“I deal with this all the time.” Dawn struggled to free herself from Benson’s tight grip. “There’s no need for them to leave. I can handle guys like this.” But Benson wasn’t listening. His hand tightened around her shoulders and he glared at the miscreants.
“Go.”
The wannabe bikers threw some money on the table and raced out of the bar.
A sliver of annoyance slid through Cade’s chest. Earlier this week, he’d thought Benson wasn’t a threat, but now he saw him in a totally different light. He wanted what Cade wanted. He’d come to the bar to make his move while Cade had been getting drunk and squeezing tail at Peelers.
“She’s fine, Benson. Get your paws off her. Last thing she needs is more of the same.”
“You okay, Dawn?” The soft murmur of Benson’s voice grated on Cade’s already taut nerves, but not as much as his fingers stroking her neck.
Cade’s body reacted before his mind had processed what he was about to do. One minute he was standing beside Dawn, the next he had Benson up against the wall, his hand pressed against Benson’s chest. The depth of his fury shocked even him. “Thought I told you to let her go.”
“Cade. Stop.” Dawn’s voice barely registered through the pounding of blood in his ears. “You’re doing exactly what you just told him not to do.” Dawn stepped between Cade and Benson, her head barely reaching Cade’s outstretched arm.
Benson met his gaze, his direct stare raising Cade’s hackles and loosening the last threads of his self-restraint.
“You don’t want to do this, honey.”
“Outta the way, babe, or you’re gonna get hurt.” Cade tried to maintain his resolve, but it was damn hard with the scent of her perfume surrounding him, the soft brush of her hair against his skin, and when she wrapped her arms around his waist and pushed him back, he couldn’t hold on.
“Fuck. Dawn. Stop.”
But she didn’t stop. And even though he could have easily pushed her aside, he let her back him up until five feet separated him and Benson.
She looked up and glared, her beautiful face doing strange things to his stomach. For a moment he lost himself in her gaze, perversely pleased that she was here and not five feet away. She’d put her arms around him. Not Benson. She’d determined he was the bigger threat. Not Benson. And now she was looking up at him with those big liquid eyes and all he could think about was kissing her soft lips.
“You don’t have to solve every problem with violence,” she said softly. “I can’t go down that road again.”
“You don’t have to.” He bent down to kiss her.
She turned her head so his lips brushed over her cheek. “I like that you let me handle this myself. I liked knowing you were there as backup. Don’t ruin it by playing into Doug’s hands. He wants to arrest you. Don’t give him an excuse. I’m safe. Isn’t that all that matters?”
Cade looked up and stared at Benson. The deputy was leaning against the wall, arms folded, the faintest smirk playing out on his lips. Cade needed to hit something. Benson’s face being the most desirable target. Sensing Dawn might not be pleased, he smashed his fist into a table instead, his anger dissipating as the legs cracked and the table tipped sideways toward the floor.
“Tsk. Tsk. Destruction of property.” Benson’s voice was laced with amusement. “Maybe you should cool your heels down at the station.”
“Doug.” Dawn looked over at Benson and scowled. “Don’t make it worse.
“And you…” She poked Cade in the chest and lowered her voice so only he could hear. “I told you to let it go.”
“Dawn.”
She looked up when his voice cracked, and her face softened. Pressing herself against him, she wrapped her arms around his chest and gave him a hug.
“Must have been a really bad week.”
And it just had gotten worse. What the hell was he doing? Leaving his brothers at Peelers? Walking away from Delilah? Fighting over a woman? Women fought over him. And assaulting a police officer? No doubt Arianne had seen what he’d done and would report back to Jagger. Not that he was afraid of Jagger, but he structured his life so he was rarely in a situation where he could lose control.
He needed to get away from here. Clear his head. These confusing feelings he had weren’t rational. This wasn’t him. After growing up in a household where he could only sit by and watch his mom suffer, control was of the utmost importance to him, and right now it was slipping away. “I gotta go.” He pulled away and caught Benson studying them with interest. Their gazes met, locked, and then Benson dropped his eyes.
