Chapter 22
Idaho
It was the second day in a row my phone woke me. Squinting at it, I answered and groaned, "Why?"
"Levi."
Untangling myself from Eva—she'd curled around me like a vine while she slept—I sat up. Lockout's tone was deadly serious. And he was using my real name. "What's wrong?"
"You mentioned you had a way to get Fremont off our backs?"
"Yeah."
"Well, he's started up again. Worst fucking possible time, too." I heard him swear as a horn blared in the background. "Get your ass downtown." He rattled off an address and a precinct number for the Tucson police.
"Is everything okay?"
"No. Get here as fast as you can."
The line went dead and I swore as I set it aside. Worry for my brother had all my muscles tensing as I tossed the comforter off.
Eva raised her head, sleepy eyes finding mine. "What's wrong?" she mumbled, all out of sorts from being woken.
It was nine in the morning, but we'd been up late and she needed the rest after the emotional call she'd had with her father. I hated to wake her. "We have to go," I told her. "How quickly can you get dressed?"
I didn't know where most of the guys were and whoever was left here was going to be busy watching over the women and children. I wasn't about to leave Eva behind. She was coming with me.
"Give me two minutes," she said.
I had to give her credit, as soon as she heard the worry in my voice she was awake and moving.
Jumping out of bed, I pulled on clean boxer briefs, jeans, a t-shirt, and then put on my cut.
By the time I walked out into the living room, after tying my boots, Eva was emerging from her room.
She was in jeans and a sweater that left about two inches of her stomach showing and one freckled shoulder.
How had I missed the fact that she had freckles there?
Was too damn busy looking at everything else.
I needed to slow down next time and explore her gorgeous body to its fullest. But not now.
"Let's go." I made a mental note to text Sylvia and ask her to let Auron out later. He was right next to me as we walked to the door. "Wait here, Boy," I told him. He whined, but sat as I shut the door between us.
"Where are we going?" Eva asked as I hustled her through the quiet clubhouse and out into the parking lot.
"Police station."
She gave me a wide eyed look, but didn't comment as I started up my bike.
I turned and put my helmet on her head, cinching it down, and making another mental note to have Andrew get me another one.
I wanted her to have her own. It was my intention to convince her father that she was safe staying here, if that was what she wanted. I had a feeling it was.
Andrew was getting into town tomorrow and would have more time than me, so I'd send him out shopping. Besides, I fucking hated shopping. Shit was torture.
She climbed on behind me and I gunned it out of the lot. The gate was already open, but I saw both Mel and Dash walking around outside. We weren't leaving the clubhouse vulnerable.
It took about thirty-five minutes to get to the police station, and I saw where the others had parked, answering the question of who all was here. I still didn't know what was going on. "Stick close," I told Eva as we walked through the door.
Everyone looked up as we came in, but Lockout and Static were speaking with an officer. "What are the charges?" Static asked. "And what was the official reason he was pulled over?"
"He was speeding," the officer replied, watching them with suspicion.
"Bullshit," Lockout snapped.
"Lock," Static muttered, trying to get my brother to calm down.
"It's bullshit," Lock repeated. "Rip was driving home with his wife and brand-new baby. I guarantee you he wasn't fucking speeding."
"Wait here," I told Eva. Looking over at the others, I asked, "Keep an eye on her?"
"Sure thing, Prospect," Toxic said with a wide smile. He patted his thigh. "Here's your seat right here, Sweetheart."
I narrowed my eyes on him. "Don't fucking touch her." Glancing over at Priest, I silently asked for his help. To Eva I said, "Seriously, don't touch him. You don't know where he's been."
Hush shoved Toxic, nearly knocking him off the little plastic and metal chairs that reminded me of the shit we had in school when we were young. "Quit fuckin' with him. Now's not the time."
Eva went to sit between Priest and Toxic as I approached the front desk. "Hey," I said to Lock as Static continued to speak with the cop.
Lock raked a hand through his hair, looking stressed as fuck. "Thanks for coming. Not sure what to do here. They fucking left us alone for months, and their first move is to pull over Rip and drag him out of the car and arrest him in front of Sloane."
