Jonah was sitting on the couch looking at something on his phone when I appeared in the living room. “That was fast. I assumed you would want to take a long shower.”
“I did, but I didn’t want to waste time,” I said and pointed to the bulky monitor encircling my ankle. “But I plan to take a long, hot bath as soon as we get back.”
With that, we climbed on his bike and headed to the clubhouse. There were more bikes in the forecourt than usual and I assumed those belonged to the members from the Croftridge chapter. As we walked to the door, I studied the bikes and quickly found the one that belonged to Reed.
I startled when “Welcome back!” and various cheers were shouted as I entered the clubhouse. The common room was packed full of smiling faces—some were familiar while others were new to me.
My hand flew to my chest as I took in the room. I wasn’t sure how to react. While it was a kind gesture that I wholeheartedly appreciated, being arrested and bailed out wasn’t something I wanted to celebrate.
Leigh picked up on my discomfort immediately. She stepped forward and took my hand in hers. “We just wanted you to know that we believe in your innocence and will do whatever we can to help. And, you know, we all need to eat.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Thank you. I’m just, uh, I guess I’m a little overwhelmed by everything.”
“And that’s perfectly understandable,” she said kindly. Then, she turned around to face the group gathered in the common room. “Y’all go find something to do and give the girl some room to breathe,” she ordered.
To my surprise, the crowd dispersed. “There we go. Now, let’s get you something to eat. I hear jail food is horrendous.”
I absently rubbed my stomach. “It looked disgusting, but I was too upset to eat much of anything.”
She nodded in understanding. “I’m the same way. I carry all of my stress in my stomach. Do you feel like eating anything now? We’ve got plenty to choose from, but if there’s something particular you’d like, I’ll be happy to make it for you.”
I eyed the various dishes and plates of food set out on one of the tables. “No, no, what’s here is great.” I grabbed a plate and started loading it with food. I really wasn’t hungry, but I didn’t want to call any more attention to myself by not eating.
Jonah joined me at the table, as did my brother, Copper, and another man who looked a lot like Copper. “River, this is Phoenix,” Jonah said. “He’s the President of the original chapter of Blackwings. He’s also the one who posted your bail.”
Phoenix extended his hand to me, but I stood and moved around the table. The man had just paid one million dollars to free me from jail; he deserved much more than a handshake. I didn’t hesitate to hug him. “Thank you,” I said softly.
“You’re welcome, River,” he said and patted my back. “You better get back to your seat before your man makes a very unwise decision.”
I turned to find Jonah glaring at Phoenix. “Seriously, Jonah? You need to wipe that look off your face and get your ass over here to hug him, too,” I blurted causing the table to erupt in laughter.
“Yeah, I like her,” Phoenix chuckled while Jonah gave me a look I could only describe as a mix between shock, pride, and desire.
Copper pulled his phone from his pocket and held it to his ear. “Yeah,” he said and paused. “Let her in.” He disconnected the call and said, “Tina’s here.”
“What? Why?” I blurted. I knew I would have to meet with her at some point, likely multiple times, but I hadn’t expected it to be so soon.
“To start working on your case,” Jonah said. “The sooner, the better.” Well, I couldn’t argue with that. I wanted this nightmare to be over more than anyone. I still couldn’t believe that I had been arrested for murder. I wasn’t sure that would ever fully sink in.
Tina arrived looking like the quintessential no-nonsense lawyer, which was quite comical with her standing in the middle of a biker clubhouse. “Hello, everyone,” she greeted and turned her attention to Copper. “Are we doing this here or would you prefer somewhere more private?”
“Here’s good. You hungry?” he asked and gestured toward the food table.
“I may get something when we’re finished, but I’d like to go ahead and get started now.”
“Go right ahead,” he said and went back to his food.
“Basically, here’s the deal. Gwendolyn Ellison is Chairman of the Ritch County Council. Her daughter died from a drug overdose a few months ago and she has been aggressively pushing for changes in the laws and punishments related to illegal drugs. The current district attorney is up for reelection this year and Gwendolyn has enough power to influence voters, so the DA is trying to stay in her good graces by actively pursuing any and all drug related charges,” Tina explained. “Or that’s what he wants her to believe. He’s clearly letting a junior prosecutor or one of the paralegals review the cases and give the okay to file charges, because anyone with his experience would’ve realized how weak the case is against you.”
I wanted to believe what she was saying. I wanted to fully exhale for the first time since I’d been arrested and sag with relief. But I couldn’t, or wouldn’t. Not until I heard the words from the judge’s mouth.
“I feel confident I can get the charges dropped, but I need to ask you a few questions and gather some other information before I make a formal request.”
“What do you need to know?” I asked.
We spent the next two hours going over my whereabouts and activities since I’d arrived in Devil Springs. Unsurprisingly, most of the time I was at work or asleep, but thanks to Jonah’s home security cameras, I could be accounted for even when I was home alone during the time surrounding Brett’s death.
