8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Sophia sat in the passenger seat of the SUV, amazed at how quickly Ruthy, Ariel, the President’s wife, and Adley had swept into the house and convinced her that she was going with them to shop for some of the items for the adoption event.
When Ruthy had said the club would cover whatever she wanted, it had been a no-brainer.
She never had carte blanche for the clinic or adoption events.
They’d grinned when she immediately said yes, as if they’d known that was her weak point.
She had hoped to see Tack, but he’d been working the last two days.
Even though they hadn’t seen each other in person, he’d texted her a couple of times, and multiple people from the MC had dropped by to help with the animals, mentioning Tack had sent them.
She wasn’t sure how to take all the sweet things he was doing, but she was going to enjoy them and maybe eventually get to go on that date or motorcycle ride with him.
“Okay, I’ve waited as long as I could. I have the best mother-in-law…” Adley praised. Ruthy beamed and winked at Adley in the rearview mirror. “Was Jolene crazy the whole time you were married?”
Sophia despised thinking about how weak she’d been because she didn’t like the feelings it brought up, but they deserved to know.
“Four years ago, I was working with my dad in the clinic. I’d been out of vet school for eight years.
We expanded into a rescue because that was our dream.
I lived in the house with them, but we were at the place financially that I’d paid off my school loans and put enough away that I was planning on building a smaller cottage farther back, about an acre behind the barn, for some privacy.
We have eleven acres, with the house and barn only taking up two acres.
The road would have split at the front of the barn, with one side leading back to my cottage.
We’d barely brought in equipment to clear some of the land while leaving as many trees as possible when my parents were killed in a car accident.
I buried them on my thirty-second birthday.
I was barely surviving because it had been just us in the clinic.
My mom did the books and scheduling. Even though Jolene lived across the street, we didn’t spend much time with her.
After they passed, she started dropping off meals for me.
A little while after their death, her son Rufus showed up.
I’d never met him. He does investments and had moved back to be close to her,” she trailed off, wishing she could go back and smack herself for agreeing to coffee with him.
“Did you fall in love with him?” Adley questioned.
“Looking back now that we’re farther from losing them, I realize I was lonely, grieving, and foggy. I know I didn’t love him. Now that we’re divorced, I look back and have no idea why I married him, but everything was just a blur,” Sophia admitted.
“Grief is such a journey that is two steps forward and nine steps back. I can’t think that if you didn’t have a relationship before you lost them that you were in any condition to agree to anything.
Most studies suggest people don’t make huge decisions in the six to twelve months after a loss.
Our analytical thinking is overwhelmed by the grief,” Ariel shared.
“I’d like to meet both of them because something seems off to me,” Ruthy prompted.
“I was thinking the same thing. It’s probably my lawyer mind always thinking people have ulterior motives,” Adley agreed.
“As long as you meet them when I’m not around. Jolene makes every nerve in my body tense, and her constantly watching the house is unnerving. I even got heavier drapes upstairs and in the family room so she couldn’t see shadows moving in the evenings,” Sophia admitted, shuddering.
“Wait, like sits on her porch and watches your house all the time?” Ariel questioned.
“Sometimes. But she has a chair in a second-story window that she sits in with her binoculars,” Sophia confessed, her stomach turning at knowing she was always under surveillance. She’d worked hard to push it to the back of her mind because it bothered her so much.
“This seems like it is more than an ex-mother-in-law wanting her son to get back with you, and it all seems off. I work for Franks and Daughters Bail Bonds, and we have a fantastic couple who can do research, and our tech guy, Cuffs in the Saint’s Outlaws, is very good too.
If it’s okay with you, I’d like to have them look into it a little more,” Ariel offered with a sweet smile on her face.
Sophia already liked these women who had been more caring to her than Jolene ever had been. What could it hurt to have someone else looking out for her and checking on things?
“I’d like that.” Sophia grinned at Adley’s wink through the rearview mirror.
“After that, I’m guessing you’re ready for shopping…
” Ruthy’s voice trailed off as she flipped around to stare out the back.
“Large black Dodge Ram pickup with black grill on the front coming fast,” Ruthy cataloged the vehicle while reaching down to the floorboard.
“Everybody have their seatbelts on just in case this goes sideways?”
Sophia had her seatbelt on, but she twisted around to see if she could recognize the vehicle.
It didn’t look familiar, and sure, it was driving fast, but this was Kansas City.
There were so many crazy drivers. She wondered why Ruthy immediately jumped to the conclusion that someone was chasing them.
Was this just a part of being around an MC?
“I notified the guys. They’re on their way,” Ariel responded, keeping her eyes on the approaching vehicle.
“Adley and Sophia, keep your seatbelts on and scoot down so they can’t see you. If they start firing, get on the floor,” Ruthy’s harsh voice had Sophia wondering what the hell was happening.
“Incoming. There’s an access road in half a mile. I’m taking that to give us more maneuverability,” Ariel informed them, though Sophia wasn’t sure she wanted to know. What the heck was happening and why?
“Gun coming out the window. Get on the floor,” Ruthy ordered.
Sophia unhooked her seatbelt and slid down to the floor, curling up and covering her head. Loud pops, like fireworks, sounded outside her window.
“Get ready for me to swerve for that exit,” Ariel muttered, her voice calm in the excitement. Sophia was glad that she wasn’t driving. She’d offered, but Ariel had countered that the SUV had more room than Sophia’s truck.
She braced her hand on the back of Ariel’s seat as the vehicle swerved across the lanes, bumping through what Sophia assumed was a median.
“Good job. They missed this exit but will be trying to reach us at the next one. If you turn in here, I think we can backtrack and head toward the clubhouse,” Ruthy suggested.
