Chapter 12
Twelve
Dime
Today is supposed to be the first normal day since Allison was attacked at school, and I'm looking forward to it.
It's why I'm taking her to work this morning in my truck, instead of riding to the garage on my bike.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" I ask her as we drive toward Laurel Springs High.
"I think so," she says softly as she plays with a piece of thread on her pants. "A part of me wonders if I should've gone to the classroom last night so I would see how I would react. The other part of me knows if I had done that, I would be chickening out right now."
"You know we can still make a run for it, right? Just turn this fuckin' truck south and head for the Gulf of Mexico. We can spend our day on the beach and swim in the ocean."
She giggles. "I appreciate that, Dime. I do."
"I'd do anything for you. I hope you realize that."
She reaches over and takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. "I do realize that. It's one of the things I love most about you."
The word' still sends a jolt through me every time she says it..
"I love you too," I tell her, bringing her hand up to my lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
She's quiet for the rest of the drive, and I can feel the tension building in her body the closer we get to the school. By the time I pull into the parking lot, her hand is gripping mine so tight I'm pretty sure I'm losing circulation.
"Hey," I say gently, putting the truck in park. "Look at me."
She does, and I can see the fear in her eyes. It guts me, seeing her like this. This strong, beautiful woman who's been through so much, reduced to being scared of her own workplace.
"You don't have to do this today. You can take more time."
"No." She shakes her head. "I need to do this. If I don't go back now, I might never go back, and I love teaching too much to let that happen."
"Okay. But if at any point you need to leave, you call me. I don't care what I'm doing, I'll come get you."
"I will. I promise."
We get out of the truck, and I walk her to the front entrance. That's when I see them. Chief Harrison and Principal Harrison, both waiting by the front doors. Chief catches my eye, and I give him a subtle nod.
Principal Harrison smiles when she sees Allison. "Good morning. Are you ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Allison says, but her voice is steadier than it was in the truck. Just like I knew she would, she's firming up her bottom lip and she's showing everyone how strong she is.
I turn to her, cupping her face in my hands. "You've got this, baby. You're the strongest person I know."
"Thank you for bringing me." She goes up on her toes and kisses me, soft and sweet, right there in front of both Harrisons.
When she pulls back, I look over at Chief Harrison. Our eyes meet, and a whole conversation happens in that single look. He knows what I'm asking without me having to say it.
"We'll take care of her," he says out loud.
"You better." My voice is low, carrying a warning that only he can fully understand. "Because if anything happens to her while she's here…"
"Nothing's going to happen." His tone is firm, reassuring. "I've got extra officers patrolling the area today, and Rina has already briefed the staff. Allison's safe here."
I want to argue, want to say that nowhere is safe when the Rebels are still out there, when we don't know the full extent of the Clark family's involvement. But I also know that Allison needs this. She needs to reclaim this part of her life.
"Okay." I give Allison one more kiss. "I'll pick you up this afternoon."
"I can get a ride…"
"Let me do this," I interrupt. "Please."
She must see how much I want to do this in my face because she nods. "Okay. This afternoon."
I watch her walk into the building with Principal Harrison, and I don't move until the doors close behind her. Then I turn to Chief Harrison.
"The warrant?" I ask, my voice pitched low so that no one else can hear.
He speaks just as low. "Judge signed it this morning. We're executing it tonight."
My heart starts pounding. "Tonight?"
"No point in waiting. The longer we sit on this, the more chance someone tips them off." He glances around the parking lot, making sure we're alone. "You and Devil need to be visible at the clubhouse tonight. Make sure you've got alibis."
"We will be."
"Good." He pauses. "How's she really doing?"
I look back at the school. "Better than she should be. Stronger than she should have to be."
"She's lucky to have you."
"I'm the lucky one." I run a hand through my hair. "Just make sure nothing happens to her today, Chief. I'm trusting you."
"And I'm trusting you to keep your head on straight when this all goes down." He meets my eyes. "We're close, Grant. Real close to shutting this whole operation down. Don't blow it now by doing something stupid."
"I won't."
He nods and heads back to his patrol car. I get in my truck and sit there for a minute, watching the school, before I finally pull out of the parking lot.
The drive to Saint's Outlaws garage takes about twenty minutes. When I pull in, the place is already busy. Devil's got the bay doors open, and I can see Storm working on a Harley that looks like it's seen better days.
"Morning," Devil calls out as I walk in. "How'd it go?"
"She's back at school. Chief Harrison's keeping an eye on things."
