Chapter 10
CHAPTER
TEN
Julie
Pulling into my driveway, I shut off my car and take a deep breath.
It’s been a long week. Not only has work been crazy, but I’ve been trying to get used to the cameras.
Instinctively, my eyes dart to the one on the side of my house.
Is he watching right now? Is that why he hasn’t stopped by in a few days?
As soon as the thought enters my mind, I push it away.
I shouldn’t want to see him. I shouldn’t want to spend time with him and wonder what he’s doing. I have no business being curious about the man, but I am.
The last time I saw him was when he came over and set up the cameras. While he worked, I made dinner. I went as far as making him a plate and demanding that he eat with me. For some reason he agreed, and while we ate, we made small talk.
I got to know him a little bit. He told me he had three siblings and that he previously lived in the States and relocated up here. I told him that I have always lived here and have never thought about leaving. How I love our town and all it has to offer.
After we finished eating, he helped me clean up the kitchen before getting back to setting everything up.
Once he was done, he sat down with me and went over the app, showing me how it worked.
He reassured me that he wouldn’t just be watching for fun but only when it was necessary.
Only when the alarm notified him someone was outside or messing with one of my doors or windows.
I raise my hand and wave at the camera, and as soon as I do, I groan.
“I’m so dumb,” I mutter to myself.
I grab my bag and get out of the car. As I walk up the front porch steps, I hear a car slowing down and look over my shoulder. I pause while I watch as the cruiser comes to a stop in front of my place, and my dad gets out.
“Hey, Daddy, what are you doing here?” I ask as he approaches.
My heart races as he looks around, and I don’t miss the way his eyes lock in on the cameras.
I open the door and step inside. He shuts the door behind him and looks around again.
“Just coming to check on my girl,” he says before leaning in and kissing my cheek. “How was your day? You look tired.”
I sigh. “Dad, how many times do I have to tell you, you shouldn’t tell a woman she looks tired? It’s an insult.”
“I can’t help it. I worry about you. Especially with this new development. When did you get cameras?”
“Only earlier this week.”
He raises an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t want cameras because the thought made you feel like someone was always watching you and gave you the creeps.”
I feel my cheeks heat. He’s not wrong. I have said that. Multiple times over the years.
“I got a really good deal on them and knew that it would make you happy. Besides, I wanted to know what Tabby does while I’m gone,” I tell him as I set my bag down on the entry table.
He hums, letting me know he doesn’t believe me, but he won’t push.
“You are obsessed with that cat.”
“I can’t help it. She’s just so cute,” I say, just as Tabby meows from the other room.
“So why are you really here while on shift? Is everything okay?” I ask as I cross my arms over my chest.
Dad rubs the back of his neck.
“Daddy…” I press.
He sighs. “There have been reports of a motorcycle frequently being in the area. I decided to patrol the area myself.”
“Dad…” I sigh. “Just because someone drives a motorcycle doesn’t mean they are doing nefarious things.”
He shrugs. “I’d rather be safe than sorry. You’re my little girl.”
“I bet it’s just someone who lives in the area who recently got one. There’s a guy down the street. He looks like he’s in his twenties and seems like the type to have a motorcycle. I bet it’s him.”
Dad’s eyebrows raise and he teases, “You know what guys who ride motorcycles look like now, huh?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m just saying, I bet you are worrying about nothing.”
“You’re probably right. Which is why I wanted to see for myself.”
I cross my arms. “Does this mean the patrols are going to stop?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He looks away, his tic when he’s lying.
“Come on, Dad. I know you have officers doing drive-bys multiple times a night. I’ve seen more of your officers than I have a guy on a bike.”
“I just like knowing you’re safe.”
Before either of us can say anything else, his radio squawks. Dad listens as the dispatcher reads off the order. After he radios back, he pulls me into a quick hug.
“Be safe,” I tell him.
“I’ll be fine. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He pulls away and opens the door. “Lock the door behind me.”
“Will do.”
Dad walks out, and I lean against the door frame. We wave at each other before he gets in. Only when he takes off do I step back inside and shut the door, locking it behind me.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I know he didn’t buy my lie about the cameras. He knows me better than that. He’s going to question it again the next time he sees me.
Opening my eyes, I look over at the camera that’s tucked into the side of my bookshelf. If he wasn’t watching when I pulled in, I bet he was when my dad got here.
Do I text him and admit that Dad was here? Let him know what was said? Or do I wait for him to message me?
Indecision weighs heavy on me for a moment, but I decide that I should message him first.
I grab my phone from my purse and walk over to the couch. As I sit down, I kick off my heels and tuck my feet under me.
Me
Hi.
I hit send before I can overthink it.
Here goes nothing.
Yak
I can’t help but chuckle when she waves at the camera and then visibly regrets it.
She’s just so fucking adorable I can hardly stand it. In fact, I’ve been trying to put space between us because of how sweet she is.
She made me dinner while I was putting up the cameras that she didn’t want in the first place. Then instead of sitting in silence, she tried to get to know me, which is difficult when I can’t tell her much. Not now at least.
The camera dings again, and I can’t help but tense when a cop car slows down and comes to a stop. I suck in a breath when I watch as her dad gets out of his cruiser and approaches. The cameras automatically switch from exterior to interior as soon as they step inside.
I listen as they greet each other, and her father calls her out for looking tired.
Am I the reason she hasn’t been sleeping well?
