Beyond the Cut

by Sarah Castille

  “You don’t sound happy.” He released her hand and sank back in the booth.

  “How long can you hold him?” This plan didn’t just put her at risk; it put Cade at risk, too. She didn’t want to see him dead on the street as a result of Jimmy’s wrath.

  “You’re afraid of the repercussions.” Disappointment laced his tone and Dawn instantly felt contrite.

  “There’s just other stuff going on right now…” She hesitated, weighing her words. Club business couldn’t be discussed outside the club and now that she was ostensibly a Sinner, she had to be careful what she said. “Stuff that will make Jimmy more volatile than usual. If you can’t hold him, he’ll come after me the second he’s out on bail.”

  Stan coughed discreetly and she pulled out her order pad and gave him a wave. He knew Doug was a cop and he wouldn’t intervene the way he had with Cade. Still, she didn’t want to push what little advantage she’d just bought herself.

  “I have to work, Doug. But I’ve changed my mind. Can we just pretend I didn’t give the statement?” If her plan to find out who had filmed the setup panned out, she might be able to get her girls back without provoking Jimmy, and then she could find another way to deal with him. Now that she was a Sinner she had access to an entirely new set of tools, and they didn’t involve civilian law. She’d already crossed the legal line long ago; she just needed a little kick to cross it again, and Sinners had done that for her.

  “I can’t do that.” Doug’s face crumpled. “The sheriff is involved. He intends to wage war against all bikers, and he’s going to use Jimmy as an example.”

  “You won’t have a case without a witness. I won’t testify against him.”

  “Dawn…” Doug laced his fingers through hers and stroked his thumb along her hand, a decidedly intimate gesture that sent her pulse skittering. Except for that night outside her house, he’d never crossed the friendship line, and this small, earnest gesture was definitely more than friendship.

  “We can protect you. I can protect you. That’s what the police do. That’s what the system is there for.”

  “I made the biggest mistake of my life when I thought I could rely on the system to get my girls back.” Dawn gently removed her hand from his grasp. “Not only was the system not there for me, Jimmy was able to turn it against me. I should have known. When Jimmy beat me, the cops would never come out, no matter how many times I called, and eventually I just gave up.”

  “I would have been there for you.” Doug’s dark eyes glistened. “I would have come out. I would done everything I could to get him behind bars.”

  “But it wasn’t you. And now I don’t know why I reported the assault. I just felt like I wanted some control over my life, but I never really thought it through. For some reason I thought you’d lock Jimmy up and throw away the key. But there’s a long period between arrest and trial, and it puts my girls and me at risk. There are other ways, Doug. Biker ways. I just never had the courage to try them.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Doug snapped, shocking her with the vehemence in his tone. “Everything will be different this time. I can make sure you’re protected. And … this is the second news I wanted to tell you…” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “I’ve secured a place for you in the witness protection program. After you testify against Jimmy and the Brethren, you’ll get your girls back. A new life, Dawn. You’ll be safe. Forever.”

  Safe. On the surface, it seemed to be a perfect solution—she would have her girls and her freedom away from the biker world she hated with a passion, and Jimmy would spend some time in jail. Except she’d be safe and alone. No Banks and Arianne. No Doug.

  No Cade.

  Curiously, the idea of running away with her tail between her legs didn’t appeal. Sinners didn’t run. Sinners didn’t hide. Sinners were fighters. They met their enemies with both guns blazing. They stepped into the ring and stayed there until there was only one man standing. This was her town. Her life. Her friends. Why would she let Jimmy chase her away?

  “I appreciate everything you’ve done,” she said gently. “But this is all very sudden, and you should have discussed it with me first. Testifying against an outlaw MC is serious business, and I’m not sure if it’s the right path for me. And I’ve made a life here for myself. I have a job and friends. There’s only one way for me to have justice and it doesn’t involve—”

  “No.” Doug thudded his hand on the table. “This isn’t you. You’re not a violent person. You’re not vengeful. You’re not a biker anymore. You’re a good, honest, upstanding citizen who’s been dealt a bad hand in life.”

  “You don’t know me,” she said. “I’m not the person you think I am.”

  He leaned in closer and his voice dropped to a quiet murmur. “I care about you, Dawn. Much more than as a friend. You know that. And I’ve waited all these years because I understand the trauma you went through. You could take your stand by testifying against Jimmy and the Brethren, and when you’re done, if you want, I could come with you in witness protection. I’ve already looked into it. I would be there to look after you and your girls. As a friend, or something more.”

