Chapter 30
CHAPTER
THIRTY
Logan
I stare down at the child tugging on my jeans. I frown. I’m not a fan of kids, but this one seems pretty quiet.
It’s Becca’s kid, Connor.
“Yeah?” I say, wondering what he wants.
He points to the bottle of water in my hand. Oh. He wants water.
“Where’s your mom?” I ask. He just shrugs. I hand him the bottle and he shakes his head.
“You lost your tongue, kid?”
He stares up at me, his big brown eyes not blinking once. Who the heck is this kid? He’s intimidating the fuck outta me.
“Oh, Connor!” Becca chastises, running our way. “You scared me. You know Mommy said not to wander off like that.” She glances up at me warily. “I’m sorry.”
I wave her off. “He’s fine. Just askin’ for water but wouldn’t take the bottle.”
“He likes it in a cup,” she says, like it should be obvious.
Well, I don’t speak five year old.
“He doesn’t say much,” I go on when she produces a cup from the giant bag she’s carrying. It’s one of those ‘mom’ bags that hold everything but the kitchen sink.
“He hasn’t spoken in a year,” she tells me. “Ever since his father was killed.”
I swallow. Okay, way to put my foot in it. The way she says it, killed, is laced with bitterness.
She’s a pretty thing. Long, honey-colored hair, green eyes, and a California tan. The kid looks just like her, too. He clings to her skirt as she pours the water for him.
“That’s too bad,” I say, palming the back of my head, unsure what to say. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. He’s part of the reason we’re in this mess.”
Payden comes behind me. She and Ivy have been thick as thieves for the last few hours preparing food for our last night here.
“Oh, hey!” Payden says. When they first arrived, Becca needed to put Connor down for a nap, so we didn’t really get much chance to talk. The girls, of course, get along like a house on fire, but I know Payden is dying to talk. “I didn’t hear you guys get up.”
“I dozed off while Connor was sleeping,” Becca says, thumbing to Connor. “He was thirsty and took off without me.” She runs a hand through his hair, looking down adoringly at him.
“If you guys wanna talk, I can, uh, entertain the little guy?” I offer, unsure what the fuck to do with a five year old.
“Actually, that would be great. I’ve got his coloring book and some crayons in here somewhere.” Of course she does.
She begins rummaging around in that giant bag she won’t let go of.
I motion over to the table nearby. It’s quiet at the moment and most of the guys are getting showered and ready for the meal the girls have been preparing.
“Thanks, Logan,” she says, taking his hand as she tells him that she has to talk to the nice lady.
I glance up at Payden. “You good?”
Payden nods. “I’m okay. What you told me about Ryan, it fucking sucks. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Yeah, well, lucky for him the boys let him go when they realized he was bein’ bribed and hadn’t orchestrated any of it,” I say. “He has to live with his actions of not goin’ to the cops when he should have.”
Payden’s eyes soften. “Still, it can’t have been easy for him.”
I narrow my eyes. “Wasn’t this the jerk who asked you out one time?”
She told me that a few nights ago when we were sharing stories. I don’t care what she says, he’s an asshole. “He asked everybody out in the office,” she sighs. “I was nothing special. He just wanted another notch on his belt but I didn’t give him the satisfaction. I wasn’t into him that way.”
“It’s probably a good thing he confessed when he did,” Ivy says. “Otherwise he would’ve been fish food.”
I glance at her. “How do you know about that?”
Payden immediately raises her hands in protest. “Hey, don’t look at me. I don’t kiss and tell.”
Ivy rolls her eyes. “You guys are legendary down there. The bayou is a great hiding place for people you don’t ever want found again.”
I thumb behind me. “I’m gonna ask Becca if Connor would like to meet Dozer,” I say. He should be done from his own nap right about now. The little dude sure as shit sleeps a lot.
Payden beams. “That would be great. I’m sure he’d love that.”
I give her a chin lift as I take off.
We only have one more night here, and I want my girl all to myself in the cabin. The quicker we get dinner over with, the quicker I can get her undressed and life can go back to normal.
Well, semi-normal. I’m in love with a woman for the first time in my life and I don’t want to run. That in itself is a miracle for me, and I’m gonna roll with it. Following my gut has never steered me wrong before, and Payden is chomping to get back to her family and friends.
This chapter, at least for the moment, is dealt with, and that in itself has to be worth celebrating.
Payden
“It’s been wild,” I say, hugging Becca. “You’re so brave. I’m so sorry how everything went down. I had no idea. I tried to find you, in fact, if it weren’t for Bane and the Hellions, you’d be god knows where.”
Becca hugs herself as we sit in one of the lounge chairs in the common area. She still has Connor in her line of sight. “I’m not opposed to him bringing us here,” she says, her voice wary. “I was shocked at first, yeah, but when he said your name, I knew we were safe.”
I squeeze her hand. “I couldn’t get a message to you because we know for a fact some of the cops involved in your relocation were crooked. We just couldn’t take the risk. You’re safe here, Bane won’t let anything happen to you.”
She nods. “It’s the right thing to do, but now we’re both listed as missing.”
“Join the club.” I smile. I know none of this is even remotely funny, but what can you do? “I’m dead, according to the news.”
“Jesus, Payden. I’m so sorry for what happened at your office. I heard all about it.”
“It’s shocking,” I agree. “I haven’t slept very well since, but the club thought it was in my best interests to lay low.”
