Chapter 25
Idaho
We waited for about an hour, and every minute that passed wound my brother tighter.
I texted Eva, checking in on her, and she insisted she was doing fine.
Despite the guys giving me shit about her, I knew they'd take their jobs seriously.
No one would be able to get to her while they were looking after her.
Stretching my legs out, I leaned back in the chair I was sitting in, and watched the comings and goings of the officers in the precinct.
Most of them were ignoring us. There were only two who were watching us as though we were the bad guys.
They were the two we needed to watch out for.
It was unlikely that all of these cops were dirty and working for Fremont.
It didn't work that way. But he certainly had a few of them in his back pocket.
With all the shit Lock's told me about what they'd pulled a few months ago, I knew Fremont and his officers were going to be an issue soon.
I just needed them to hold off long enough to figure out what was happening with Krier and make sure that Eva was safe.
Hush had his chin on his chest as he dozed. With a young baby in the house I doubted he was getting much sleep. The military had taught us to sleep when you could, wherever you could. Most of us could doze off in the middle of a bombing range and not be disturbed.
Lock stood and walked over to Priest. "How long is this going to take?"
"They're doing what they can," Priest told him, looking around the station.
"I know that, but-"
He cut off when Keely came walking into the main room with Static, and not long after Riptide appeared. He had his usual smile on his face, and it turned a bit mean when he stared over at the cop who'd arrested him. He gave the man the finger as he walked past.
"Let's get out of here before you get arrested again," Lock told Rip. He grabbed Keely by the upper arm and steered her out the door.
I shot Hush a grin as we stood up and followed them out. Lock was boiling over and doing everything in his power to wait until we were outside to lay into Keely.
"What the fuck were you thinking?" he exploded as soon as we got out to the bikes and Keely's car.
Her mouth dropped open. "I was thinking," she hissed, glaring at him, "that I could help Static get your friend here out of jail!"
They were practically nose to nose as Lock loomed over her. He had to bend a little to accomplish it, but Keely didn't seem to be worried about him or his temper.
"Five bucks on Keely," Smoke muttered.
I scowled at him. "Don't you think you've done enough betting for one day?" I asked, tone cold. "You already upset Eva with that bullshit."
Smoke had the decency to look guilty. "I'm sorry about that," he told me.
"And?" I prompted.
He sighed, then nodded. "I'll apologize to her, too."
"Damn right you will." It didn't matter that I was a prospect in this club.
When someone offended my girl, they were going to damn well apologize.
I'd been keeping my nose clean, didn't bitch at all about the assignments, and did everything they needed, so I knew they wouldn't give me too much shit about this. I was allowed.
The yelling match picked up pace nearby so we all turned to continue watching that. Static whistled low. "I've only seen her this pissed once and it was when some prosecutor tried some dirty tactics to get her client convicted," he muttered.
"I haven't seen Lock this worked up over a woman before," Hush replied.
Rip just watched with the smile on his face growing even more.
They all looked at me. "I haven't seen him this worked up over a woman where I wasn't involved.
" The last time had been after that kiss under the bleachers when his girlfriend thought I was him.
Not that he'd ever hurt a woman, but he sure had laid into both of us.
I was grateful to be spared his wrath today. That was all for Keely.
"You're not my keeper!" Keely shouted, poking Lockout in the chest with her finger. "I don't need you telling me what to do or where to go! You're not my boyfriend!"
"No shit," Lock growled back. "You're better than this. I know you are, but you're acting like a spoiled child right now."
"I am not!"
He snorted and shook his head. "You want to act like a fucking brat? Fine. I'll treat you like one."
"Uh oh," I said.
"What?" Priest asked. Then he stopped, shocked when Lockout grabbed Keely, manhandling her until she was leaning over his bike.
"Uh oh," all the men around me repeated in unison.
"Smoke's about to lose five bucks," Rip said
"Lockout, what the fuck are you doing?" Keely demanded, trying to push off his bike, but he was holding her down with one hand on her lower back.
"You want to be treated like a kid? Fine. Kids get their asses spanked." He lifted his free hand and brought it down hard on her jean-clad ass.
Keely gasped, then started shouting again. "Let me up! Let me up right now!"
He smacked her other cheek and she yelped this time. She was struggling hard, but he was a lot stronger than her.
I winced in sympathy. I'd gotten my fair share of spankings as a kid, and even as a young adult when I'd pissed off my father enough to warrant it. Which was often. Of course our dad had used a belt. Clearing my throat, I called out, "Lock."
He froze, hand in the air, chest heaving as he tried to regain control of himself.
Blowing out a breath, he released Keely and waited for her to finish as she pounded her fists into his chest and cussed him out.
There was a look of resignation on his face.
"Look," he said as soon as she tired out.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. But you fucking put yourself at risk and-"
"And nothing," she snarled. "You don't get to tell me what to do, Lockout." She backed up a few steps, shaking her head. "I've had a decision to make, and you just made it really easy for me."
Lock's eyes narrowed on her back as she stormed over to her car. He followed after her, grabbing her arm again and spinning her to face him. He pinned her against the car searching her face. "What decision?"
"Let me go, Lock," she spat.
The girl was brave, I'd give her that. There were few men who'd go toe to toe with Lockout in this mood.
They knew better. She just kept egging him on.