Tina had already received the hospital’s narcotic count records for the recent weeks which showed there were no instances of missing medications, particularly fentanyl. She was also working on getting documentation from the hospital to prove that fentanyl was not routinely stocked or used in the ER. Even though I worked in the hospital, it wasn’t a medication I readily had access to. In fact, I couldn’t recall ever giving it to a patient in any form other than a transdermal patch in all my years working as a nurse.
“How much do you know about fentanyl?” I asked.
Tina didn’t hesitate to answer with the truth. “Only what I’ve seen on the news recently.”
“I think there is a gross misunderstanding of fentanyl thanks to the media. The actual drug is not the killer it’s made out to be. Sure, any medication has the potential to be deadly when misused; acetaminophen is a perfect example, but, the ‘fentanyl’ that’s being mixed with heroin and other recreational drugs is usually a fentanyl analog that was either created in an unregulated lab by underground chemists or one that was legitimately created for a different use. Like carfentanyl. It’s intended for use as an anesthetic for extremely large animals like elephants. My point is these drugs aren’t found in a hospital.”
Tina was steadily taking notes as I spoke. “This is exactly the kind of information I need. Tell me everything you know about these kinds of drugs.”
Because of my mother’s addiction and my need to understand why she was the way she was, I’d done several research papers and projects based on addiction or the effects of illegal drug use, so I had a lot of information to share.
When I was finished, Tina looked up from her notes and asked, “Would you be interested in being a consultant for me for any cases involving healthcare related topics?”
Her question completely caught me off guard. “I’m sorry, what?”
She laughed. “Would you be interested in being a consultant? I generally don’t have a lot of cases where healthcare comes into play, but I would love to have someone with your knowledge base to call on if the need arose. You’d, of course, be compensated for your time.”
“Um, once all of this is over, if I still have a nursing license, I’d love to,” I said carefully. I didn’t wa
nt to give my word and not be able to fulfill my end of the agreement.
“You’ll have a license. As soon as the charges are dropped, I’ll notify the nursing board and send the necessary documentation. This isn’t the same process as being tried and found not guilty. You were arrested and charged for a crime without sufficient evidence. Truthfully, they should’ve brought you in for questioning first. If they’d done that, you never would have been arrested. Speaking of, how would you like to handle that?”
“Are you asking me if I want to sue, uh, whomever for my arrest?”
“That’s exactly what I’m asking.”
“Oh, no. I just want things to be exactly like they were. I want my nursing license to be in good standing, I want to be able to work at the hospital, and I want to be able to finish working out my contract with the agency without a penalty. Oh, and I want every penny of my bail to be returned.”
“Are you sure?” she asked seemingly surprised by my answer.
“Yes, I’m sure. Filing a lawsuit will only take time and resources away from more pressing matters. If my life can be restored in the next few days, I’m willing to look at this as a bad vacation,” I said and then a thought suddenly occurred to me. “I want the officers, particularly the detectives, to have some additional training on fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and other associated designer drugs.”
Tina beamed at me. “That’s a great idea. I know it hasn’t been for you, but it’s truly been a pleasure meeting you, River. I’m going to head back to my office and get started on some paperwork, but I’ll be in touch with you first thing in the morning,” she said and extended her hand.
“Thank you for everything. I didn’t see how this could possibly turn out good for me, but you showed up and took the weight of the world off my shoulders,” I said and shook her hand.
She smiled shyly. “I was more than happy to help. I think everyone around here calls him Pop, but Tommy Black was a legend in the courtroom. He’d already retired by the time I was in law school, but he came to the campus for a seminar during my first year. I arrived at the auditorium hours before the first lecture to be sure I got a front row seat. During a break, I tracked him down like the crazy fangirl I was and introduced myself. I made a complete idiot of myself, but he was unbelievably kind to me. We exchanged emails and he ended up becoming somewhat of a mentor for me. When he called and asked me for a personal favor, it was a dream come true.”
I didn’t know exactly who she was talking about, but I nodded and smiled like I did. “Well, I’m glad there was a silver lining for both of us.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Judge
It killed me to do it, but I left River’s side so she could speak with her lawyer in private. I didn’t think she had anything to hide from me, but I thought it would be easier for her to speak freely without me present, and I must have been correct in my assumptions because she didn’t ask me to stay.
I couldn’t bring myself to go far at first, so I claimed the empty seat at the table with Batta, Bronze, Spazz, and Splint which was only two tables away from River and Tina.
“Any updates on our little friend?” I asked.
Bronze and Batta laughed while Spazz and Splint groaned in disgust. “Turns out he’d actually swallowed the condom, so he had to spend the night in the hospital until things worked out on their own,” Bronze said and cleared his throat. “He was arrested for possession.” He held up his hand as he tried to stifle his laughter. “But they couldn’t charge him with intent to distribute!”
I arched a brow. “How long have you been waiting to say that?”
“He hasn’t,” Splint answered. “That’s the fourth fucking time I’ve heard it.”
