Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
C arlos pulled through the club’s gate with a wave at Mitch, the prospect on duty. He didn’t know much about the older prospect and had to wonder why a man in his early sixties would want to prospect for a motorcycle club. Though their mother could drive, she didn’t often. Carlos picked Louisa up on his way so she could spend time with the grandkids. When Bulldog had texted him, he’d said to go to Steel’s house. After parking his cruiser in Bulldog’s driveway so his mom didn’t have to walk, Carlos headed over to Steel’s.
He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but to find Clara and Jenna in the living room with Bulldog, Steel, and Lucky was not it.
“What’s going on?”
Carlos had been walking on a cloud nine. Nothing could get him down this day. His date with Clara had been wonderful because she was wonderful. Fuck, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever felt like this. He wasn’t sure he ever had. Clara was special. He knew she was holding back from him details about her marriage. There were times when the topic could have been brought up, but neither of them did.
He should have known that his euphoric feeling wasn’t going to last.
The look on Clara’s face… If he didn’t know any better, Carlos would think someone had died. But he knew this was not the way his brother would tell him.
“Clara has a story to tell you,” Jenna told him softly. She patted Clara’s leg reassuringly. “We’ll be in the kitchen if you need us.”
The others started to walk out of the living room. Bulldog paused next to Carlos. “Remember the promise you made me. She’s putting her future, her son’s future, in your hands.”
Carlos nodded stiffly. He would listen to whatever Clara had to tell him. He had a feeling he knew or suspected a portion of it.
He walked into the living room. “Where’s Kyle?”
“With Abby and your mom at Bulldog’s.” Clara’s voice was so small. He could hear the fear in her tone—and hated it.
Carlos wasn’t sure if he should sit or stand. “What’s going on, Clara?”
She took a shaky breath and then patted the couch next to her where Jenna had been sitting. “I need to tell you how I ended up in Mount Grove. I can’t—I won’t start something with you without you knowing first. And,” her cheeks pinkened, “I really enjoyed our time together, Carlos. I… I want to continue seeing you.”
He immediately took her hands. “Me too.”
“My husband’s name was Davis and…three years ago, I murdered him.”
Carlos kept his promise. He sat there and listened. He heard everything, not interrupting or uttering a single sound. All the while, the monster inside raged . At the end of her story, Carlos stood up off of the couch. Without a word to her or anyone else in the house, he walked stiffly to the front door and outside.
The monster seethed .
Clara—fuck, Zoe was the sweetest person he’d ever met. She had an aura of innocence about her that was intoxicating. She’d married a man who had vowed to serve and protect but had ending up harming and squandering her. No wonder she didn’t trust cops.
There were times he hated his gender. Fuck. No man ever had the right to force himself on a woman. No church, ring, or vows gave him that power.
If Zoe hadn’t done it already, Carlos would track her husband down and kill him himself. It was like a wall of glass shattered in his soul. No amount of morals or his love of the badge could contain the monster now.
It wasn’t just her husband who had hurt her. By allowing their friend, son, and grandson to get away with hurting her, they were just as guilty. The only person who had done anything to help her had been practically a stranger.
What if Conner hadn’t stepped in to help her? Zoe would have been killed by a hitman and her son would have been raised by her murderers. And…and she never would have come to Mount Grove. Carlos would have never met her.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Carlos didn’t turn at his brother’s voice. “Is this how it felt when you found Abby again? The need to destroy everyone who ever hurt her?” His voice shook with the monster’s rage.
Bulldog didn’t answer for a minute. Finally, he said gruffly, “Yeah.”
“I was wrong to have stopped you. I should have let you burn that place to the ground.”
Again, Bulldog didn’t answer right away. “Why did you stop me? The real answer this time.”
“Because I would have helped you,” Carlos confessed. “I would have been right by your side burning it all down…and I couldn’t do that and put my badge on the next day.”
“So you chose the badge?”
Carlos rounded on his brother. “I chose what I thought I could live with. Connelly’s death had been weighing heavily on me. Then that business with Hannigan and Castillo.” Carlos shook his head. “I didn’t know, though. I didn’t know it felt like this when…”
“When it’s your woman?” Bulldog offered up for him.
Carlos nodded stiffly. “What do I do, fratello ?”
“Do you blame her?”
Carlos shook his head. “No. I wish I had been there to protect her or that Conner had done the deed so she didn’t feel guilty.”