"She okay?" I asked, looking around.
"She's out in the car. Ricochet, Smoke, and Hell are with her."
Nothing would happen to her, or the baby, with those three around. Hellfire could take on the whole police force himself and do just fine. Meanwhile, Butcher and Hush were standing there, arms crossed, glaring at the cops behind the desk. If looks could kill everyone in this precinct would be dead.
"I'm his lawyer," Static told the cop. "I'd like to see him now."
The guy looked Static up and down. "Don't look much like a lawyer."
"And you don't look much like a man," Toxic called out. "I'd be surprised if your dick was any bigger than your thumb."
"Who brought him along?" I asked with a chuckle as Lockout shot him a look that promised pain if Toxic didn't shut up.
The cop glared at Toxic, but after Static showed him the proper credentials, verifying who he was, the man motioned for him. "Back this way. But only you," he warned.
Static turned and looked at us, worry written all over his face. "I don't know what the plan is," he muttered, "but I've got this covered if you want to get started on that."
"I'll leave Priest and Smoke here with you," Lock told him. When Static started to argue, Lock shook his head. "If Fremont is back on our asses, no one goes anywhere alone."
Static nodded, then followed the cop into the back. We walked over to the others and Lock looked over at Priest. "You and Smoke watch out for Static and Rip as much as you can."
"No problem, Prez," Priest told him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Where are you guys going?"
"To visit the mayor," I said with a grin.
Priest's lips quirked upward. "Damn sorry to be missing that."
"Just watch out for them, alright?" Lock said. "And keep your head on a fucking swivel. I wouldn't put it past any of these bastards to claim you pulled some shit in order to lock you up. Keep Smoke under control."
"Will do."
Lock motioned for the rest of us to follow him outside.
Once we met up with the others near the cage ride where Sloane was sitting tucked inside with her new baby, Lock started handing out assignments.
"Smoke go inside with Priest. Keep it cool and calm," he ordered.
Hellfire snorted in amusement, but didn't comment.
"Hell, Ricochet. Get Sloane and the baby home.
Let the other women know what happened so they can sit with her. "
The men agreed and waited for him to keep speaking.
"Hush, Idaho, you're with me. Apparently, we're going to see the mayor." His tone was sarcastic since this was my plan and I hadn't let him in on it yet.
"What about us, Lock?" Toxic asked, motioning to him and Butcher.
"And Eva," I added. "We can't bring her with us."
"Toxic, Butcher, you're on princess babysitting duty," Lockout told them.
Both Eva and I exploded at the same time. "No fucking way is he watching over her," I snapped, shoving Toxic back a step. He was already standing too damn close to my girl.
"I'm not a princess!" Eva huffed, fisting her hands on her hips.
"Fucking push me again, Prospect. See what happens," Toxic warned me.
"I may be a prospect, but I'm not a fucking noob," I growled at him. "You want to go a few rounds with me, you're going to fucking regret it." We squared off, getting in each other's faces.
"Seems to me you're just pissed off at the thought of your lady being with me all day. Afraid she's going to realize she likes me more than you?" he taunted, his grin was one part feral, one part smirk, making one giant asshole.
I wanted to wipe that smile off his face using the damn pavement. "I'm going to-"
"Shut the fuck up! All of you," Lockout ordered, shoving me backward a step, creating space between Toxic and me.
He glared over at the other man. "I don't have time for you to be fucking with him, Toxic.
There's a goddamn time and place." He motioned toward the car where Sloane's worried face watched our meeting.
"Shit, sorry," Toxic muttered. "You're right." He looked over Lock's shoulder at me. "We'll watch out for her. I'll wait 'til you get back before I put the moves on her. I'll play fair."
"Fuckers will have to get through both of us before they'll get to her," Butcher added.
"I didn't even get to tell you that the attack on her was an attempted kidnapping," I told them, taking Butcher's promise to look after Eva seriously.
I knew neither man would let anything happen to her.
