Chapter Four Chloe
I pull into my father's driveway and glance over at him in the passenger seat. He's sitting stiffly, one hand braced against the door. He glowers at me.
“You need to stop worrying about me. I’m fine. The doctor gave me some pain meds.”
I shake my head as I turn off the engine. “Stay there until I can come around and help.”
“I don’t need help,” he grumbles, but at least he doesn’t reach for the door handle.
He waits for me to exit and make my way around to him.
I come around the truck and offer him my arm.
He rolls his eyes dramatically, but when he steps out, he leans on me just enough that I notice.
The sight twists something inside my chest.
We move slowly into the house.
Everything looks exactly as it always has—family pictures on the walls, worn leather recliner facing the television, the smell of coffee and sawdust lingering in the air. Normally, the familiar surroundings comfort me. Today they just remind me how close I came to losing him.
I try to steer him toward the bedroom, but he refuses to move in that direction. Instead, he aims for his recliner.
“You should be in bed,” I chide him.
“The doctor said that I need to rest. I can rest here. Besides, I probably shouldn’t put pressure on the wound.”
I consider his comment and realize he has a point.
“Okay, I’ll give you that one. How about some coffee or tea?”
He scrunches up his face. “Tea? Since when did I start drinking tea?”
He has a point. He hates tea. “I don’t know why I suggested tea. I guess it sounds like something you should drink instead of coffee. Sorry.”
Shaking his head, he picks up the remote and turns on the television. The Las Vegas Aces are playing.
“Oh good, I didn’t miss the game. I love watching those women pound the boards.”
Once he has a fresh cup in his hands, I sit on the sofa across from him. I wait for a commercial break before I begin my inquisition.
"So..." I say quietly. "What happened?"
He stares into his coffee for several long seconds.
"I was doing my morning walk-through."
"The crew wasn't there yet?"
"Some were, most were still arriving." He rubs the back of his neck carefully. "Most of 'em headed upstairs to continue installing drywall on the fourth floor. I figured I'd make one last pass through the building."
I nod.
"When Declan found you, you were in what'll be the building manager’s office."
His brow furrows.
"I was heading upstairs."
"You never made it."
"No." His voice grows distant. "I remember walking toward the stairwell."
He closes his eyes, searching.
"Then..."
"What?"
"I don't know." Frustration hardens his features. "Something distracted me."
"What kind of something?"
"I can't remember." He shakes his head slowly. "Thought I heard something... or maybe saw movement." He grimaces. "It's just out of reach."
"You don't remember seeing anyone or hearing anything?"
"No."
“There was blood on the ground—dried blood. You must have lain unconscious for a while. Maybe an hour or so. We’re lucky Declan found you.”
His expression darkens.
“Did you see the message on the wall?” I ask.
He looks confused but then nods slowly. “I remember seeing red on the wall when the EMTs were wheeling me out, but I didn’t read it. What did it say?”
I hesitate, wishing I didn't have to repeat it.
“It was addressed to me,” I say. “It said that I’m next.”
Silence crashes over the room.
Dad's grip tightens around his coffee mug until his knuckles turn white.
“Damn it, Chloe. You think these are the same assholes who have been sabotaging the site?” he asks.
I shrug. “I think so. I don’t know for certain.”
“They’re escalating.” The fear in his voice hits harder than the attack itself.
“They’re escalating,” I agree.
“Why? What do they want? We knew someone was causing problems, but we always thought it was just kids. This attack doesn’t feel like kids.”
I shrug and consider my options. Do I tell him what Puma suspects? If I don’t, he’ll imagine the worst, and that could be worse than the truth.
“The attacks started soon after I won the Inferno Ridge bid. Puma and Spock think that maybe one of our competitors didn’t like the outcome and is trying to force me to quit the project.”
My dad nods once, grimaces, and responds. “Then why not sabotage Inferno Ridge? Why sabotage Riversedge?”
“Because whoever this is isn’t an idiot. Puma explained that if anyone tried to sneak onto their property, they would get caught.”
He chuckles. “He has a point. That would be stupid.” Then he sobers, and I can see by the expression on his face that I’m not going to like what he’s going to say. “Maybe you should pull out of the Inferno Ridge project.”
I’m shaking my head before he finishes the sentence. “Absolutely not. This is my big break. That project will keep us in the black for years. You know how big the project is. We’ll be set for life once we’re done.”
“It’s not worth losing your life. I already lost your mother." His voice softens into something painfully raw. "I'm not losing you too."
I sigh, but I’m not backing down. “You aren’t going to lose me. Puma has offered us protection.”