I saw the minute my brother hit his breaking point.
His mouth slammed down on hers. She froze in shock, but before long they were making out in the parking lot like horny teenagers.
Glancing over, I saw the other guys had spun around and were busy studying the police station.
This was the president of their club. They owed him respect.
But for me? First and foremost, he was my brother.
My twin. And man was I going to give him an unending amount of shit for this.
Knowing him as well as I did, it was easy to see he'd been fighting his attraction to Keely for some time.
He was better at that than me. I had an ungodly amount of patience for business.
But for Eva? I couldn't seem to rein in my feelings.
I frowned, staring down at the ground—it would be weird for me to stare at my twin while he rubbed himself all over a woman—as I realized that somehow Eva had slipped past my guard.
It wasn't just lust. Though there was plenty of that as well.
I had actual feelings for the woman. I swore, rubbing my hand over my chest. How had that fucking happened?
I hadn't wanted to let anyone in since...
well, since my mother died. Losing my sister on top of that had sort of just cinched things for me.
"You alright?" Hush asked quietly.
"Fine," I replied.
"We're going back to the clubhouse," Lock called over to us, his voice husky from his make out session. He and Keely were busy glaring at everything but each other.
"Think he's going to do something about that?" Rip asked me.
"Nope," I replied. "He's going to do his best to shove those feelings of his as deep as he can and try to treat her like she doesn't matter."
Smoke sighed. "I think most of us understand why he'd do that," he admitted.
"Yup," all three men responded.
I frowned, studying my brother as he held the door open for an angry Keely.
He looked like he wanted to strangle her, then fuck her, then possibly repeat the process.
It would be hilarious if I wasn't realizing that I was doing the exact same damn thing with my feelings for Eva as he was.
At least I was in good company if the rest of them had a habit of doing that as well.
Only, these guys were married, engaged, and having babies.
Just the thought of that made my chest tighten and gave me the urge to bolt.
"Let's go," I said, shoving those thoughts aside.
"Should we do somethin' about them?" Hush asked as we got on our bikes.
"I wouldn't," I told him. "You're just going to put yourself in the line of fire."
"We'll try later," Rip suggested.
"After he's cooled off," Priest said with a chuckle.
We followed Keely's car back to the clubhouse and I didn't miss the way Lock watched her storm off into the building. His jaw clenched so hard I was surprised I didn't hear teeth cracking. He turned to face us when she disappeared inside.
"Church in ten minutes," he barked. Before any of us could respond he turned and walked away.
"Maybe I'll-"
"Leave him," I told Hush, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him from going after Lockout. "You'll just make it worse if you talk to him now. Let him get himself under control, then you, or I, can speak to him."
"I don't know," Hush muttered, then a wicked grin spread over his face. "This is kind of my opportunity to pay him back."
"For what?" I asked as we all started walking toward the clubhouse.
"Back when I was first seein' Seek, he meddled. Might be the perfect time to repay him."
"Trust me," I told him with a grin. "You'll have plenty of time for that. I guarantee you my brother will keep depriving himself."
"What makes you say that?" Priest asked.
"It's how he is. Always taking responsibility for fucking everything. As if he has to carry the damn world on his shoulders. He's not going to allow himself to touch a woman he wants. Not yet anyway. Not until he breaks."
"Looks like he broke to me," Smoke said with a grin.
I chuckled. "Nope. That was just him losing his temper. It'd take a lot more than that to make him completely lose it. Trust me."
We paused as we came up to Hush and Seek's apartment. "The real question is," Smoke said, scratching his chin, "how long do we keep it to ourselves?"
Priest snorted in amusement. "I give you guys twenty minutes."
"You think we'll last that long?" Rip asked with a laugh. "And here I thought you knew us." Smoke shook his head mournfully as though the thought of Priest giving us that much credit was upsetting.
Hush chuckled as we all walked into the apartment. The women quit talking as we arrived, and Sloane's face softened as she saw her husband standing there. She got up and went to him with their new baby. He curled his arms around them protectively and spoke to her in a low voice.
Moving away to give them what privacy we could, I looked over and caught Eva staring at them with a wistful look on her face.
Those gorgeous eyes turned and met mine and I grinned at the way her cheeks went pink.
I was going to make sure she had that someday, if she wanted it.
Or at least has the opportunity to find it, I amended.
I couldn't give that to her, but taking care of Krier meant no other threats would come after her.
I'd make sure of it. Somehow I was going to make an example of him.
"Idaho?" Hush called out. "We're headin' to church."
"I'll be there in just a minute." Walking over, I stopped next to Eva as she stood up from the couch she'd been sitting on. I cupped her cheek. "You good?"
"Yeah," she replied softly, her cheeks going even more red as everyone stared at us.
I didn't give a shit anymore. It wasn't going to be me who was the talk of the club once the guys spilled what happened in that parking lot.
Smoke already looked like he was about to burst if he didn't say something.
He wasn't going to last the twenty minutes.
"I have to go meet with everyone else," I told her.
"But Dash and Mel are still patrolling outside.
Bear's next door. And we'll be right downstairs. "
"I'm fine," she insisted. "I'm having a good time."
"Alright. I'll be back up in a while and we can discuss the plan for tonight." I hadn't even made it out the door when the questions started flying.