Chapter 21 #2
“No,” she told me emphatically. “He’s lying.”
My stare slashed toward the deputy. “Why’s she cuffed?”
“’Cause she got mouthy,” he shot back.
“Well, I can believe that part at least,” I muttered to myself as I approached.
“I did not,” Aislynn shrieked. “You’re just a fascist who thinks he can bully women and accuse them of shit they didn’t do.”
Kennedy said something into her phone and then passed it to me. “My husband wants a word.”
I took the cell from her and held it to my ear. “Break?”
“Get it sorted or he’s a dead man,” my buddy’s voice grated out. “I swear to fuckin’ God, get that little power-hungry pissant back in his box, or he won’t wake up tomorrow.”
I rolled my lips together to stop from laughing. “Consider it done.” I passed the cell back to Kennedy, who turned her back on us, talking quietly to her ol’ man.
My focus returned to the deputy, whose face was getting sweatier by the minute. Rex stared him down, then shifted his eyes to me and rolled them left to right.
Roman stood tall with his arms folded across his chest, exuding a silent teenage boy threat, even though he had a knowing grin plastered across his face.
Huntley’s wide-eyed stare darted between my boys and me, and he visibly gulped.
I could almost see the gears turning in his brain, and it took all I had not to laugh. Instead, I walked up close to him and leaned down, giving him the full force of my whiskey breath, and grated, “Take the fuckin’ cuffs off.” My voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the threat in it.
He began to stutter. “Umm. S-she’s coming down to the station. I’ve already called the arrest in.”
Aislynn opened her mouth, probably to cuss him out again, but her protest died on her lips when my hand shot out and gripped his throat. My fingers squeezed until he began to cough. “Did I fuckin’ stutter?”
His hands came up and clawed at my arm, his eyes bugging out through lack of oxygen. He tried to speak but couldn’t through the force of my hand gripping his neck.
I released the pressure slightly and asked, “You gonna obey me, boy?”
“Yeah,” he gargled.
I released him and dropped my arm, cocking an eyebrow at him expectantly. “I don’t got all day, Deputy Dickwad.”
Rex chuckled, and Roman grinned as Junior reached into his pocket and turned back to Ash. With shaking fingers, he unlocked the cuffs and took a step back, his eyes widening with fear as I moved forward, closing the gap between us again until I crowded him back against his squad car.
“Touch what’s mine again, and I’ll take your hands,” I warned.
His eyes raised to mine, his lips thinning.
“Is this how you got to Gracie?” I asked quietly. “Did you pull her over on a trumped-up, fake charge and make her touch your tiny little dick ’cause no other fuckin’ woman will? Is that how you get your rocks off? Touchin’ young girls?”
“She’s eighteen,” he shot back.
“She’s a kid,” I reiterated. “You think you can throw your badge around and get your own way, but it’ll be your undoing. Now, like I said, touch my woman again, and you won’t live to regret it. Do you fuckin’ understand?”
He jerked a nod.
“Are you simple? Use your words,” I ordered.
“Yeah,” he spat. “I understand.”
“Good,” I bit out. “Now get your soft ass and your weak chin outta my face.”
He shrank back from me, turned, and scurried around to the driver’s door of his squad car. When he started the engine, I heard the radio crackle as he peeled away, his tires throwing up dirt from the side of the road.
My head swiveled to Aislynn. “You okay?” I could tell she wanted nothing more than to tell me to fuck off, but was wary of doing it in front of my boys—not that they gave a shit. In fact, they’d probably laugh and join in with her, but then she didn’t need to know that.
I approached her warily, not knowing how she was going to react. The last time I saw Aislynn, I was slow dancing with her cousin, which I admit wasn’t my finest moment, but then nobody had ever accused me of acting like a normal, well-adjusted guy.
I edged toward Ash, glancing at my boys who were watching my woman and me with huge smiles across their faces. “You okay?” I asked again softly.
She literally gulped as she swallowed down the curse words that were no doubt on the tip of her tongue. “I’m fine.” She glanced at Rex and Roman, and her shoulders relaxed as she blew out a deep breath and said, “I guess I owe you a thank you.”
One side of my mouth hitched because I knew how much that thank you would have cost her. The poor bitch was probably dying inside. “You’re welcome, baby.”
“You’re right, Dad,” Rex declared. “She is gorgeous.”
My head whipped toward him because I’d told them no such goddamned thing.
“Yeah,” Roman agreed, shooting her a wide grin. “He’s always tellin’ us how beautiful you are and how lucky he is to have you. He’s right, too.”
Aislynn’s face immediately softened, and she beamed at my boys. “It’s good to meet you both. Your dad told me a lot about you, too. Are you settling in okay?”