Becca’s voice lowers as she says, “It’s because of me. It’s all my fault. I sent that video to you because I didn’t know who to trust?—”
“Don’t ever say that,” I tell her. “They were coming for you and you had no idea Ryan was going to intercept it, or what the Mancinis were going to do. You couldn’t have.”
“All those people,” she goes on as if I haven’t spoken. “All those lives.”
“You couldn’t trust the cops. You had no choice.”
“That doesn’t make this any easier. I feel so guilty.”
I smile sympathetically. I hate this for her. I hate that she feels as if this is her fault. It isn’t. This if fucked beyond all measure. “I know it’s easy to say this, but you have to try and put the past behind you. You and Connor are safe now, that’s all that matters.”
She shakes her head, tears forming in her eyes. “What kind of world are we living in that we’re safer with a bunch of mean bikers, rather than the people we’re told will protect us?”
“I couldn’t agree more with you, but these mean bikers will protect you, and honestly, their bark is worse than their bite. Bane is a good guy. He may be a man of few words, and he’s gruff, but he’s given his word that he’ll keep you safe.”
“Why would he do that? What are we to him?” she whispers.
“He owed Cash, the Rebels’ Prez, a favor. This is him repaying that. You’ll stay here until you can get back on your feet. In time, when all this dies down, he’ll get you new identities and you can start again some place new.”
She nods, her eyes sad. Eyes that have seen way too much. “So I have to just sit here with my son and obey his orders?”
“I don’t think it’s quite like that,” I say. “But for now, you’ll have to. This whole case has been blown apart, and as soon as it dies down, they’ll stop looking for you.”
“Not if the Mancinis need people to testify against them.”
“I’ve thought about that, too,” I go on. “And let’s just say there won’t be any Mancinis left to testify against, not this time.”
“I thought they were being arrested?” She’s terrified. I can see it in her eyes and the way she begins to shake. “I’ve been running for so long, Payden, I can’t live life like this forever.”
I clear my throat. “I’m a lawyer,” I tell her. “And I’m a damn good one. I don’t take bribes or underhanded deals, but sometimes I have to look the other way for the greater good. When I say that Donnie Mancini won’t live a day in prison, you can rely on it.”
She smiles a watery smile as I pass her a tissue, and she takes it gratefully. “You’re very kind,” she tells me. “Logan is lucky to have you.”
“I don’t know about that, but despite all this mayhem surrounding us, there is light, not just darkness. I’ve learned to look for the light.”
She nods like she understands.
A shadow falls over the two of us as I glance up. Bane looks down at us, his eyes on Becca.
“I’m assumin’ the digs upstairs were adequate?”
I glance at Becca, rigid in her chair. She tucks her hair behind her ears. “Yes, Mr. Adler. The room is very n-nice.”
He studies her for a second, then says, “Nice?”
I roll my lips. Oops.
Before she has a chance to answer, he adds, “And it’s Bane. Mr. Adler is my father, and I’m not that fuckin’ old.”
Becca’s cheeks redden. “It’s generous of you, that’s all I meant,” she stammers. “After everything.”
“But if we’re being honest, those stairs are no good for a child,” I put in, knowing Becca was concerned about it when they first arrived. She clearly doesn’t want to complain or seem ungrateful. “He’s five, yes, but those stairs are pretty narrow for a little one.”
Bane’s eyebrow slowly rises but I stand my ground. I’m not speaking out of turn. It is dangerous for a little kid.
“Oh, it’s fine, Connor is a good boy,” Becca goes on, flustered. “Really. We’re grateful to be here.”
“Things must be pretty fuckin’ shit if you’re grateful a motorcycle club you don’t know kidnapped you in the middle of the night without warning and took you to a secluded town that you probably don’t even know the name of.”
Becca opens her mouth, then closes it again.
She sits up straighter, then surprises me by saying, “After the last couple of years not knowing if I was going to live another day while trying to keep my son safe, and mourning the death of my husband, I can assure you, Bane, that I’m grateful to anyone who wants to keep us safe.
Excuse my belligerence and scepticism but the last time the authorities said we were safe, we almost died because of crooked cops. ”
My eyes are like a tennis match, flicking between the two of them. Holy heck. Becca does have a voice. It may be quashed a little from what she’s been through, but she’s in there somewhere.
Bane’s lips twitch. I don’t know for sure, but it’s almost like he’s fighting a smile. Asshat.
“I’ll have you moved to a cabin.” He gives her a chin lift. “For the child’s sake.”
“You really don’t have to?—”
He holds up a hand to stop her speaking. “I’ll have Logan and Payden’s cabin cleaned when they leave. That’ll do for now.”
I blink in surprise.
Becca opens her mouth, probably to protest again, but Bane says nothing more. He takes off, and my eyes widen as he leaves.
Becca slumps back and lets out a long breath. “He’s intense.”
I glance back at her. “Yes, he is, but I mean, it’s logical. Connor could easily fall.”
She shakes her head, her shoulder shaking slightly from suppressed laughter. “You really are bad ass.”
“You never would have said something, so I took it upon myself to make him aware of it.”
“I don’t want to appear ungrateful, that’s all.”
I lean forward. “Nobody thinks that. This is an opportunity to start again, Becca. You deserve it.”
She glances past me, watching Bane’s retreating figure. “I only hope I can stay off his radar.”
“It’ll be fine. You’re safe here, that’s all that matters.”
Right now, maybe that’s all my new friend needs to know.