"Good. She needs to get back to normal." He wipes his hands on a rag. "Warrant got signed."
"I know. Chief told me. Tonight."
"Yeah." Devil's expression is grim. "I'm going to bring everyone to the clubhouse tonight for dinner. Say we're celebrating Allison going back to work. Plenty of witnesses to say we were nowhere near that warehouse."'
"Sounds good, I just hope it's enough."
He nods, laughing nervously. "You got work to do today?"
"Whatever you need."
"Oil changes and brake jobs. Nothing exciting, but it'll keep you busy."
That's exactly what I need. Something to keep my hands occupied so my mind doesn't spiral thinking about what's going to happen tonight, and if Allison is okay today.
If the raid goes well, we'll have the evidence we need to bring down the Rebels and whoever in the Clark family is helping them.
If it goes badly, all of this could blow up in our faces.
I spend the morning elbow-deep in engine oil, changing filters and checking fluid levels. The work is repetitive and soothing, and I lose myself in the rhythm of it. Around noon, my stomach starts growling, and I realize I haven't eaten since last night.
I head out back to where we've got a picnic table set up.
It's nothing fancy, just a weathered piece of wood and benches that have seen better days, but it's a good place to take a break.
It gets you away from most of the noise, and you don't have to worry about staining anything or getting it dirty.
I'm halfway through my sandwich when Lee comes out, his own lunch in hand. The prospect looks tired, but he's got a satisfied expression on his face. Kid's been working hard, and it shows.
"Mind if I sit?" he asks.
"Go ahead."
He settles across from me, and I watch as he pulls out his lunch. Bologna and white bread. Same as mine.
"No shit," I say, gesturing at his sandwich.
He looks down, then over at mine, and grins. "Great minds think alike, I guess."
"Or we're both just basic as hell when it comes to food."
"There's nothing wrong with a good bologna sandwich. My mom used to make them for me when I was a kid, and I just never grew out of it."
"Same here." I take another bite. "People always want to complicate things. Add fancy condiments, different types of bread. But sometimes simple hits the fucking spot."
"Exactly." Lee takes a bite of his own sandwich. "My girlfriend thinks I'm crazy. She's always trying to get me to try turkey or roast beef or some shit. But I like what I like. Bologna and white bread with some mayo slaps."
We eat in companionable silence for a few minutes. It's nice, just sitting here with someone who understands the appeal of a simple lunch. No judgment, no pretension. Just two guys eating bologna sandwiches behind a garage.
"Thanks for the opportunity to help with the Logan situation," Lee says after a while. "I know I'm just a Prospect, but it felt good to actually contribute something important."
"You did more than contribute. You gave us exactly what we needed." I set down my sandwich. "You've got good instincts, Lee. Keep that up, and you'll be patched in before you know it."
His face lights up. "You mean that?"
"I don't say shit I don't mean."
"Thanks, Dime. That means a lot coming from you."
We finish our sandwiches, and Lee starts to tell me about his girlfriend, about how they're saving up to get a place together. I listen, letting him talk, and I think about how this is what normal looks like. Sitting outside on a nice day, eating lunch, talking about life.
It's a far cry from the life I've been living for the last few years.
The undercover work, the constant vigilance, the lying.
But sitting here with Lee, I can almost imagine what it would be like to just be Dime.
Not Grant Swain the undercover cop, but just Dime.
A guy who works at a garage, loves a teacher, and eats bologna sandwiches for lunch.
"You ever think about what comes next?" Lee asks, breaking into my thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
"After all this. After we deal with the Rebels and get things back to normal. You ever think about what you want your life to look like?"
I think about Allison in my bed this morning, Whiskers curled up between us. I think about last night on the couch, watching bad TV and feeling content. I think about a future where I don't have to lie anymore, where I can just be with the woman I love without secrets between us.
"Yeah," I say. "I think about it all the time."
"And?"
"And I want simple. A good woman, a good life, maybe a cat or two." I grin. "And bologna sandwiches for lunch."
Lee laughs. "Sounds perfect to me."
We head back inside after lunch, and I spend the rest of the afternoon working on brake jobs. The repetitive nature of the work keeps my mind occupied, and before I know it, it's time to head out and pick up Allison.
As I drive back toward the school, my phone buzzes.
Chief Harrison: All set for tonight. Stay visible.
I text back a simple thumbs up and keep driving. Tonight everything changes. Tonight we find out if all this work, all these lies, all this risk has been worth it.
But right now, all I care about is picking up my woman and making sure she's okay.
Everything else can wait.