“Yeah, thanks,” Rex told her. “It’s different from Cali, but not in a bad way. It’s weird that everyone knows everyone, but it’s also kinda cool.”
“Until we do somethin’ wrong,” Roman added. “It’ll be harder to get away with shit if the person who sees you fleein’ the scene is the guy your dad buys his smokes from.”
Aislynn laughed. “Good point.”
“I’ve got a son around your age,” Kennedy called over. “If you want to meet up with him, you’re welcome to drive down to Hambleton.”
“We love it there,” Roman told her. “The coffee shop’s fire, and it has the best lemon cake.”
“Who’s your son?” Rex asked.
“Kai Stone. He has a twin sister, Kady,” she told them.
“We’ve heard of Kai Stone,” Rex confirmed. “The kids at school talk about him. They say he’s one of the best ball players in the area. The babes love him, too.”
“Oh God,” Kennedy murmured to Ash. “My son’s reputation has spread a town over already. He’s only sixteen.” She glanced at Ash. “I’m going to call Kit back and let him know Pagan saved the day.”
Aislynn nodded and watched as Kennedy moved away to make her call.
“Have you been shoppin’?” I asked her, suddenly feeling a little tongue-tied.
Her eyes met mine and hardened slightly. “No. We’ve been to Nebraska. Donovan had a drama, and I wanted to go over to show support. Kennedy was acting for him in a legal matter.”
I nodded to her mom’s car. “Why haven’t you got your ride?”
“Mam’s heading home with Donovan, so I drove her car back.”
“Right,” I acknowledged. “Is your brother okay?”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “Turns out he has a long-lost daughter. They’re finalizing the adoption now, and he’s heading home with her tomorrow.”
I barked a laugh. “Donovan O’Shea’s a girl dad? God help her.”
Aislynn’s eyes flashed, and she snapped, “He’s great with her, actually. He’ll be a beautiful dad. In fact, he already is.”
My jaw hardened at her bitchy tone. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Yeah, you did,” she accused. “You’re always digging at my brothers. Strangely, though, you seem to get along great with my cousins.”
Fuck.
She was talking about Erin.
“Aislynn,” I began, but she blanked me by turning to my boys.
“It was great to meet you two. If you’re ever down in Hambleton, make sure to look me up. My family owns the Lucky Shamrock bar, and you’re always welcome to come in for a glass of soda.”
“Cool,” Rex muttered. “Need your digits.”
I grinned because Aislynn had a new phone, and she wouldn’t give me the number. Her old one was still in use, but she never took it out with her, so I couldn’t use the tracking program Wiki used remotely.
She glanced at me defiantly and called out her old phone number. “I don’t always have that phone with me,” she told them. “But if you leave a message, I’ll either call you back or add you on WhatsApp.”
My heart sank, and I sighed.
Aislynn walked around to the driver’s door, calling out, “Thanks again for saving us,” over her shoulder. “It was great to meet you guys.”
“You too,” Rex called back, his fingers flying over his phone. “Just messaged you my number. If that deputy bothers you again, call.”
Aislynn smiled huge at him. “Thanks, honey.”
My heart swooped because I’d have done anything to hear her call me honey the way she used to. I fucking missed so much about her, and it was frustrating that she wouldn’t fold. Every woman I’d known since Breanna had fallen at my feet, so the fact that Ash didn’t, drove me crazy.
I would’ve said it was what kept me interested in her, but I knew it was more because my chest physically ached with missing her.
I used to wake up and have a good morning text waiting on my phone, and throughout the day, she’d send me goofy memes and GIFs.
At night, she’d FaceTime me, wearing pajamas and no makeup, and I fucking loved it because she looked so natural and innocent and so much like mine.
The boys approached, their eyes on the car as Ash started it up and slowly pulled away. “Sorry, Dad. We did our best,” Rome murmured.
“She’s really not happy with you,” Rex added. “You must’ve been a real idiot ’cause she seems the forgivin’ type.”
What could I say? They weren’t wrong.
How the fuck had I lost it all?
And why the fuck did I take it all for granted?
I was a goddamned idiot.
“What are you gonna do now, Dad?” Rex asked.
My stare followed Aislynn’s car as it sped down the road.
“There’s nothin’ else for it, Son. Looks like I’ll have to knock her over the head with my club and drag her back to my clubhouse.
Then I’ll lock her away and keep her hidden and make sure I’m the only other human she comes into contact with, until she develops Stockholm Syndrome and never wants to leave my side again. ”
I grinned at my boys’ bursts of laughter.
They thought I was joking.
But I was already hatching a plan...