Chapter 18
“Holy shit! My brother and Allie are gonna fucking love it.” Jett comes to a stop beside me, admiring my work.
“You think? I didn’t know whether it needed something more.”
The balloon arch I’ve spent over an hour arranging surrounds the white backdrop up against the wall, Myles and Allie’s names emblazoned in gold. It’s the first thing you see when you walk in the door and the gold balloons make the lettering pop.
“Nah, it looks pretty fucking awesome,” he praises before heading to where Rita, Ray’s wife and Allie’s mother, Amelia are arranging the flowers that arrived by courier this morning.
Shelley, Alex’s younger sister and a couple of the other women I’ve briefly met but can’t remember the names of dress the tables, laying out the silverware and table decorations, positioning everything until it’s just right.
It’s Myles and Allie’s engagement party later tonight and instead of working my shift at the bar today, Jett enrolled me in helping decorate the clubhouse ready for the party.
Everyone is in on it except for Allie, apparently after being suspended from her job, Myles wanted to do something to lift her spirits and I was all too happy to help seeing as how my father was one of the ones involved.
This is the first time I’ve seen the inside of the clubhouse and it is nothing like I expected. It has warmth, and character. The renovations that have been going on for a few weeks are finally finished, the smell of fresh paint still permeating in the air.
It’s undeniably masculine, the black leather upholstery with chrome accents, the rustic wood and bare brick interior. Along the far wall, there’s a fully stocked liquor bar, a dart board and a pool table opposite. I have no idea what it looked like before, but I love it.
The party will be the first time I’ve seen Killian since our midnight phone-sex nearly a week ago.
“Fuck me. Do my eyes deceive me? Has Mateo Cruz finally decided to grace us with his presence?” Jett hollers as the door swings open and Cruiser walks in.
“It’s called being fashionably late, asshole.” Cruiser flips Jett the finger before turning to me. “Hey, darlin’. Anything you need me to do?”
“This backdrop is a little unstable so I was wondering if it’d be best to secure it to the wall.”
Cruiser picks up the drill from the table behind me. “On it.”
“Surprised you know what one of those things are seeing as how you spend most of your time glued to your computer screen,” Jett says.
Cruiser puffs out his chest with a smirk. “I’m a jack of all trades. Not much I can’t do.”
“Except please a woman?” Jett teases with a grin.
“Oh no, brother. I leave that to you.” Cruiser slaps him on the shoulder. “You know how many have come crawling to me ‘cause you can’t give ‘em what they need? So many, bro. I’m drowning in pussy.”
“Bullshit! Not one chick has ever left my bed walking normally.”
“Yeah, because they’re usually running,” Cruiser quips.
My eyes ping-pong back and forth between them as they tease each other.
The more time I spend with these men, this club, the more I realise they’re just one big dysfunctional family that tease as if they were siblings and I suppose in some ways they are.
Despite them not being blood relatives, they share a bond I’ve never experienced with my parents.
Cruiser leans in close to me. “Word of warning, Kaia. I wouldn’t waste your time with this one. Nobody likes a micro-dick.”
“Really? You seemed perfectly satisfied the other night,” Jett says, his teasing grin widening, knowing damn well he took that too far but doesn’t care one bit.
A laugh falls from my lips.
Before Cruiser can come back with another witty remark, his face drops, his eyes falling over Jett’s shoulder. “The fuck?”
Jett and I turn to follow Cruiser’s gaze to see Sheriff Collins and two other officers in tow step inside the clubhouse.
The sheriff’s eyes immediately fall on me, a flash of surprise crossing his face. “Kaia? I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Likewise.”
“Does your father know you hang around with known criminals? He’d be mightily disappointed.”
I shrug. “What’s one more thing to add to the list of reasons why I’m already a disappointment?”
I don’t know why, but a bad feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. Collins being here isn’t a good sign, especially after the conversation I overheard at Thanksgiving.
“What can we do for you today, Sheriff? I’m guessing you didn’t just come here for the warm atmosphere,” Jett asks.
The sheriff’s eyes scan the clubhouse, his upper lip curving into something akin to disgust. “That’s one word for it.”
