“I’ve never met her personally, but Dash said her name was Spring and described her as a junkie whore. Harper’s description was much the same,” I told him.
“Fuck,” he breathed. “That makes this club business.”
“Not necessarily. When I talked to Dash, he said he didn’t give a shit about his mother.”
Copper arched a brow. “Well, guess it wouldn’t hurt to give him a call first.”
I was right; Dash didn’t care what happened to his mother, but he was very concerned about his sister. He offered to send one of the guys from Croftridge to tail River until their mother was arrested, but Copper assured him we could handle the job.
“I’m going to put the new prospect, Grant, on River. It’ll be a good test to see if he’s cut out for the club. Plus, I figure you won’t be far from her, anyway.”
“Sounds good, Prez,” I agreed.
When I finally left the clubhouse, the evidence had been turned in and arrest warrants were issued for Roy Mayfield and Spring Lawson.
Chapter Ten
River
After spending the entire day with me, Kennedy finally left, and that was only because she had to go to work. I, on the other hand, was being forced to take a week off. Well, technically, it was just the next three days because I was already scheduled to be off the following four. Still, I didn’t need a week off to recover.
I wandered around the hotel room, wondering what I could do to entertain myself. I wasn’t tired, and I only liked to watch certain shows on television, none of which were on. The existence of my e-reader and my laptop were still unknown. I really hoped they survived the fire. I had rental insurance to cover them, but it would likely be weeks of back and forth with the insurance company before I would be reimbursed to replace them.
I was studying the dinner menu, reminding myself that I couldn’t order any of the delicious, unbelievably fattening meals when someone knocked on the door. Don’t ask me how I knew it was Jonah at the door; I just did.
I quickly straightened my clothes and smoothed my hair. Then, I wanted to smack Kennedy for putting any kind of thoughts about Jonah in my head. I refused to allow myself to feel self-conscious around him, or anyone for that matter.
I opened the door and smiled. “Jonah, I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
“I need to talk to you about something. Can I come in?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Can you?”
“Cute. May I come in?”
“Of course,” I said and gestured with my hand for him to enter. “What do you need to talk to me about?”
He took a seat on the small sofa and patted the spot beside him. “You should probably sit for this,” he suggested.
For reasons unbeknownst to me, I didn’t argue with him. I sat quietly beside him and waited for him to continue.
“My rental house has security cameras mounted on each side of the house. After the Fire Marshal told us the preliminary findings indicated the fire was arson, I went through the footage to see if the cameras caught anything useful. The people who set fire to the house were Roy Mayfield and Spring Lawson,” he said slowly while watching my every move.
I tried to swallow, but my mouth was suddenly dry. My mother set my house on fire, with me inside. I thought her threats were just that, threats. “I can’t believe she actually did it,” I breathed.
“The fuck did you just say?” he shouted.
“Huh?” I asked, confused by his outburst.
“You knew she was going to burn your house down?”
“No, I didn’t. Well, not exactly. Shit,” I stammered and pinched the bridge of my nose. “She came to the hospital trying to get a prescription for pain pills. She threatened me in the parking lot and told me she would be back. She came back the night before the fire and didn’t get what she wanted. She was escorted out by hospital security, and she was pissed. I didn’t think she would try to burn my house down, though. I’m not even sure how she knew where I was staying,” I told him.
Before I could register what was happening, he had his cell phone pressed to his ear and walked away from me as he quietly spoke to someone. When he ended the call, he turned back to face me, “An officer will be coming by to take your statement in a little bit.”
“What? I don’t want to make a statement,” I shouted.
“You have to. Your mother and her whatever tried to kill you. They’ve already issued warrants for their arrests, but this new information proves it was premeditated.”
“I fucking knew this would happen if I came back here! For the last eight years, I’ve managed to live my life without that woman infecting any part of it, and now, after two weeks of living in the same town with her, she has affected my job and destroyed my home!” I screamed as tears of frustration ran down my cheeks.
And then something happened I didn’t see coming and wasn’t prepared for. He pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. “It’s going to be okay, River. Everything’s going to be okay.” As he gently rubbed my back and whispered reassuring words, I was almost tempted to believe him.
I allowed myself to be comforted by him, to enjoy the safety of his arms around me, to let his masculine scent wash over me and relax me before I pushed against his chest—his undeniably rock-hard chest—and took a few steps back to put some much-needed distance between us.
Jonah stepped forward with his hand extended, but three sharp knocks on the door halted his movement. After checking the peephole, I opened the door and let the two female officers into my hotel room.
While I was silently scolding myself for my stereotypical thoughts as I was one hundred percent expecting the officers to be male, I apparently missed something.
“River? You okay?” Jonah asked, appearing directly in front of me.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, what did I miss?” I asked and felt my cheeks redden.
“Just the introductions,” the first woman said. “I’m Officer Dunk, and this is Officer Underwood. Are you ready to give us your statement?”
“Yes?” I said, though it came out like a question. “Sorry, I’ve never done anything like this before, so you’ll have to talk me through it.”
