39. Kate
Kate
Iwatched the man sitting too comfortably in the bar, like he belonged there, like he wasn’t surrounded by people who could break him without blinking.
Moretti.
I said the name over in my head, then grabbed my stomach, suddenly feeling sick. Moretti was the man my parents had been arguing about.
It made my skin itch. Only powerful or stupid people would sit in a bar full of bikers and not be worried.
Reaper had left the prospects scattered around the room while most of the patched members were in church. It should’ve made me feel safer, but it didn’t.
Not really.
Still, I was closer to the stairs. Closer to Noah. That mattered more than anything.
If something went wrong, I could get to him faster than anyone else. That thought was the only thing keeping my breathing steady.
The door opened and everything shifted. Reaper stepped out and the air changed, like the room itself knew to brace. His eyes landed on the man. “Come with me.”
No hesitation.
The man stood and followed like he’d been waiting for it, like he knew he would get to speak at their table.
As he passed, Reaper’s gaze flicked to Lucy and I caught it before I could stop myself from noticing. Something in that look made my stomach roll even more.
Lucy’s hand curled harder around her glass, her knuckles turning white, but she didn’t say a word. Maria placed her hand over Lucy’s and squeezed. They knew something I didn’t.
Maybe because I wasn’t an old lady yet and didn’t know how their world worked.
The door shut behind them and the silence that followed felt heavier than any shouting ever could.
Time dragged.
I couldn’t stop staring at that door, couldn’t stop thinking about what was happening behind it, what kind of things men like them did when no one was watching.
When it finally opened again, the men came back out one by one. Some of them looked almost pleased, like whatever had happened had settled something for them. Others wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. Not one of them spoke.
My chest ached, like I’d swallowed something I couldn’t get rid of. I didn’t want to be down there anymore.
“I’m going up,” I said, my voice sounding smaller than I wanted it to.
Lucy didn’t stop me, she didn’t even look at me and that scared me more than anything else. Something had shaken her and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what.
The next morning came too fast. A sharp knock had me sitting up before I was even fully awake, my heart already racing like it knew something was wrong.
“Kate.” Lucy’s voice.
I forced myself up and opened the door.
“Finn’s in court, in an hour.” She hurried into the room, dressed in a smart grey skirt suit.
I blinked at her, still trying to catch up.
“Already?” It came out breathless.
Everything about it felt too quick.
I glanced back at Noah, still asleep, and my chest pulled painfully.
“Do you think Maria will watch him?” The words came out before I could second-guess them.
Lucy nodded straight away. “Of course. I’ve already asked her.”
I should’ve felt relief. I didn’t, I was worried that things were being sped up and wasn’t sure if that was good news.
The courthouse felt wrong the second we walked in. It was too open and there was nowhere to hide if something went bad.
I sat between Lucy and Reaper, my hands clenched painfully in my lap, my fingers starting to ache.
Finn stood at the front like none of this touched him, like he wasn’t one wrong word away from losing everything. Despite the circumstances, I couldn’t help but admire the way his shoulders filled out the navy suit jacket and how peachy his arse looked in the trousers.
When his eyes met mine, I tried to put all my emotions into mine. He nodded his head and gave me a sad smile.
I couldn’t breathe properly until it was over. Reduced sentence, suspended, due to self-defence.
It should’ve felt like relief, but all I felt was confusion twisting in my chest. That was too easy. Way too easy.
Things like that weren’t supposed to go smoothly. Not for people like them. Not for people like me.
Outside, the air didn’t help. My chest still felt heavy.
Two prospects sat outside, throwing their cigarettes away when they spotted us.
“Luce, you and Kate go back with the prospects. I’ll bring Finn back. We need a chat.” Reaper said, gesturing to the bikers.
“How? How is he coming home?” I asked before I could stop myself, my voice quieter than I meant it to be.
Reaper didn’t hesitate. “Club business.”
Just like that. Shut down, but I saw the look that passed between him and Lucy, quick and worried.
My stomach dropped all over again. Something had happened. Something I wasn’t supposed to know about, and whatever it was . . . it wasn’t over.