Prick.
His eyes return to Jett. “Some very interesting information has come to light, Mr. Lawson. Seems there’s been a tip-off that there are drugs present on the premise.”
Jett chokes a laugh. “Are you kidding?”
“Who the hell told you that?” Cruiser asks.
“My source is very reliable.”
“Well, your source is talking out of their ass. There are no fucking drugs here,” Jett says.
“Then you won’t mind us taking a look around.”
Jett steps aside, motioning for Collins to come through. “Be my guest, but you won’t find shit.”
Sheriff Collins takes a step closer to Jett, leaning in slightly. “I wouldn’t be so sure,” he replies cockily, and its the way he says it that sends a shiver down my spine.
We need to pick them apart one by one… They have businesses, start there… My father’s voice echoes through my mind.
Oh my god.
My heart races as I watch as the two officers spread out across the room and all we can do is watch and wait.
They upturn the chairs onto the floor, checking every tiny crevice, destroying all the hard work we’ve put into decorating the room ready for tonight.
“Is this really necessary? Haven’t you got better things to do like catch speeders and eat donuts?” I ask.
A hear a snicker behind me, and I’m not sure if it came from Jett or Cruiser.
“Careful, Kaia, you’re starting to sound like them. Tell me, which one of them are you spreading your legs for?”
My palm connects with the sheriff’s face before I realise I’m doing it and the room falls deathly silent.
What the fuck did I just do?
I assaulted the sheriff.
What is happening to me?
He pins me with his eyes. “I’m only gonna let that one slide because of your father, I wouldn’t recommend doing it again.”
“Found something, Sheriff,” the taller officer announces, rising to his feet from behind one of the sofas. He hands something to Collins who then holds it up for us all to see.
A small bag of white powder.
Cocaine.
Collins cocks his head, a subtle triumphant smirk curving his mouth. “No drugs here, huh?”
“This is bullshit!” Jett shouts. “That doesn’t belong to anyone here!”
“Then how do you suppose it got there?” Collins asks sarcastically.
“Maybe you planted it,” Cruiser suggests.
“Or maybe you and your little club live up to your name after all. Cuff ‘em.”
“Get your fucking hands off me!” Jett shouts as the taller officer grips his arm and twists it harshly behind his back.
“This is all bullshit. It has nothing to do with us!” Cruiser protests as he rushes to help his friend. He reaches for the officer cuffing Jett and tugs him away, only for him to be dragged away by the other.
Jett struggles against the officer who has one of his wrists in a set of handcuffs. Cruiser holds his hands up in surrender, staring down the barrel of the officer’s gun as he drops to his knees.
This all my father’s doing.
I can’t let this happen.
“Stop.” I push my way between Jett, Cruiser and the officers to face Sheriff Collins. “Stop! It’s mine.”
Silence falls between all of us and all eyes immediately snap to me.
“Excuse me?” Collins asks.
“I said it’s mine,” I repeat.
Collins’ eyebrows rise. “Be very carefully what you say next, Kaia.”
“God knows I need a little pick-me-up living under the same roof as my father. Jett and Cruiser are innocent, they all are, they had no idea about any of it.” I do my best to sound convincing, I just have to pray Collins believes me so he’ll let Jett and Cruiser go.
“What the fuck is going on, Kaia?” Jett asks beside me, his face like thunder, giving me a look like he doesn’t recognise the person in front of him.
“I hid them there when I was here the other day,” I lie. “I didn’t think anybody would find them, let alone anyone tip off the cops.” I turn back to Collins and hold out my wrists in front of me. “So are you going to arrest me?”
Sheriff Collins studies me for a moment, his eyes flicking between both of mine. “We both know those drugs don’t belong to you,” he says, pulling out a set of cuffs and snapping them around my wrists.
“We both know how they really got there, don’t we, Sheriff?” I challenge, looking him dead in the eye. “And we both know they don’t belong to Jett or Cruiser so let them go.”
His nostrils flare, giving his officers the go ahead to release Jett and Cru before he guides me towards the exit.