We shot the shit for an hour or so, but eventually, Batta left when he received a call from Kennedy, Splint had to go to work, Spazz said he needed to get back to whatever he was doing on his computer, and Bronze disappeared after receiving a text message. So, I picked up my empty beer bottle, tossed it in the trash, and joined Copper, Phoenix, Dash, and Coal.
“Tell me again why we picked a lawyer who looks younger than me,” I said without preamble.
Copper glared at me while Phoenix snorted. “Because she’s who Pop recommended. And she is older than you, but she’s often underestimated because of her looks,” Phoenix answered.
Copper’s glare didn’t relent so I held my hands up in a placating manner. “No disrespect intended, Prez. I’m grateful as fuck for everything you’ve done for River. But I’m not gonna lie, she looks like she just graduated from high school and my woman’s future, hell my future, is on the line here.”
Phoenix stood from his seat and rounded the table, which, admittedly, had me worried for a moment. “And another one bites the dust,” he laughed as he clapped me on the shoulder before walking over to talk to Savior.
“Your woman?” Dash asked with an arched brow.
Fucking club politics. “I’m not asking for your permission because you weren’t even on speaking terms with her until two weeks ago and that was because of me.” I pushed back from the table and rose to my feet, fully prepared to physically defend myself and my woman if need be.
Dash placed his beer on the table and also stood. “So, you’re telling me you’re claiming my sister with or without my permission? Even if that means putting your patch on the line?”
I didn’t even have to think about it. “Fuck, yes, that’s what I’m saying. I love her, with every breath of my being, and if this club doesn’t support that, then this isn’t the club I thought it was,” I stated vehemently.
Suddenly, I realized I was heaving in breath after breath and the room had fallen silent, but I didn’t take my eyes off of Dash, who was currently the enemy in my eyes.
River appeared in my periphery and placed her hand on my back in a futile attempt to calm me. “Are you fucking serious right now, Reed Brook Lawson?”
A look of shock washed over Dash’s face for a split second before he masked it and completely ignored the fact that she blasted his middle name in front of the packed clubhouse. “Yes, my little pain in the ass sister, I’m fucking serious right now. If he didn’t have the balls to stand up to me or anyone else in this club then he couldn’t claim you. But he did, so congrats, brother,” Dash said and extended his hand. When I extended mine, he grabbed it and pulled me in to slap me on the back.
River scoffed and placed her hands on her hips. “Did either one of you cavemen consider asking me what I thought about all this? I mean, if I’m going to be ‘claimed,’ shouldn’t I at least be given the chance to agree or disagree?”
I wanted to laugh because I knew exactly what she was doing, but I wasn’t going to give her what she thought she wanted. No, she was going to get what she needed.
I quickly turned and slid one arm around her waist while I brought the other up and wrapped my hand around her jaw. Tilting her chin up so her eyes met mine, I told her how it was. “No, you’re not getting the chance to agree or disagree because it doesn’t matter. You’re mine and everybody fucking knows it. Now, tell me what I want to hear.”
She narrowed her eyes for all of two seconds before she licked her lips and winked. “I love you, Jonah Jackson.”
I hoisted her into my arms. “Yeah, you fucking do. And, I love you, too,” I said before I covered her lips with mine.
“In case y’all missed it, River’s my Old Lady,” I announced to the room with River still in my arms.
The guys lifted their drinks into the air and cheered. Then, my mother appeared out of nowhere with the biggest smile on her face. I knew what was coming, so I placed River on her feet. “Welcome to the family, River,” Mom said and pulled River in for a hug while she mouthed, “Grandbabies,” to me over River’s shoulder.
I chuckled and shook my head. “I thought you’d already gone home.”
Mom waved her hand dismissively. “And miss all this? You know better than that.”
“Mom, I don’t want you overdoin
g it. I’d feel better if—” I started but was cut off by an unexpected guest.
“I’m taking her home now,” Dean said. “She said she had a feeling something like this was going to happen and didn’t want to miss it, but she promised to let me take her home as soon as it did.”
And right there before my very eyes, my mother blushed and was suddenly tongue-tied. “Yes, that’s exactly what I said, so we’ll just be going now. River, you be sure to call me if you need anything. And please know, I love my son with all my heart, but don’t put up with any shit from him. He was raised right and I don’t want all my hard work to go to waste, you hear?”
River laughed. “I hear you, Leigh, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Your son’s a good man; one of the best I’ve ever known.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time. Well, you two behave and be sure to call me in the morning,” she said and hugged River again before turning her attention to me. She reached up and placed her hand on my cheek, “Your father would be so proud of you. You’ve grown up to be the kind of man we wanted you to be. I love you, Son.”
“I love you, too, Mom.” I pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head while I swallowed thickly several times in a weak attempt to keep my emotions under control. “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
After Mom and Dean left, River spent the rest of the evening talking with Dash and Phoenix. I tried to be patient and give her the time she needed, but I was desperate to get her home. I had an uncontrollable urge to lock her in my house where she’d be safe and no one could take her from me.
Judge (Blackwings MC - Devil Springs Book 2) Page 18