“And if he was alive today?”
“He’d be dead by tonight,” Carlos growled.
Bulldog wrapped a large hand around Carlos’s neck, bringing the brothers chest to chest. “Then it’s your job to protect her, fratellino . Every fucking day. You protect her with everything you are and everything you have. Even if it means standing between her and the law that let her down.” Bulldog tapped Carlos on the chest. “Now, go in there and prove to your woman that you’re not out here calling the cavalry.”
“Fuck!” Carlos ran his hand down his face.
Bulldog waited for a moment and then pushed Carlos towards the door. “Go, dumbass. And get your woman.”
Jenna held Zoe as her tears fell uncontrollably. She’d told Carlos everything—and he’d left. He hadn’t even said a word to her. Nothing. He’d just stood up and left.
“If they find Kyle, they’ll take him away too,” she sobbed to Jenna. “You have to keep him safe. You have to!”
Jenna tried to console her by rubbing a hand up and down her back. “Easy, sweetheart. No one’s taking anyone anywhere yet. Give him a moment. I can see him in the driveway talking to Bulldog. I don’t think he’s calling anyone.”
Zoe only half heard her words. What had she been thinking, telling Carlos the truth? How stupid of her? Nothing was worth her life with her son. Not even a sweet small-town sheriff who had caught her eye. Nothing.
The front door opened. Zoe leapt to her feet, nearly clipping Jenna’s chin with the back of her head.
With unwiped tears and snot drenching her face, Zoe stood still as Carlos hurried over to her. She was anticipating him reaching for his handcuffs but, instead, the man fell to his knees before her.
Zoe’s eyes widened in shock.
A part of her registered their audience. Bulldog had followed his brother in from outside. Lucky and Steel came in from the kitchen and Jenna was still behind her on the couch.
Carlos took her hands in his and bent down to kiss her knuckles. “What can I say, sunshine? I’m in awe of you. The strength you possess is immeasurable. The law failed you, but I will not. You put your faith in me, Zoe, and I will never betray that.”
Her breath hitched and her heart thrummed loudly. She sniffled pathetically. “You believe me?”
“I never doubted you for a moment,” he swore. “I needed to…step away. I’m not as strong as you. I did not want you to see my anger and think it was aimed at you.” He turned her hands over and pressed a kiss to each palm. “Zoe, I need you in my life. Everything I am, my heart, my badge, is yours now. Please say you’ll stay, that you’ll be with me.”
Zoe sank to her knees in front of him. “I’m a wanted fugitive, Carlos. One day, the law may catch up with me.”
“I am the sheriff here. I have ways to protect you too. If needed, we’ll run. You, me, and Kyle. We’ll head back to Montana and live up in the mountains where no one can find us.”
Her chin trembled and she felt more tears leak from her eyes. “You would do that?”
He nodded. “In a heartbeat. If it means being with you.” He reached to her right and grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the coffee table. He started to clean up her face, which made a gasping sob escape her lips.
“I can do that,” she told him, though she made no move to take the tissues from him.
“The point is you don’t have to.” He put the used tissues into his pocket and then took her face gently between his hands. “I do have one stipulation.”
She felt her breath hitch. “What’s that?”
“You come live with me. You’ve been hiding for too long, love. You need to remember how to shine .”
Zoe swallowed hard. “Don’t you live with your mom?”
He nodded. “Consider her a live-in babysitter.”
“You have the room for Kyle and me?”
He nodded again. “Bulldog’s old room is free. We can easily turn it into a kid’s room for Kyle.”
“And…what about me?”
“Well, my bedroom has always seemed a bit dull to me. Could really use a woman’s touch.”
Zoe let out an elated hiccup. “We’ve only been on one date.”
Carlos shrugged. “You stole my heart six months ago in that kitchen,” he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, “and you’ve owned my balls since you squashed them two days ago.”
Zoe put her hand to her mouth to stop her giggle. “I am so sorry about that.”
Carlos leaned in and pressed a very gentle kiss to her lips. “You can make it up to me later. Stay,” he kissed her cheek. “Move in with me,” he kissed her other cheek. “ Be with me.”
Zoe found herself nodding. “Yes.”
“Yes?” Carlos questioned.
She nodded more sternly and said louder, “Yes.”
Carlos let out a whoop and leapt to his feet. He helped her to her feet and took her into his arms. “She said yes!” he shouted to their audience, though all of them had heard her answer too.