Chapter 17
Smokehouse
W e’d only just finished telling Dani about what was going on with Fremont when the cops came back and kicked everyone out. Our time with them was up.
Wrapping my hands around the bars of my cell, I watched as she and the others walked out.
I wanted to be with them. It was frustrating that I’d been the one to get us tossed in here, but I wouldn’t change a damn thing I’d done.
Except for maybe turning my back on Eli.
I deserved the hole in my hide for not realizing how cowardly he could act.
I knew Lock and the others would take care of her, but being stuck in here while she was left in my home alone was going to drive me insane.
Knowing she was rallying her family for our cause just made me appreciate her even more.
How’d I get lucky enough to find her in the bar that night?
She wasn’t the type to be there, so it was almost like she’d been placed in my path.
If I was a God-fearing kind of man that’s what I’d believe.
Without any way to tell time back here in these cells I wasn’t sure whether another hour, or three, had passed, but the officers came back and opened our cells.
“What’s goin’ on?” Hush asked, suspicion coloring his tone.
“Bail,” one of the cops barked, not bothering to explain further.
Shit. We were being released on bail. That was bound to piss off Fremont. Grinning, I quickly shrugged on my cut, ignoring the burning in my side, and bent to lace up my boots. Our weapons were gone, we weren’t getting those back, but we all had more where those had come from.
Giving one of the cops, who was eyeing me disdainfully, a cocky salute, I strode out of the hallway with the cells and out into the main area of the station. My gait didn’t falter as I walked straight up to Dani and gathered her into my arms.
“I was the one who bailed you out,” Riptide said with a grin. “Don’t I get some sugar?”
Letting Dani go, I turned and pulled Riptide into my embrace.
“You fucker,” Rip chuckled. “I was messing with you. Let me go.”
“How about we all get the fuck out of here?” Hush grumbled as he and the others came walking out.
“Best thing I’ve heard all day,” Lock muttered, shooting me a dark look. “We need to talk once we get back to the compound.”
Biting back my irritation, I nodded and wrapped an arm around Dani’s shoulders. “Where are our bikes?”
“Impound lot,” Static replied. “I’ll take care of getting them towed to the clubhouse.”
“Thanks, Static,” Lock said, shaking his hand.
“Some of you can ride with me,” Dani offered.
“And I’ll take the rest,” Seek added.
The guys split up and Hush and Ricochet went with Seek, while Hellfire rode with me and Dani. It was a quiet ride back to our safe zone, but we were just glad to be out of jail.
Hell thanked Dani for the ride and gave me a rib cracking hug before he disappeared into his room. Once I closed the door to our apartment, I let out a long breath.
Jolting as hands searched my side, I turned to look at the woman who was carrying my baby.
I’d done all this for her today and instead of getting angry with me for how I’d handled shit, or panicking, she’d just stepped up when I’d needed her.
I already admired and respected her. I had a feeling it was going to be fucking impossible to keep from falling for her.
“How bad is it?” she asked.
“Not bad. Just a scratch.”
Her hands went to her hips, a sure sign that she was about to chew me out. I grinned down at her as her eyes flashed up at me. “Lockout said you were stabbed.”
“One poke. Nothing else. It’s fine, Wildcat.”
My phone dinged and I pulled it out of my back pocket.
Lockout: Get some rest. We’ll talk tonight before church.
Typing out a response, I hit send, then tossed the phone on the counter. I pulled Dani into a hug again. I just needed to feel her close. “Living with him couldn’t have been easy.”
She sighed. She didn’t need to ask to know I was talking about Eli. “It wasn’t. I’ll tell you more about it later. I’d rather not think about him right now.”
I brushed her hair from her eyes. “How’re you feeling?”
“Fine,” she replied.
Tilting her chin up using my fingers, I studied her face. Her skin wasn’t pale and clammy the way it usually was when morning sickness was hitting her hard. Her eyes were bright and clear.
“What?” she asked, turning her head so that my hold on her was broken. She backed away from me.
It wasn’t the right time to kiss her, though the urge was pounding at me. “Thanks for calling your Mom and sister out.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” She gave me a weak smile. “You were only in there because you went to protect me. I’m so sorry for putting you in the middle of this fight between Eli and me.”
I snorted and shook my head. “He’s just a smear of shit on my boot. This wouldn’t have even been an issue if it wasn’t for Fremont, and you have nothing to do with that. If it wasn’t Eli, it would be something else. He’s gunning for us.”
She nodded and sat down at the dining room table. I took a seat across from her. Tilting my head, I studied her again. She was damn beautiful and had such a caring nature. I’d watched her with the kids and it was easy to see how much she enjoyed them. “What made you become a teacher?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Instead of a lawyer, you mean?” she snapped.
My brows shot up at the apparent nerve I’d touched. “Not what I asked.”
She sighed, her shoulders drooping. “Sorry. Habit. The whole way through college, and after really, that’s all I heard. ‘Why wouldn’t you follow in your mother and sister’s footsteps?’ ‘Why become a teacher?’ As if being a teacher is so bad.” She gave me a weak smile.