Primal satisfaction flared in Cade’s chest.
Mine.
And then he turned and walked away.
Not Benson.
* * *
“I hate her.” Dawn screamed and threw her phone across her living room. In an incredible show of agility, Arianne leaped over the coffee table and caught the phone before it hit the wall.
“What did she say?” Arianne stumbled to a stop and then fell heavily on the couch, her chest heaving.
“She won’t bring the girls because I don’t have the extra money. She says it’s not worth her time. The court order gives me three hours with them every Sunday. I can call social services, but she’ll just make something up about how she brought them here and I was high and she was afraid to leave the girls. She did it once before, and because of that damn court decision the people at social services believed her over me.”
“I can vouch for you.” Arianne thumped her boots on Dawn’s coffee table. “I’ll tell them she didn’t even bother to show. I’ll even put on civilian clothes so I look civilized.”
Dawn scrubbed her hands over her face. “Thanks, but by the time we jump through all the bureaucratic hoops, it’ll be too late. I tried calling my lawyer last time and we didn’t get an emergency court hearing until Monday morning. It was a waste of time and the legal fees almost broke me.”
“That’s one of the things I like about the outlaw life,” Arianne said. “No hoops to jump through. You want something, you take it, and fuck everyone else.”
“The girls will be so upset.” Dawn sat on the couch beside Arianne. “I’m so worried about them. Especially Tia. She’s withdrawn so much since they moved in with Shelly-Ann. She just watches and lets the world pass her by. Maia’s more resilient. She gets hurt, and then she moves on. And they’re both still wary of men, especially bikers. Well, except Cade. He made quite an impression. Tia called me every night last week to ask if he was going to be at the park again today. It breaks my heart that the one man she wants to see is the kind of man we don’t need in our lives, and someone who doesn’t want to get involved.”
Arianne frowned. “You went on a high-speed chase with him down the highway and had sex in the parking lot. He hunted you down at Banks Bar and dragged you into the restroom for some more kinky loving. Sounds pretty involved to me.”
“Then he left. Walked out of the bar. No good-bye. No explanation. Nothing until morning when he sent a text saying he was in Whitefish on a job, and he’d sent the prospect to watch out for me while he was away.” She took her phone from Arianne and flicked to Cade’s text. Brief. Abrupt. To the point. No hint of warmth or intimacy. “I don’t know where I stand. Is this just sex or something more? If it is, I’m good with that, but then why send the prospect and why all the posturing around Doug?”
“What are you saying? You’d rather be with someone like Doug?”
Dawn’s lips twisted to the side. Doug was honest, stable, and kind, although a little intense about his work. So why hadn’t her knees gone weak or her heart pounded when he came into the bar? Why had her gaze locked on Cade when the biker wannabes started causing trouble?
“And there’s our answer,” Arianne said into the silence. “The good girls always want the bad boys.”
“I’m not that good.” After running away from her abusive uncle only a year after her parents died, Dawn had done what it took to survive on the streets. Sh
e had never shared the details of those years with anyone. And she never would.
“You’re better than me,” Arianne said. “Although I heard about your MMA TV marathons with Banks, and how you’re the one shouting for blood. You don’t like violence but you’re attracted to violent men. No wonder you and Cade got together.”
Not that it mattered. Whatever had happened at the bar had put a stop to the runaway roller coaster she and Cade had been riding since they’d met again.
Which was a good thing.
So why did she feel so bad?
“So, what about a plan for seeing your girls?” Arianne stood and walked over to the window. Dawn could see the glint of the prospect’s bike out front, an ancient Harley Classic that was far too big for him but screamed old-school biker.
“What can I do? Nothing. That’s what.” She grabbed the bag of cheesy puffs she’d bought for the girls and ripped it open. No better balm for her sorrow than a kilo of cheese-covered corn snacks. And she had a tub of Crunchy Caramel Cookie ice cream in the freezer …
“Thought you were a fighter.”