Officer Dunk smiled kindly. “No problem, sweetie. You tell us what happened. We’ll ask any questions we have, then we’ll put it all into a formal report, have you read it, and sign it if you agree with everything on the report,” she explained.
So, I spent the next thirty minutes telling them what happened with my mother in the hospital parking lot. “I’m sorry, but I’m not comfortable discussing what happened while she was a patient without the presence of a representative from the hospital,” I said and shrugged. “HIPAA.”
They both nodded in understanding. “Honestly, the threats and the physical contact happened outside when I was off duty and she was no longer a patient.”
After a few more questions, they said someone would call me when the official report was ready for me to review and sign. “Ms. Lawson, we’ve issued warrants for their arrest, but as of right now, neither are in custody. It would be wise to be alert and cautious until they have been apprehended.” Then, she pointedly looked at Jonah and lifted her chin before letting the door close behind her.
“What the hell was that about?” I asked.
He grinned. “She’s a family friend. Well, they both are, but that was her way of telling me to look out for you without actually saying it.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“No one said you did. But would it hurt to have someone watching your back? At least until they’ve been arrested?” he asked.
Sighing in exasperation, I admitted, “I guess not.”
Jonah tried to convince me to have dinner with him, but I was exhausted and wanted to go to bed. Before leaving, he finally told me, rather awkwardly, that he was staying in the room next door until his home was cleared and to let him know if I needed anything. I agreed and then fell face down onto the
softest mattress in the world and drifted into a deep sleep.
Brrrrnnnngggg! Brrrrnnnngggg! Brrrrnnnngggg!
The loud and obnoxious noise startled me awake. My eyes flew open but immediately slammed shut when the bright white flashing light assaulted them. It took two seconds for me to realize the fire alarm in the hotel was going off.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” I screamed to the ceiling as I slid my feet into the slip-on sneakers I borrowed from Kennedy.
I startled again when someone pounded furiously on the door. “River!” Jonah screamed. “Rivvveeerrr!”
“I’m coming!” I yelled and grabbed my car keys from the small desk as I made my way to the door.
I yanked the door open and stepped out into the hallway. Jonah tossed me over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and sprinted for the stairs.
“I can fucking walk!” I yelled and punctuated it with a slap to his back.
“Not as fast as I can run,” he retorted and moved down the stairs faster than a gazelle running from a cheetah.
When we made it to the ground floor, he set me on my feet while we followed the crowd of hotel guests outside. The flashing lights of rapidly approaching fire trucks could be seen in the distance, and the hotel staff were strategically stationed to guide us along to the designated safe location. But what no one planned for was the spray of bullets that tore through the crowd from the two cars that flew by at top speeds.
“Down!” Jonah roared as he threw, yes threw, me to the ground and landed on top of me. “Everybody, get down!”
It lasted all of five seconds, maybe seven, and then a deafening silence filled the night air before complete and total chaos erupted.
Chapter Eleven
Judge
“What’re you thinking?” Copper asked.
“That it’s a fucking miracle no one was hurt,” I said honestly. At least fifty people were standing outside the hotel when two cars raced by and opened fire.
“You think it was intentional?” he asked, and I couldn’t help but look at my President like he had lost his damn mind. He rolled his eyes, “Not the shooting. I meant do you think they intentionally didn’t hit anyone?”
“Why in the hell would anyone do a drive-by shooting if their intention wasn’t to shoot someone?” I asked.
“To scare someone. To cause a distraction. As part of a gang initiation. Because people are fucking crazy. There could be a number of reasons. I just think the whole thing seems weird and wondered if you were getting the same vibe?”
He had some good points, but I hadn’t considered any of them. “Honestly, Prez, I haven’t had the time to do much more than be thankful I didn’t shit myself while covering River.”
“How is she?” he asked and jerked his chin toward the ambulance River was standing beside.
“Physically, she probably sprained her wrist when we went down, but otherwise she’s fine. Mentally, I’m guessing she’s freaked the fuck out. Back-to-back near-death experiences is a bit much for anyone to handle.”
“Yeah, I have to agree with you on that one. I’m going to see if I can find out what triggered the fire alarm. You staying at the clubhouse tonight?”
“Not sure yet. I’m going to go check on River. I’ll catch you before you leave,” I told him and clapped him on the shoulder.
I did know one thing for sure; River would not be spending the night by herself. She could bitch about it all she wanted, but that’s how it was going to be.
She looked up when I was a few steps away. “Jonah, any news?”
I frowned and shook my head. “Not yet. How’s your wrist?” She instinctively put her arms out to catch herself when I tossed her to the ground. With my much larger frame coming down on top of her, she was damn lucky her arm didn’t break.
She shrugged. “It’s fine. A little sore, but nothing a few days rest and some ibuprofen won’t fix.”
I nodded to Splint. “Is she good to go, brother?”
“She is. Now, it’s your turn,” he said and pointed to my hand.
I opened my mouth to protest, but he didn’t even let me get started. “It probably just needs to be cleaned and closed up with some glue. Quit being such a pussy and sit down.”