Clasping her hands together on the table, she stared down at them. “I never wanted to be a lawyer. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun watching Mom go round after round with the witnesses, other attorneys, and even the judges, but it wasn’t for me.”
“I could see you doing it, but this seems to suit you more.”
Now her smile was genuine. “My dad was a professor at the local community college. Nothing fancy, just a man who loved to share knowledge. I guess I took after him more.”
Not knowing either of her parents I kept my mouth shut.
This seemed to be a sensitive topic for her and she was already wound up from everything that happened earlier.
I didn’t want her to worry about all this.
“Now that everything’s settled and your mom and sister are on the case, you don’t have to worry. ”
Dani’s eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
“Just that you can relax and not worry about any of this,” I replied, trying to tread carefully because she looked pissed.
She slapped her hands on the table and shoved to her feet. “Just because you’ve got the better Bradford women on your side now doesn’t mean I’m going to check out and let all of you handle everything. I’m a part of this now, whether you like it or not.”
She avoided my grasp as she passed me on the way to her room. I was left staring at her with my jaw hanging open as she turned in the doorway. “You don’t get to use me, then shut me out because it suits you!”
The door slamming jerked me out of my shock and I shook my head.
A grin tugged at my lips. Oh yeah. I can absolutely see her giving people hell in a courtroom.
I could only imagine that she ruled her classroom with an iron fist. She seemed so soft natured and sweet, but under all that was a spine of steel. A real wildcat.
Resisting the urge to yank open her door and poke at her until we were sweaty and naked as we rolled around on the bed, I went downstairs instead. There was no resting at this point. My mind was going a million miles a minute.
“Come in,” came the reply when I knocked on Lock’s office door.
He sat back in his chair and eyed me as I sat down across from him. “It could have waited.”
I shook my head. “Dani’s resting. I can’t just…sit there. Figured this was better.”
Lockout sighed and set the pen he’d been holding down. “There’s no point in assigning blame, Smoke.”
“You warned us to be on our best behavior,” I muttered, staring down at the desk.
“That’s true, but all it was going to take was a fucking speeding ticket.
You know it as well as I do. From the sounds of things, you were protecting your old lady and your kid.
” My eyes snapped up to his. He just shrugged.
“Spoke to Hush about it. Whether Fremont is on our asses or not, I’m not letting some chicken shit asshole ex-husband treat one of ours like that. Can’t blame you for feeling the same.”
“This bullshit with the cops made shit worse on that front,” I told him. “Now Eli thinks he’s got some kind of pull. Not sure how I’m going to get him to sign those papers.”
“Static mentioned that she didn’t need to have him sign.”
“Getting her marriage terminated could take up to a year. That doesn’t work for me.” My hands clenched into fists as I thought about Eli having any kind of sway when it came to Dani or my kid. “I’ll figure something out.”
“I’m sure you will,” Lock responded, a smile creeping over his face. “How’s Ricochet doing?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Good. Couple of nightmares here and there, but nothing Jordan can’t handle.
She knows to come get me or Hell if he has a particularly bad episode.
I don’t think this shit with Fremont will affect him too much.
It’ll probably help. Give him something tangible to fight.
” With his old lady in his life, Ricochet was doing a lot better.
His PTSD wasn’t gone, probably wouldn’t ever be, but it had retreated a bit.
Now it just came after him at his most vulnerable times, like when he was sleeping.
We knew how to take care of him, though, and he was finally on board with letting us in.
“Good. Listen, this shit with Fremont is just ramping up. Make sure everyone sticks together out at the job site while you’re working on the school. No one goes anywhere alone for now. I’ll be letting everyone know during church.”
“Dani is insisting on finishing out the school year,” I replied, frowning.
“How long is left?”
“Two weeks.”
“Take the time off. Watch over her. Once school’s out you can go back to work at the construction site.”
“Thanks, Lock.”
“Last thing we need is Fremont starting trouble there. And we already know her ex is going to try. May as well cut it off now.” He shrugged. “Now get out of here so I can finish this up.”
I stood and paused before leaving. “Prez?”
“Yeah?”
“That no going anywhere alone thing?”
One of his brows arched in question.
“Same goes for you.”
He snorted, then jerked his chin, physically telling me to get the fuck out.
I left, but I’d been serious. Lockout was our leader.
We all loved him like a brother, but the man kept to himself too much.
I wasn’t sure if it was the heavy weight of keeping all of this going, and making sure we all toed the line, or if it was just how he was, but he liked his solitude.
He’d be the first to give one of us the shirt off his back.
We all knew it. But he had his own troubles and he wasn’t one to share those burdens.
My stride faltered when I stepped out into the main area of the club.
I’d been about to head upstairs when I heard the gunfire.
Running toward the front door, I reached for my own weapon.
It was usually in a holster strapped to the inside of my jeans at the small of my back.
It was gone and I cursed, remembering that the cops had taken it.
There wasn’t time to go find another weapon, so I’d just have to take on whatever threat was out there without one.