“I am a fighter.” She offered Arianne the bag, but as always Arianne passed on the unhealthy treats. So irritating. Her bestie didn’t drown her sorrows in junk food, preferring instead to go running, or cycling, or sprint up a mountain in her bare feet with one hand tied behind her back, which was why she wasn’t packing any extra pounds. Maybe Dawn should do the same. Or maybe she should stick her hand in the garbage disposal, because the pain would be same.
“But this is one fight I don’t think I can win. I’m doing everything I can to get the girls back, but every week she asks for more money. I talked to my lawyer and the social worker, even Doug, but without proof there is nothing they can do.”
“Dammit, Dawn. She’s holding your girls for ransom.”
Ransom. The word echoed in her mind. Shelly-Ann was holding her girls for ransom. She couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. Dawn tossed the cheesy puff bag on the table. “I’m going to call Doug.”
“Look around you.” Arianne unsheathed her weapon and placed it on the table. “You might be confused about what’s going on between you and Cade, but he’s not. The prospect wouldn’t be out there if you didn’t mean something to him. And although I’m your bestie, and I was coming over here anyway to see the girls and get a sparkly princess pink manicure so Jagger could laugh at me at the shooting range, Cade asked me to swing by, too. Take advantage. Pretend you’re a Sinner. Dig deep and find the strength I know you have to take what you want. Then let’s go get your girls.”
* * *
“Open this door, Shelly-Ann.” Dawn thudded her fist on the door to Shelly-Ann’s brand-new, sprawling ranch home, tucked away at the back of Conundrum’s Bow Creek Estates. She doubted Shelly-Ann’s ritzy neighbors had ever seen an outlaw biker, but once she’d made the decision to confront Shelly-Ann, it was a matter of go big or go home, and why show up with one outlaw biker when she could show up with two?
“I know you’re in there. I saw you through the window.”
“Get lost,” Shelly-Ann’s voice crackled over the intercom. “The girls aren’t here and I got company unless you’re standing on my doorstep with two thousand dollars. Then I might come out and say hello.”
Dawn looked over her shoulder at the prospect, standing guard behind her while Arianne plucked petals off a begonia in Shelly-Ann’s flower box. Damned if he wasn’t the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on, aside from Cade. With that thick dark hair, lean frame, and chiseled jaw, he could have graced any runway. Instead he’d chosen the outlaw life, and from the uneasy way he wore his cut, he was still growing into it.
“You got a name, prospect?” She’d waved to him from the back of Arianne’s bike before they headed out to Cindy’s Florals where her boss had kindly given her an advance on her salary, but she hadn’t had a chance to talk to him until now.
“Nick. But I haven’t earned a road name yet, and Jagger doesn’t trust me so everyone calls me Prospect.”
“Nice to meet you, Nick. Could you please open the door?” She glanced over at Arianne, still unsure about how far she could push the prospect around. After all, she was still a civilian.
“Old ladies don’t say please,” Arianne whispered.
“I’m not an old lady,” Dawn whispered back.
“Prospect,” Arianne barked. “Open the damn door.”
Nick ran forward, bent at the waist, and hit the door with his shoulder. He staggered back from the impact, and tried kicking at it instead, a totally ineffectual move that brought a smile to Dawn’s lips. Prospects. They were all the same.
Arianne pulled the last petal off the begonia, then pulled out her weapon and screwed a silencer onto the barrel. “Men.” She sighed and motioned Nick back, then fired at the lock until the wood cracked. “They always have to do things the hard way.”
“She scares me,” Nick said quietly as he followed Dawn into Shelly-Ann’s house. “Never met a woman like her. Not even sure she is a woman.”
“I hope you’re saying nice things about me,” Arianne called out. “I’m in a good mood right now, but I promise you wouldn’t want to see me riled.”
Dawn walked down the polished, dark wood hallway; past gilt mirrors and painted alcoves containing vases of silk flowers; and into the expansive living room, decorated in dark brown and cream, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Trecher Valley. Two men in suits were loading Baggies containing white powder into a suitcase from a box on the coffee table, while Shelly-Ann lounged on the couch watching them. Sunlight glinted off the sparkly purple heart stickers decorating each bag—a common indicator of low to mid-end product—and Dawn blinked as her eyes adjusted to the light.