While I don’t expect him to celebrate the news, his frown catches me off guard. “What? This is a good thing?”
“Is it? Protection from a biker’s club? These men are dangerous, Chloe.
When you first mentioned submitting a bid, I wasn’t thrilled.
Knowing you were working on their subdivision for the women and children, I figured you couldn’t get in too much trouble.
But now you’re under their protection? What does that mean? What is it going to cost you?”
I lean back against the sofa cushions and stare at my father. I’m trying to figure out how to convince him that he has nothing to fear from the Demon Dawgs.
“I’m not scared of them,” I say. “You haven’t spent much time out at Inferno Ridge. They’re good men. What they’re building out there is amazing. It’s a community of people looking out for each other. All Puma is doing is including me under his umbrella. I don’t want to let them down.”
“Maybe we should cancel the contract with Scaro. He can find someone else to finish the apartment complex,” he suggests, changing tactics.
“I’m not quitting,” I tell him. “It would damage the reputation of the company. We need to finish the project. We’re close.”
I study the lines of his face and see the worry creasing around his eyes.
For the first time since this nightmare began, I realize he isn't worried about recovering from his concussion. He's terrified the next ambulance won't come for him, but for me.
I sink farther into the sofa, wrapping both hands around my coffee. It's gone lukewarm, but I barely notice.
“I know you’re worried about me, but I don’t think it is necessary.
Puma has offered protection. He’s promised to install security cameras around the entire site.
He’s also suggested having members of his club provide added security.
If the person behind the attacks sees that the Demon Dawgs are protecting us, they’ll probably stop the attacks. ”
Dad lets out a slow breath. “You may be right. If the assholes are too scared to attack Inferno Ridge, they may think twice if they know the Demon Dawgs are protecting the other site, too.”
We sit silently for a few minutes before Dad lets out a soft chuckle.
“What do you find so funny?”
“You. Them. This. When you first told me you were going to bid on their project, I thought you were insane. I tried to talk you out of it. Remember?”
I nod.
“I thought the danger would come from them. I didn’t expect that we’d be turning to them for protection. But you never worried about them being trouble, did you?”
I shake my head. “No. Not after meeting Spock and hearing about their plans for Inferno Ridge. They look like tough bikers, and they are, but there is more to them. Puma is a force. I wouldn’t want to cross him. But seeing him with those kids? He isn’t a bad man. He’s a great man.”
“You aren’t fallen for him, are you?”
I chuckle at the look of horror on his face.
“No, I’m not falling for him.” I don’t mean to emphasize the word ‘him’, but I do.
He raises his eyebrow, but before he can press me about it, there is a knock on the door.
Dad starts to push himself out of the recliner.
"I've got it."
He settles back with an annoyed grunt while I cross the living room and open the front door.
The man standing on the porch is tall, broad-shouldered, and dressed in a charcoal suit that looks expensive without being ostentatious. His sandy blond hair is cut short, and his sharp blue eyes take in everything around him before settling on me.
"Chloe Davenport?"
"Yes."
He reaches into his jacket and flips open a leather badge wallet.
"Detective Rafe Sterling. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department."
I scan the badge before stepping aside. “I don’t understand. Is there a problem?”
Detective Sterling gives me an odd look. “I understand that your father was attacked. I’ve come to take his statement.”
“Chloe?” my dad calls out.
I gesture for the detective to come inside before shutting the door. I lead him into the family room and direct him to my seat on the sofa. Then I take the seat next to him as I introduce him to my father.
“I don’t understand,” I say. “I didn’t call the police.”
“Puma did,” the detective explains.
“Puma called the cops?” my dad asks, surprised. “That’s unexpected.”
The detective chuckles. “It is, and it isn’t. Puma is a friend.”
“And he called you about the attack?” I ask.
Detective Sterling nods. “He wants the attack on record. I don’t doubt that Puma plans to hunt the culprit down himself, but he likes to cover his bases.”
Dad and I share a look. Detective Sterling watches us with a smirk on his face.
“Maybe I should explain. I’m a cop, yes, but I’m also a friend of the club.
My girlfriend, Viper, is a club enforcer.
My nephew, Randy, who is also a cop, is in a relationship with Viper’s brother, Rattler. Rattler is also a member of the club.”
My eyes widen at his statement. “I met him today. Randy. Rattler, Randy, and Bianca were looking at lots.”
“So, you can see that this is personal for me, too. The Demon Dawgs are my family, and now they’ve adopted you. Puma wants us to patrol the Riversedge site, too. So, tell me what happened.”
I let my dad go over the events again, while I listen. I’m hoping to hear something that helps me figure out who is behind the attacks.