cop in this building, but you’re gonna stay quiet. Got it?” Hendrix lays it out for his best friend. He doesn’t release Bankz until he nods that he understands.
Mack follows close behind Nanny as Sheriff Bowers escorts her into the Sheriff’s Office. Bankz runs to catch up with his dad, and they walk in behind Lil Mama.
“Jay.” I nudge his left arm with my elbow and glance down at his right hand.
Without a word or any sign that he heard me, Jay closes the knife and slips it into his pocket. I’m gonna need help. There’s no way I can keep Jack and Jay both under control. Maybe I should stick close to Jay. Jack’s got his dad. Jay’s a loner. Always has been.
“I got him.” Cloudy Daze comes out of nowhere. He tosses an arm over Jay’s shoulders. “Come on, Blade. Let’s go in here and listen to these not-so-wonderful men in uniform spew out a bunch of nonsense. Idiots. The whole lot of them.”
Jay still doesn’t speak. At least he listens to Cloudy and quietly walks into the Sheriff’s Office. With Jay taken care of, I can keep an eye on Jack so our Prez can be there for his wife.
Worley and I pause at the door and face the rest of our family. “Vikings, go home, to work, or to the Den. We’ll take care of this and have Nanny and Lil Mama home as quickly as possible.” He points and moves his arm to gesture to all of them. “But don’t any of you do anything. Don’t retaliate. Church at six. Dinner after.”
They all grumble and look defeated. I know how they feel. Everyone gets in their cars and leaves without any more problems. Townsfolk watch from across the street with their phone held up. Great. Social media will have a field day with this.
I look up at Worley. “You alright, man?”
He presses his lips together and takes a couple of deep breaths before meeting my eyes. “I just watched my club Queen, my best friend’s ole’ lady, walk into this building in handcuffs. No, Rodeo. I’m not alright. I’m pissed. I never want to see anything like this again.” He turns, about jerks the door from its hinges, and storms inside.
I follow him in, expecting our brothers to be halfway calm. It’s a hope quickly dashed. The room is in total chaos.
Mack jabs his finger at Sheriff Bowers when they try to take Nanny behind the counter. “Don’t put my wife in a cell, Nathan!”
“She’s under arrest, Jacob. She has to be booked,” Sheriff Bowers says.
“Book her, but no cell,” Mack demands.
“Put me in a cell!” Lil Mama yells.
“Dar, hush,” Nanny pleads.
“Nope. Lock me up!” Lil Mama gets louder. “Lock me up!”
Sheriff Bowers closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He nods to the two deputies holding Lil Mama’s arms. “Book her, and put her in a cell.”
The deputies nod and carry Lil Mama back to the booking area.
Bankz goes insane and rushes toward the counter. “Don’t you dare!”
Hendrix grabs him from behind again and literally drags him outside. Big Papa even holds the door open for them. The out-of-hand Viking is out of the building.
“Look.” Worley walks up to the counter. The female officer at the desk glares up at him. He pays her no mind and focuses on the Sheriff. “Our lawyer will be here in less than twenty minutes. Book ‘em. Put ‘em in an interrogation room. We’ll post bail and take ‘em home.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Sheriff Bowers nods.
The front door flies open. A woman with long brown hair in a fancy business suit rushes to the counter. Pretty. Never seen her before.
“See that you handle things in a timely manner, Sheriff.” She adjusts her purse strap on her shoulder. “Judge Simmons just set bail for Mrs. McLeod and Mrs. Banks. Get the paperwork ready, and I’d like to see my clients.”
I glance at the others. They’re doing the same. No one knows this woman, but she seems to be on our side.
“And who are you?” Sheriff Bowers is as confused as we are.
“Oh.” She pulls out a fancy business card and hands it to him. “I’m Ciara Hollis, attorney for the McLeod family.”
“Hollis?” Sheriff Bowers stares at her in disbelief.
We’re all shocked. Robert Hollis is Granddad’s friend. Robert moved his firm to Nashville thirty years ago. His firm has always represented the Viking Warriors.
“Yes, and I want to see my clients. Their bail was set at ten thousand each. The bail bondsman is on the way.” She doesn’t wait for Nathan to respond. She walks up to Mack and extends her hand. “Hello, Mr. McLeod. I apologize for meeting like this. I was closer to Willow Creek than Ben Fowler was. My grandfather called and said this was urgent. I got here as quickly as I could.”
“We’re glad you’re here.” Mack shakes her hand. “Don’t let them put my wife in a cell. Her mind can’t handle those bars closing on her. Enough closes on her already.”
Miss Hollis tilts her head slightly and dips her chin in a classy little move. Didn’t know that was possible. “Don’t worry, I’ll have your wife and her friend out of here within an hour.” She shrugs one shoulder and grins. “Half of that with my witty charm.” She smiles at the rest of us before walking behind the counter. “My clients, Sheriff.”
“Your client assaulted the preacher’s wife,” Morine Johnson, the female officer at the desk, mumbles.
Miss Hollis stops even with the desk and glares down at Morine. “Your preacher’s wife harassed and provoked a grieving mother on the day of her daughter’s death. Not cool. Not kind. I won’t tolerate it.” Miss Hollis lifts her chin and walks past the Sheriff. “If I don’t see my clients in the next three minutes, Sheriff, I’m calling the Judge.”
“Where has Robert been hiding her?” Worley asks.
“No clue.” Mack smiles. “But I’m calling him when we’re out of here and thanking him.”