Before the guilt can set in, the conversation slightly shifts. When he asks her about the cameras, she lies, and it’s almost believable. At least it would have been if it weren’t for the way her hands twist in front of her. Her dad clocks it but shockingly doesn’t call her out.
My heart drops to my ass when he brings up reports of a motorcycle being in the area.
Son of a bitch, and here I thought I was evading them.
Then again it’s hard to get past them when they are constantly in the area. If I didn’t know better, I would think it was a bad area of town and that they were just waiting for the crime to happen, instead of it being one of the safest areas.
Instead of confiding in her father, though, Julie waves off his concern.
It shouldn’t please me how easily she lies, thinking on the fly to try and divert her father’s attention, but it does.
Still, I watch them, waiting for her to give him a sign that she’s in trouble, that something’s wrong, but my girl keeps her composure.
When his radio goes off, she waits by the door and watches him drive away.
I wonder how many times she’s done that? Watched him drive off and wonder if that’s the last time she will ever see him.
Being raised by a single parent in a dangerous line of work isn’t for the weak.
I watch as she grabs her phone and sits on the couch. She nibbles on her lip before typing out a quick text. Immediately, my phone goes off, making me smile.
Angel
Hi.
I can’t help but chuckle at the simplicity of her message, but I play along.
Me
Hi. Everything okay?
My eyes dart to the camera feed in the corner of my screen and watch as she types.
Angel
Everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know my dad stopped by. He said that there have been reports of a motorcycle being in the area and wanted to check it out for himself.
Me
Should I be concerned?
Angel
No, I think I convinced him that it was just someone who lives on the street or near us. The next time you come over, though, you might want to drive something else.
Me
Aw, it sounds like you care about me.
I watch her through the camera as she rolls her eyes, making me laugh.
Angel
I’m just trying to make sure you fly under the radar. That’s what you wanted, right?
A knock on the door to my room has me tensing.
Yooper shouts from the other side, “Shipment’s rolling through the gate. It’s time.”
“I’ll be right out,” I tell him.
Quickly, I send her another text.
Me
I appreciate it. I’m going to be out of pocket for the rest of the night, but if you message me, I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.
Angel
Okay, stay safe.
Her concern warms me in a way I can’t exactly explain. I don’t remember the last time someone cared about what happened to me.
Me
Will do.
Before she can reply, I shove my phone into my pocket and leave my room.
“Everything okay?” Yooper asks quietly when he sees me.
“Yeah, everything’s good.” We leave the clubhouse and make our way over to the barn right as the box truck pulls in.
“Heads up. There’s a party this weekend, and you need to prep your girl. She’s going to be expected to act like an old lady,” he murmurs.
Fuck. I knew this was coming. I had just hoped we would have more time. That I could maybe figure all this shit out before Julie was forced to come back here.
“Okay,” I tell him, my mind racing a million miles a minute.
“It will be fine,” he says, sounding like he’s trying to convince us both.
Yooper and I head inside and move floorboards in the barn, revealing an underground lift.
“What’s up, motherfuckers?” Poutine asks as he jumps out of the truck.
Aragon gets out of the driver’s seat and is glaring.
“Do you ever shut up?” Aragon snaps at him.
“Hey, no reason to take your bad mood out on me,” Poutine says, holding up his hands in surrender.
Sap rolls his eyes as he comes into view and immediately opens the back of the truck. Together, Poutine, Sap, and Yukon begin getting the crate out of the truck.
“How did it go?” Yooper asks Aragon.
“It was fucking fine,” Aragon grumbles.
I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from snapping at him.
The dude needs to remember that he’s not the top dog. In fact, if I had my way he would be put down. Even if he’s not our rat, I don’t like him for this club.
When the guys get the first crate placed on the lift, Yooper hits the button, and it starts to lower into the basement, out of view. The guys push it off to the side before they give the signal to bring it back up. We repeat the process three more times until all the guns are unloaded.
“Inventory time,” Sap mutters.
“Turtle, deal with the truck,” Aragon orders as more brothers come into view.
“Ten-four,” Turtle salutes.
“Kid’s fuckin weird,” Wolverine says quietly.
We all head into the basement, and my eyes find Poutine’s. I give a slight tip of my head, silently asking him to meet me at the farthest crate.
I pick up a crowbar and get to work on prying off the lid as he joins me. I eye the crowd, making sure no one is close by before speaking.
“How did it go?” I ask under my breath.
Poutine crouches, being hidden by the crate. “It was fucking weird, man. I know I haven’t been on many runs, but something about it…didn’t feel right.”
I pause and look down at him. “What do you mean?”
“Aragon had an entire conversation with the dealer out of view. I broke away and pretended that I needed to take a piss. I watched them trade money, Yak. I wouldn’t have thought anything about it if I hadn’t known the handoff with cash was happening after.”
My heart races, and my eyes dart to Aragon. What is he up to?
“Anyone with him?” I ask quietly as I pop another nail.
“What’s going on over there? You blowing him, Poutine?” Keener yells, making the guys laugh.
Yooper looks over at me with concern for a split second before his face smooths.
“I’m meditating after hanging out with Aragon’s grumpy ass for hours,” Poutine shouts, making them laugh again.
“Enough of the chitchat. Let’s get to work,” Yooper declares.
“Later. We will talk later,” I tell Poutine as I pop off the lid.
As we begin to sort through the inventory, I can’t help but wonder, why was Aragon giving the arms dealer money, and what does he have planned?