  Warning bells clanged in her mind, and yet his expression was so earnest she instantly felt guilty. Doug was a good man. He had started the self-defense class in his free time to help women feel more confident when they had to walk alone at night. Upstanding, conservative, and dedicated to his work—he was everything she should have wanted, and the total opposite of Cade. And yet he didn’t push any of her buttons. There was no wild in Doug. No blasting through stoplights or having sex in parking lots. No cheeky smiles and devil-may-care grins. She couldn’t imagine him tossing her on a table in a dingy office, shooting at his friends to keep them away, and giving her one of the best orgasms of her life.

  “I’m sorry, Doug. I’m with Cade now.” Well, not entirely true, since the cut was only temporary, but maybe that would get the message across. “And I have no intention of running away from my home.”

  “This is about you. Your safety. Your life. If you’re happy, your children will be happy. And more important, they’ll be with you. Please. Promise me you’ll think about it.” He stroked her cheek and she felt … nothing. No zing of excitement. No tingle between her thighs. No desire the throw him on the table and rip off his clothes. Cade could do that to her with just one look.

  As if on cue, the door opened, and Cade stalked into the restaurant, the chain on his belt rattling as he walked. T-Rex and Gunner followed behind him.

  Dawn’s lips tipped at the corners, but when she saw his face, his eyes cold and hard, jaw taut, lips pressed into a thin line, her smile faded. She’d seen that look before—at Banks Bar, and when he’d seen Jimmy in front of the school. That look meant someone was about to get hurt, and a sickening wave of dread rose in her stomach.

  “Restaurant is closed,” Cade shouted. “You got one minute to clear out otherwise I’ll have my boys pay your table a visit.”

  T-Rex pulled down the shades in the windows. Gunner yanked people out of their seats and ushered them out the door. The cooks ran out the back. When only Stan was left, gaping at the empty restaurant, T-Rex locked the door.

  “What’s going on here?” Doug’s tone switched from friendly to officious, and he rose from his seat. Although in civilian gear, he still carried a weapon in a holster on his belt, and his hand hovered near his hip.

  “Benson.” Cade turned his steely gaze in Doug’s direction. “Always a pleasure to find you sniffing around my girl, but I’m afraid I don’t have time to toss you around today. This is Sinner business, and it would be best if you step outside.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Doug reached for his weapon, and Tank came up behind him and pressed a gun to his head. Dawn hadn’t even noticed him coming in the back door.

  “I’ll take that weapon.” Tank reached around and pulled the gun from Doug’s holster. Then he patted Doug down and removed his phone.

  “You ju
st bought yourself a night in jail,” Doug spat out.

  “See. That’s where you and I disagree.” Cade folded his arms and leaned against the nearest booth. “This is a Sinner town. The police don’t get involved in Sinner business and we don’t get involved in police business. Sheriff Morton had that all figured out, but since you’ve only been here a short time, and your sheriff is new, I’m giving you a little leeway. So you got a choice. You can walk out of here and let us do what we have to do. Or you can stay and put yourself in the difficult position of witnessing a breach of the law that you’re not gonna be able to do anything about.”

  “I’m not leaving Dawn.” He put an arm around Dawn’s shoulders and Cade’s scowl deepened.

  “You like your life, you’re gonna take your hands off my old lady. Now.”

  “Old lady?” Doug gave her a puzzled glance. “Dawn? What’s going on?”

  “I was … going to tell you.” She gently removed his arm and took a few steps away.

  “What have you done?” He stared at her in horror. “You hate bikers. Look what happened to you in the Brethren. Look what happened with Jimmy.” His jaw clenched and he glared at Cade. “What did you do to her? You’ve coerced her. Or is it blackmail? Did you promise to get her children back? Did you tell her you’d kill Jimmy? You’re going to commit murder to protect her? Are you beating her, too?”

  “Doug, please.” Dawn put a hand on his arm. “It’s a complicated situation. But this works out best for both of us.”

  “What about your girls?” His eyes blazed, startling Dawn. She’d never seen Doug so heated about anything, and he’d never imposed his views on her choices in life.

  “Don’t patronize me, Doug.”

  “With that videotape out there, you’ll always be considered an unfit mother.” He shook off her hand. “I’m offering you a way out of this mess. In exchange for your testimony, we can get that tape examined, the case reheard—”

  “My old lady’s not a rat.” Cade slowly unfolded his arms and took a step forward. “And you need to calm the fuck down.”

