Chapter 30
CHAPTER
THIRTY
Haze
I toss and turn in my bed. Not even Crunch can help quash this feeling of dread deep inside me.
I went along with this crazy scheme, and now Willow isn’t just pissed, she’s disappointed.
I don’t know what’s worse. Frankly, the latter, because at least when she’s pissed she’ll eventually come around.
I cuddle Crunch while he sleeps, but when the dawn breaks, I haven’t slept a wink. We need a new plan.
Last night I didn’t want to leave Willow alone, but she insisted. Of course, I’ve had prospects watching the building all night, not after I sat there in my truck for half the night because I wanted to be close to her.
I get where she’s coming from. I do. Regrets are inevitable. Not gonna say I regret the entire thing, because whatever it takes to keep her safe is what I’m gonna do. Period.
I hate that she fought with her dad, but that was inevitable at some point. Every meeting she has with that man ends up in an argument. Now that I’ve punched him, I doubt he’ll be calling me anytime soon. I’ve spent such a long time trying to gain her trust, and I blow it the first chance I get.
I think about the letters, then make a mental note to check with Willow to see if the forensic team picked up anything on this recent letter. I could call them myself, but I don’t want to go behind her back.
We spent a couple of hours going through the Cut City Boys files, as well as digging up everything we had on Hally — which wasn’t much.
My gut instinct is that she’s clean, but the question remains what she’s doing sneaking around after hours.
I don’t trust many people except my brothers, Sawyer and Willow, and I’m okay with being proven wrong, but it just doesn’t add up.
Still, she’s acting weird, and now Willow is taking matters into her own hands. I’ve been told to stay away.
When I got up and made my way to the station, I learned they had revoked my pass. When I call Carl, he tells me they’re under strict orders to keep me out.
“Even when I have work to finish?” I bark. “I’m still employed here accordin’ to the work order.”
“Yeah, that’s been revoked. Sorry, buddy.”
“Tell Willow—”
“It wasn’t the captain,” he says. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
The fuck he did not.
Fucking Sinclair. He’s behind this, I know it.
“Carl, you need to let me in.”
“Can’t do that. Plus, she doesn’t want to see you.”
“She tell you about what’s goin’ on?”
“Yeah, a handful of us are on the case.” He clears his throat before adding, “Probably something we should’ve been doing from the start.”
“Don’t need you chimin’ in,” I grunt. “I need to see her.”
“Then I suggest you pick up the phone and call her. She isn’t here, by the way, it’s her morning off. There’s nothing I can do. Sorry, Haze.”
He doesn’t sound very sorry.
I hang up, fuming.
I don’t dial her. She won’t take my calls, anyway... So I dial Cameron Sinclair. Of course, like a fucking pussy, he doesn’t answer.
Just as I hang up, the phone rings. I frown when I see Rip is the one calling.
“What?” I bark.
“Just checkin’ in. We’re watchin’ Willow.”
I frown. Yep, just learned that she’s not in the office from goddamn Carl.
I run a palm over my hair. Of course, I could’ve checked the tracker I put under her car a week ago, but I didn’t think to do that, being it’s parked in the fucking parking lot. She must’ve taken another vehicle.
“Which vehicle does she have?”
Rip reels off the number plate. A fucking undercover cop car. She thinks she’s clever.
“She went in a few minutes ago. Hot yoga.”
Hot yoga?
“By herself or with Payden?”
“With Audrina and the baby. They have daycare.”
Willow and Audrina bonded during her time undercover, so this isn’t out of the ordinary.
Technically, it’s Willow’s day off, but I know she’ll be at the office soon enough. She won’t be letting any of this slide.
“I’m headin’ over there,” I say. My gut is nagging at me and I don’t know why. Then I spot Hally through the glass, walking toward a patrol car. Alone.
Well, if Willow wants to play good cop, bad cop, I guess I’ll draw the short straw. Without thinking twice, I jog out toward her. “Hally?” I call as she’s about to disappear into the driver’s seat. “Wait up!”
She bobs her head up over the roof and waves at me. “Oh, hey, Haze, how’s it goin’?”
Her tone is innocent enough.
“You got a second?”
“I was just going out to grab lunch for the team, what’s up?”
I climb into the passenger seat. “I’m headin’ that way. We can talk as we go.”
She blinks in surprise. “What way? I didn’t say where I was going.”
I decide to go with honesty. Sort of. “I need to talk. It’s about Willow.” I don’t mean this, but I need her on my side, “and I don’t know who to trust.”
“Okay. Is everything alright?”
I hope she just starts the fucking car and doesn’t question why I’m basically hi-jacking her in broad daylight. “Everything’s fine. Just some shit went down.”
“Okay, if you wanna help me with lunch, we can talk on the way.” She starts the engine as I buckle up.
“You always been this trustin’?” I ask, a little stupefied she’d not be suspicious of me.
She side eyes me. “You’re Willow’s side piece, of course you’re not gonna do anythin’.”
“Husband,” I pronounce the words like they have three syllables. “Husband.”
“Fine. Husband, what’s going on?” She pulls out of the lot and I don’t know if I’m about to make a big mistake or do what needs to be done, but I have to put it out there.
Clearly, my wife hasn’t raked her over the coals yet. “It’s about you, actually,” I say. “I wanna know what’s goin’ on with Max, the lab, and anythin’ else you’re up to that involves the Sinclairs.”