I also knew, deep down, Toxic was just trying to rile me up by flirting with her.
It damn well pissed me off that it worked so easily.
Especially after last night. The thought of letting her leave my sight was chafing at me.
Add him trying to charm her, and it was a miracle I hadn't just jumped him.
Toxic may have been a pilot in the Army, and later for the CIA when Butcher had brought him onto his team, but he was just as lethal as the rest of us.
We were well matched in age, size, and stamina.
I had no doubt a fight between us would be brutal and bloody.
With someone threatening Eva, her father coming into town tonight, and now all this?
I could have used a quick brawl to wash away some of this fucking tension.
I was wound so tight that I was just as likely to end up in that cell next to Riptide than finishing out the plan I'd been hatching to deal with Fremont.
"You can ride with me, Sweetheart," Toxic told Eva.
Lock put a hand on my shoulder, giving me a warning look, even as he said, "She'll ride with Butcher."
"Why can't she ride in the cage?" I asked.
"Sloane and the baby are in the backseat and the other guys are up front."
"Unless you want her to ride on my lap," Hellfire added, "she's gotta ride with one of them."
Every single one of them. They were all trying to fucking drive me insane. There was a shit-eating grin on Hell's face. Didn't matter that he had an old lady, the thought of Eva riding on that monster's lap made me want to unload my gun in his face.
I glared at him, but didn't comment because Lockout spoke up again. "Let's get moving. We've got a lot to do today."
Eva gave me a questioning look, but I just shook my head. Walking over to her, I cupped her cheek. "Go with Butcher and Toxic. Do everything they tell you to do, Duchess."
"Oh, I like the sound of that," Toxic said, then cursed when Lockout smacked him upside the head.
"I'll be back soon," I promised her, ignoring the fact that everyone, including Sloane, was watching us with bemused expressions on their faces.
"Who had four days?" Hush asked the group.
"Not now, Hush," Lock barked.
I glared over at the man. "Four days for what?" I asked, tone dark.
"'Til you fucked her," Smoke said with a laugh.
Eva gasped in horror, heat flooding her cheeks as she looked around at the men. "What?"
"You bet on us? Fucking dicks," I muttered.
Lockout's expression was thunderous as he stared down Smokehouse. "Get the fuck inside." He started barking at everyone. "Get going."
I looked down into Eva's tearful eyes and cursed. "Ignore them," I told her. "They're just being assholes."
"Shit," Hush muttered. "Didn't mean to upset your lady," he told me as I walked Eva past, toward Butcher's bike.
Even Smoke looked over at Eva with a worried expression. He didn't like that he'd upset her either. He just had a big fucking mouth. Shaking his head, he did as Lock ordered and headed for the police station.
"How did they even know?" she whispered to me. It was easy to see she was embarrassed.
"Don't worry about them," I told her. "I'll make them pay for that.
" Tipping her chin up, I laid a kiss on her lips.
"Go with the guys. Hang out with the other women.
Try not to worry, this is what I do. I'll be back soon.
" I hated leaving her when I knew she was nervous about meeting with her father tonight.
But the upside of all of this was she'd be able to hang out with the others and I knew the women would help ease any worries or embarrassment she had about last night.
Assuming my shy duchess could open up to them.
I watched as she climbed on the back of Butcher's bike.
Reaching over, I grabbed my helmet and once again put it on her.
It took all my self-control not to rip her off the bike when she put her arms around Butcher's waist. They rode off, Toxic with a mischievous grin on his face, and I fought the urge to go after them.
Lockout sighed. "There's no time for me to tear into you about doing the one fucking thing I told you not to," Lockout said, pinning me with a hard look. "But you can bet your ass that I will later."
"Looking forward to it," I muttered, still watching the road where Eva had disappeared on the back of Butcher's bike.
"I know they're giving you a ton of shit," Lock continued, "but I need you to lock it down, Idaho. Tell me what you have planned."
A grim smile spread over his face as I told him and Hush what I'd come up with.
"Yeah. That'll do," my brother said, slapping me on the shoulder. "That will fucking do."