River burst into laughter, and Splint actually looked embarrassed. “Sorry, please forgive my language,” he said softly.
“Oh, no apologies necessary,” River said and snorted comically. “I had to hold his hand while he got a shot once.”
“Both of you can fuck right off. Splint, make it quick. I’ve got shit to do,” I snapped.
Splint made quick work of cleaning and gluing my hand. Two stitches had torn through the skin, but the majority of the wound stayed closed. Once he was finished, River asked, “Are they going to let us go back to our rooms any time soon?”
I scratched the back of my neck. “Uh, about that...I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay here. It’s still early, but as of right now, they don’t know if the fire alarm and the shooting were related or completely separate incidents.”
“Okay, so where am I supposed to stay?” she asked.
“My place—”
“Oh, hell no,” she answered immediately.
“Hear me out. Your mother and her boyfriend or whatever haven’t been picked up yet. My place is the last place they’ll look. You can park your car in the garage, and no one will know you’re there. I have an alarm system and cameras that have already saved your life once, and it’s close to the hospital,” I explained.
While she was thinking it over, I added, “You’ll have your own bedroom and bathroom. Plus, I work days, and you work nights; we’ll hardly see each other.”
She blew out an exasperated breath. “Fine. I guess I’ll stay with you until I can move back into my place.”
I grinned and pulled her along behind me by her uninjured wrist. “Wait! Where’re you going?”
“Home,” I said over my shoulder and continued toward my bike.
“But my stuff,” she protested.
“I’ll have someone bring it over. I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to be,” I confessed. Copper could speculate all he wanted, but regardless of intent, any time a gun was fired in the direction of people, it should always be assumed that someone would be hit. Since we weren’t, I didn’t want to push our luck any further.
When we reached my bike, River held up her car keys and jingled them in front of my face. “I’ll follow you,” she announced smugly.
Her jaw dropped when I snatched the keys from her and tossed them over her head. “No, you won’t. One of the boys will drop it off when they bring your stuff. Now, quit stalling and put your fine ass on my bike,” I growled. She had about two seconds to move before I placed her on it myself.
She stiffened and shot me a scathing look, but silently climbed onto my bike. I didn’t have a spare helmet with me, so I pushed mine onto her head and climbed on in front of her. Grabbing her thighs, I pulled her forward until her thighs were snug against mine and her hot little pussy was pressed against my lower back. “Put your arms around me and hold on,” I ordered but didn’t wait for her to comply, because I knew she would the moment I pulled onto the road and the bike lurched forward.
Fuck. I was hard as a rock by the time I pulled into my garage, and there was a large part of me that didn’t care if she saw it. But, the part of me that did care tapped her thigh and let her get off first while I discreetly readjusted myself.
She stayed silent as I escorted her into my temporary home and showed her to her room. “Bathroom’s through that door. There should be plenty of towels and toilet paper in there. Help yourself to anything that’s in the kitchen. Good night,” I said and went to my bedroom, closing the door behind me and my hard dick. Fuck, maybe having her stay with me wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Chapter Twelve
River
Surprisingly, Jonah was right; we didn’t see much of each other. However, it wasn’t because of
our work schedules, or at least not mine. I hadn’t been scheduled to work since I’d been staying at his house. And it looked like I would be there for a few more weeks before I could move back into the rental house next door.
Spending the better part of a week pretty much alone with little to no interaction with any humans whatsoever had just about sent me over the edge. So, I was more than happy to be returning to work.
I tried to take a nap in the afternoon, but never fell asleep. After growing more and more frustrated, I finally got up and started getting ready for work. After my shower, I put on a pair of panties and a camisole and spent the next fifteen minutes drying my hair and doing my makeup. By that time, I was starving and went to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. Since I knew Jonah wouldn’t be home before I left for work, I didn’t bother putting on any other clothes.
So, when I walked into the open part of the house to find a woman wearing what could only be described as material masquerading as a dress sprawled on the sofa, I was shocked to say the least. Before I could ask her what in the hell she was doing, my eyes shot to the fifty-inch flat screen mounted on the wall and all words left the building. Why? Because this barely dressed woman was watching porn. Hardcore, fetish porn. In Jonah’s house.
While I stood gaping at her trying to formulate words, she got to her feet and had no problem speaking. “Who in the fuck are you?” she asked in an annoying nasally voice.
“The woman who is supposed to be here. Who the fuck are you?” I shot back, happy that my brain and mouth were finally in sync.
“I don’t think so, honey. I’m Judge’s girlfriend, and I can assure you, I’m the only one who’s supposed to be here. Now get your skank ass out of here before I bash your snot-nosed face in,” she screamed, slowly advancing toward me.
I snorted and rolled my eyes at her ridiculousness. “Okie dokie, Imposter Barbie,” I said and crossed my arms. I was in no way, shape, or form intimidated by her in the slightest. She was wearing five or six-inch heels, and she was unnaturally top heavy; with one good push, she’d hit the floor like a sack of bouncy balls.
Judge (Blackwings MC - Devil Springs Book 2) Page 5