“My next clients are here, boys. Hurry it up please.”
“You’re selling drugs with my children in your house?” Dawn’s voice rose in pitch, and one of the men frowned.
“Thought you said they were clients.”
“Thought you said you didn’t want anyone to know which senator you work for,” Shelly-Ann shot back. “Take your quarters and go.”
The two men shared a glance, and the one who had spoken snapped the suitcase closed. Dawn waited until they left the room before she spoke again.
“Where are Maia and Tia?”
“Not here. I hired a babysitter to look after them for the day. Didn’t want them to get the wrong idea when they saw the stickers.” Shelly-Ann leaned back on the white leather couch and rolled her eyes. “So what is this? You got some new friends? We gonna have a party? Or did you come for your weekly fix?” She gestured to the box on the table and bile rose in Dawn’s throat.
“You know I don’t do drugs.”
Shelly-Ann fixed her gaze on Arianne and Nick. “Did she tell you she’s a little crack whore? She was a crack whore when she was with Jimmy, and she just couldn’t shake the habit after she left. She got caught buying drugs behind the school and made up a story about Jimmy setting her up. Of course no one bought it. That’s how she lost her kids.”
Dawn’s body trembled and she fisted her hands by her sides. Jimmy had tried to get her addicted to crack when she first moved in with him, but she’d resisted, terrified that if she didn’t keep her wits about her, he’d beat her to death. “That’s a lie and you know it.”
“Is it? Tall, dark, and handsome isn’t too sure.”
Dawn looked back at Nick, her heart sinking when he averted his gaze. “It’s not true.”
“We know that,” Arianne said. “She’s just trying to wind you up. Don’t play her game.”
“So you got my money?” Shelly-Ann stood and held out her hand. “No money means no kids. No money means I call the cops and report a break-in and a breach of the custody order. No money means Jimmy hears about your visit.”
“No money beyond what we originally agreed.” Dawn’s voice wavered with emotion. “I’m tired of playing this game. I’m tired of having you use my children to
blackmail me. I don’t know why you need so much money, and frankly, I don’t care. Now tell me where they are.”
“Or what?” Shelly-Ann’s face twisted in anger. “You think I’m afraid of you? You think I’m gonna break ’cause you showed up with a damn prospect and a Sinner old lady? I don’t think so. You don’t have what it takes, or you woulda done something long ago.”
“I did do something.” Dawn dug her nails into her palms, wishing for the first time in her life that she was the kind of person who could solve problems with her fists. “I started a lawsuit, and I’ve just filed an assault complaint. I’ll drag Jimmy through the courts until I get my girls back.”
“’Cause using the legal system worked out so well for you last time.” Shelly-Ann sneered. “Get the fuck outta here and stop wasting my time.”
“Here.” Dawn pulled a handful of cash from her purse. “I’ve got twelve hundred.”
Shelly-Ann crossed the room and snatched the money. “It’s not enough.”
“Don’t give her any more.” Arianne put a cautioning hand on Dawn’s arm. “I know her type. It will never be enough. The blackmail will never end.”
Which was exactly what had happened last week, but what choice did she have? Sure it was nice to have Arianne and Nick here, but she wasn’t about to ask them to beat up Shelly-Ann, or even threaten her, and she’d never hit anyone in her life. Shelly-Ann had effectively called her bluff, leaving her with no choice but to pay her off.
“How much?” Cade’s growl reverberated through the room, so rough and harsh, even Dawn trembled. For the first time since Dawn arrived, fear flickered across Shelly-Ann’s face.
“Where did you come from?” Dawn gave him a puzzled frown. “I thought you were on the road.”
“The prospect texted me just as we were leaving. He thought I might want to know you and Arianne were planning to bust your girls outta Shelly-Ann’s jail. I figured you might need some help, and the door was open. Looks like Arianne’s handiwork. No one can shoot up a lock like her.”
“Thank you.” Arianne gave a mock bow.
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