Sophia started to sit up to see where they were going.
“How about you ladies stay down a little longer? Whoever was firing wasn’t accurate because I’m not sure any of their shots hit the vehicle, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Ruthy suggested.
Sophia didn’t consider it a suggestion, more of an order.
She was using a calm, authoritative voice, but Sophia could tell Ruthy was going to keep everyone safe.
Tack looked at the schedule and smiled to himself.
He had the next week off from his SWAT duties and the gun range, which was fantastic.
It was short notice, but with what was going on with Sophia, he wanted to be able to help her with the adoption event she was doing and help her find fosters for some of the animals that weren’t ready for adoption.
He couldn’t wait to take her out by themselves and have her come over for a party at the clubhouse. He’d asked Cuffs, one of his brothers, to do some searches on Rufus and Jolene. Something was niggling at the back of his mind.
After serving in the military, being part of a motorcycle club, and a SWAT officer, he never ignored those feelings. There were too many people in the world who might look fine on the outside, but their insides were rotten to the core. Tack trusted his instincts.
He headed out to ride back over to Sophia’s. It had taken him two days to arrange the time off and work the shift he was scheduled for. His brothers had taken to dropping by and helping out Sophia and the animals.
Tack started up his bike and paused at his messages going off.
Staring at the text, he breathed deeply.
He finally had a clear schedule to spend time with Sophia, but it seemed his mother and his President’s and VP’s Ol’ Ladies had other ideas.
They were taking Sophia with them to pick up supplies for the adoption/foster event set for this weekend.
He slid his phone back in his pocket and decided to head toward Sophia’s anyway. He could help out with any of the animals that needed it and then wait for her to return.
He hadn’t understood the pull when Justice and Pit had both fallen for their ladies.
He’d been jealous, but he hadn’t realized how finding your one—the woman who he couldn’t imagine doing life without and making her his Ol’ Lady—would change how he thought about everything.
Now, after meeting Sophia, he got it—the driving need to ensure her safety and not be away from her.
What he’d imagined he had with Macy was a watered-down infatuation created by them both wanting what Justice and Adley had.
He didn’t think he’d ever be thankful for Macy dumping him, but he was.
He turned into Sophia’s driveway and parked in the back so that any clients could still turn around after visiting the clinic if needed.
He didn’t have access to Sophia’s appointments and wondered if she’d only taken off the morning.
He turned off his bike, heading toward the house to ask Freedom and Lake what they needed help on, but not before doing a thorough scan to see if Pudding was anywhere in the vicinity.
He wasn’t letting the little cock-blocker screw up any plans that he and Sophia might have.
His phone beeped with text messages coming through one after another. Before he could even start looking at them, his phone rang with a call from Pit.
“What’s up?”
“Where are you?” Pit questioned.
“I just pulled into Sophia’s. Since the girls are shopping, I thought I’d help out here. I was getting ready to check the numerous text messages that came in,” he replied, putting his phone on speaker so he could scroll the messages at the same time. Pit’s voice had him worried.
“The girls were shot at. Ariel’s driving them to the compound. Head toward 60th and you can escort them. I have a couple of the guys driving toward them,” Pit directed.
“Anybody hurt?” he asked, hoping Sophia was okay.
“No injuries. Get on the road,” Pit ordered, hanging up.
Tack didn’t waste time reading the messages, instead choosing to get on the road.
He pushed his bike, keeping an eye on traffic.
Turning onto 60th, he saw them in the distance.
Whoever was driving was good, but he could catch them.
He sped up, pulling alongside to signal that he had their back and dropped behind them, keeping a sharp eye on his side mirrors for any vehicles approaching fast.
Although it seemed like forever, in minutes Shield, Sledge, and Stinger arrived, with Stinger joining him in back and Shield and Sledge leading the vehicle to the compound. A Prospect opened the gate and quickly closed it behind them.
Tack parked and ran toward the stopped vehicle, looking for Sophia. Her head popped up into the passenger window. Tack pulled the door open, wrapping his arms around Sophia, his heart rate thundering at what could have happened to her.
“We’re okay,” she whispered against his chest. He leaned back, nodding and scanning her face. She had to be terrified.
“I’m glad,” he admitted. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if she’d been hurt, but he could guaran-fucking-tee that it would include bullets and letting his anger lead the way.
“Your mom is a badass,” her voice getting a little stronger.
He chuckled. “She is, but so are you.”
Sophia shook her head at him, her braids moving. He took in her cute overalls; these had little suns and ducks stitched on the fabric. Her glasses had bright yellow frames with little ducks printed on them.
“Hey,” he lifted her chin until she was staring at his eyes.
“You’ve gone through loss, still accomplished so much, and kicked an asshole ex to the curb.
Somebody weak doesn’t do all that, and don’t forget, you also provided a place for your strays,” he dropped a kiss on her nose. “Don’t sell yourself short.”
“They’re not my strays, they’re friends,” she argued.
Tack chuckled at her mulish look. She was magnificent, and he couldn’t wait to know all her looks, but especially the completely satisfied one she’d be sporting when he finally got her under him.
“Let’s go in, get you a drink, and catch up on the situation,” he winked, sliding his arm around her.
“Okay. I’ve always wanted to see the inside of a biker clubhouse in real life.”
“I think we can take care of that,” he agreed, wondering when he could show her his bedroom in the clubhouse. His heart had calmed down, but he wouldn’t mind undressing her and inspecting each and every inch for any injuries.
“What’s that smirk for,” she questioned as he held the clubhouse door open.
He waggled his eyebrows, grinning without answering. Her sweet laughter warmed something in him.
A guy had to have some secrets, didn’t he?