Her hands tighten on the wheel. “I-I didn’t—”
“It’s alright, I know you’re not tryin’ to cause trouble. But there’s no point denying it, because I know everythin’.” Okay, I don’t know everything, but she’s on a need to know basis.
“H-how do you know about—”
“I’ve seen the footage, Hally,” I say. I wave both hands in the air in front of me. “I’m not here to hurt you, I promise. In fact, I think we have somethin’ in common.”
She swallows. “Yeah, what’s that?”
“We both want what’s best for the people we care about, don’t we?”
“Why do I feel like that’s a trick question?”
“It isn’t. I know you mean well, but you’re up to somethin’, and I need to know what it is.”
A long silence follows. “If I don’t come back to the station, they’ll come looking for me,” she says eventually.
“Like I said, I’m not gonna hurt you, but Willow is in trouble, and you may be one of the few people who can help.”
Willow
“That was amazing,” I say, fanning myself. I’ve never done hot yoga before, but on my morning off I wanted to try something new. Apparently, it’s detoxifying, burns calories, and reduces stress. When I texted Audrina about catching up, she suggested it.
“I know. I love it,” Audrina says. “Clears the mind, opens the pores, and I can pretend I’m in Barbados again.”
I smile. “Thanks for inviting me. I think it’s just what I needed to take my mind off things.”
She gives me a one armed hug. “How are things?”
I gave her a quick rundown before class. “I don’t honestly know. I’m mad at him.”
“I can see that, and I’m not sticking up for Haze because you have every right to be mad at him, but our men do crazy things to protect us. Hustler took a bullet for me.”
I shudder at the thought. The shootout with that psycho Shade. That was when everyone knew Hustler was head over heels. “That was pretty crazy,” I say. “But Haze was the one harping on about communicating better.”
“I agree, and he should have fessed up sooner, but do you really want to let everything that you’ve worked hard for go?” She gives me a soft smile. “He means well, even though sometimes he does things without thinking.”
“No shit,” I mutter. “The whole idea that he and my dad cooked this up is unbelievable.”
“You have every right to feel mad,” she goes on. “I would too. He can’t say one thing and do another, that isn’t fair, but I also know how much he loves you. He’s head over heels. I’m surmising your dad laid out a pretty believable plan, and he went into protector mode.”
“I guess you would stick up for him being a true biker chick.” I roll my eyes.
“Nope, that isn’t it. Often our men do things they don’t truly think through in the name of ‘keeping us safe’.
I get they always want to keep us out of harm’s way, but we also can’t go around walking on eggshells.
You should’ve seen Hustler after I had the baby.
” She pats one side of her face, smiling to herself.
“I literally had to tell him to cool it. I know there was a huge scare with Shade, but that was in the past. You still have to live your life. I’m cautious, but didn’t want to go around looking over my shoulder twenty-four-seven.
Priest got me some mace and a personal alarm, and now we’re all good. ”
I chug down half a bottle of water as we walk out to the street. “That’s the other thing — I will be an ol’ lady once Haze takes it to the table.”
“And? How do you feel about that?”
“I’ve come to terms with it. I respect the Rebels. Cash runs a tight ship, and while I know we’ve all looked the other way at certain times over the years, they’re here for good, not evil. I just don’t know how the NOPD will take it,” I sigh. “But that’s their problem.”
“Well, if you want to grab some brunch downtown, we can talk about it some more.” She thumbs toward the creche. “I’ve just got to grab Aubrey-May and duck home to have a quick shower. I could meet you at Muso?”
I nod. “That sounds perfect. I am a little peckish. I have to call into work, shower and change, so I can meet you there.”
“Okay, see you in an hour or so?”
“Sounds good.” We wave goodbye and I head to the patrol car. I glance around — the prospect van is nowhere in sight. Maybe Haze called them off, but maybe not.
“Hey, Willow, right?” A woman’s voice says behind me, making me jump. I turn to see… Clare? I think her name was. She has a yoga mat slung over her back with one of those trendy carry straps. I need to get myself one of those.
“Oh, hey,” I say. “Did you just do the same class? We didn’t see you.”
She nods, smiling. “Sure did. It was fantastic. I know some people don’t like hot yoga, but I just love it. Sally-Ann is a fantastic instructor.”
“It was my first class,” I admit. “But I’ll definitely be back.”
“This is kinda awkward,” she starts, “but my ride bailed and I’m heading downtown, I don’t suppose I could catch a ride with you?”
I don’t usually pick up strangers off the street, but she went out with the girls over the weekend, and Payden said they had a good time.
“Sure, hop in.”
“Thanks so much, you’re a lifesaver! Ugh, my brother was meant to pick me up because I don’t have a car right now, and Uber is gonna cost a fortune.”
“Hey, it’s fine. I’m going to work for a little bit, so I can drop you off near the station.”
“Perfect, thanks, Willow.”
We climb in as I quickly check my phone. There are texts and missed calls from Haze but I’ll deal with him later.
I shoot a reply to Carl: he told me Haze showed up and was pissed he couldn’t get into the building.
Me
I’ll be there soon, heading over now
I put my seatbelt on and start the engine. I guess I’ve now gotta make small talk. “So,” I start. “How long have you lived in New Orleans?”