Chapter 10 #3
While the necessary time passes, she brushes her teeth, then I wrap my arms around her as we both look down at the test on the counter.
Two distinct pink lines brighten the window.
I flip her around and lift her onto the counter, kissing her deeply.
My chest aches, knowing I must keep her safe from whomever this Kurti man is and also protect my child now.
In the middle of a kiss, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I’m between her legs, which are wrapped around my hips, and I want to take her and show her how I feel about this new situation, but when I ignore the first call, it starts up again.
“Fuck,” I groan as I rest my forehead against hers. “He’s not going to give us any time.” Pulling out my cell, I confirm it’s Judge, demanding a meeting ASAP in his office. Swede will be calling in. I need to know what he has to say.
“Go. I’ll go find Evie.” Ruby kisses me softly; her swollen lips are so gentle.
I place one hand against her cheek while the other touches her stomach where our child grows and say, “I’ll be back. Don’t leave the compound.”
“Okay, bossy.”
I kiss her hard and deep before lifting her off the counter. She watches me walk out.
When I get to Judge’s office, he’s already seated behind his massive desk.
Spike sits in one of the chairs facing him, and Mal and Hammer are on the sofa.
Mal’s laptop is open, and he’s already clicking away, while Spider is set up in the corner, also working on his tablet.
But it’s Law, lounging back in another chair, that gives me pause.
He’s our official counsel, and so far, he’s claimed attorney-client privilege and hasn’t shared any information. His being here means that maybe he’ll finally open up.
“Is this official?” I ask, seeing so many of the officers.
“Not exactly,” Law answers for Judge.
“Go ahead and give us what you got,” Judge says. “Swede will be calling soon enough.”
He picks up the tablet sitting on his lap, and I walk to the second chair facing Judge, angling it so I can see Law.
“Thirteen years ago, before you took over, Prez, the state charged your father with murder and tampering with evidence. Cameron defended Swede just like his father did before him with your grandfather.”
“I know there was a case that he helped with for a favor owed,” Judge supplies.
I remember us talking about Evie’s grandmother calling in the favor from Judge to help save her and the whole Rezos family. He did that but still claimed Evie as his ol’ lady. She agreed and gave her blessing.
“Yeah, well, the victim in the murder was one Aron Gashi. Swede didn’t kill him; the records proved that.
He did dispose of the body, however, but never identified who brought him it.
The real murderer. Cameron got Swede and the club off, but it ignited a war with Gashi and the Albanians that ended three years ago when Swede and Gashi got together for a private meeting. ”
Before having time to process that, the phone rings and Judge answers it. Gashi was the head of the Albanian family. I don’t know all the details of the agreement, except that it’s how Judge became president.
“What’s up?” Swede’s strong Norwegian voice comes across the line, even though he’s lived here in the U.S. most of his life. His father’s accent was even thicker after moving here as an adult; more so like Lach’s.
“Father, what do you know about a man named Kurti seeking revenge on the entire Knight family?”
“Fuck,” he roars through the speakerphone. “Where is Ruby?”
“She’s with my ol’ lady, Evie, in the kitchen, I believe,” Judge answers before I can.
“Get her and Boost now.”
“Dad, this is club business. Law just confirmed that when he told us there was a case between you and the Albanian family.”
It’s as if Swede is standing in front of us all. I can hear his knuckles cracking the phone as he squeezes it. “Get your fucking sister and Boost right now. This pertains to her.”
“I’ll go get them,” I offer.
“Torch, this is a red alert moment,” he warns, and everything in my body locks up for a moment. There’s only one reason he’d say that to me in mixed company right now.
“Are you fucking serious? His name was Kurti?”
“Get her. I’m not saying anything else until she’s here.”
“Okay.”
Rushing out of the office, I signal to Lach that I’m going to need him, then stomp across the clubhouse to get Ruby in the kitchen and decide I’ll need all these people too, if this is what I think is happening. I need to keep my woman calm, especially with her being pregnant now. Evie too.
“Princess, Swede is on the phone and would like to talk to you.” She can sense it’s not good and moves to my side without question. “You too, Boost. Lyra and Evie, why don’t you come as well?” They all follow me, with Lyra wiping her hands on a towel.
“I was just making some soup for baby girl,” she says, and I shake my head in exasperation.
We file across the clubhouse, many of the guys on alert given our determination. As we pass the threshold into Judge’s office, I hear Swede telling him that he’s sorry he has to find out like this. I’m not sure if Ruby heard him.
Lach steps in behind our group, and with my hand on the small of Ruby’s back, I lead her to the chair I just vacated. She sits down and looks around. Judge directs Evie to his side, then pulls her down into his lap.