  “Whoa, brother.” Gunner put a warning hand on Cade’s shoulder. “We got a job to do, and we need to get it done before someone calls the cops.” He looked over at Doug and laughed. “No offense intended.”

  “Sit him down.” Cade tipped his chin at Tank. “Keep him quiet. If he opens his mouth again, close it.”

  “What’s going on?” Dawn edged closer to Stan. She had a fair idea what might be going on since T-Rex had stopped Stan from leaving with the rest of the staff, but really, if this was about Stan touching her, it was overkill. She had the situation in hand.

  “Have a seat, babe,” Cade pointed her to the nearest booth. “Stan and I are gonna have a little talk.”

  Dawn’s blood turned to ice and she stood in front of Stan, blocking Cade’s path. “My fight.”

  Cade stared at her, pinning her with blue eyes filled with fury. “He had his warning.”

  “I’ve talked to him. I’ve laid down the law. He’s not going to touch me again.” She looked over at Stan, and he vigorously shook his head.

  Cade threw a USB stick on the table. “You gonna deal with all the footage he has of you naked in the restroom and change room? T-Rex found the cameras. The prospect checked them out. He’s been recording you and the other staff, selling the images on porn sites, and jerking off to them at home at night.”

  Bile rose in her throat, but it wasn’t fear that made her shake, but rage. “Stan? How could you?”

  Stan bolted. But, of course, Cade had someone waiting for him at the back door.

  “Look what I found.” Shaggy shoved a quivering Stan back into the restaurant only a few moments later.

  Cade tipped his head from side to side, cracking his neck. “T-Rex. Take Dawn and Benson out back. Gun, watch on the door.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Dawn glared at Cade. “What he did, he did to me. And what happens to him is my choice.”

  “I can arrest him,” Doug said. “What he did was illegal. Give him to me and he’ll be subject to the full force of the law.”

  Cade barked a laugh. “Invasion of privacy? Taping someone without consent? What’s that gonna get him? A fine? A slap on the wrist? A night in jail? You think that’s gonna stop him from doing it again? Is that gonna make Dawn feel any better knowing dirt bags across the country saw pictures of her that no man should see? Is that justice?”

  “It is justice,” Doug said. “The right way. The legal way. You have to trust in the system.”

  “Don’t trust in the system at all,” Cade said. “Legal justice is no justice. My old lady has been disrespected. That means my club has been disrespected. That means justice, Sinner style.”

  “Cade…”

  Cade grasped her arm and pulled her forward. Her cheek hit his chest and he brushed his lips over her ear and murmured. “You’re a Sinner now, babe. You are my old lady. I like that you’re a fighter but this is one of the times I’m stepping in and you’re just gonna have to suck it up.”

  She trembled at the press of his body, hot and hard against hers, the feel of his heart, thudding in his chest, his anger, barely contained.

  Wait. That was her heart pounding. Her anger. Her rage. Dawn took a deep breath and let the unfamiliar feelings wash over her. She had never been angry with Jimmy. In the fight for survival, emotion had taken a backseat. But now she felt indignant, powerful, and capable of exacting her own revenge. Yes, Stan deserved to be punished. But not without her.

  “Don’t kill him.”

  Cade looked down, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Is that a request?”

  “Yes.” She caught her breath at his gentle reminder that old ladies needed to ask permission if they wanted to get involved in Sinner business. Chauvinism at its finest.

  “Since you asked so nice, sweetheart, I’ll give you that. I won’t kill him. But I’m gonna take it pretty damn close to the line.”

  Dawn bit her lip, considering. Her decision to wear the cut meant acknowledging the way things worked in his world, including the use of violence. She didn’t have to like it, but she couldn’t judge Cade for wanting to handle this the biker way. And he was right. The justice Doug was offering was no justice at all. Would Stan really stop if he got a slap in the wrist? Would she feel the horrific violation of her privacy had been addressed if he had to pay a fine? Why not dive in a little deeper and embrace what Cade had given her? Do the one thing she secretly desired.

  Vengeance. The Sinner way.

  “I want the first punch.”

  “Dawn!” Doug’s outraged shout drew chuckles from the Sinners. “What are you doing? What have you become? This isn’t you. You’re not violent. You don’t break the law.”

  “Actually, I think this is me.” She tipped her head to the side, musing over her decision. “This feels right. And I have broken the law, Doug. I did it to survive. And I’m about to do it again.”

  “Fucking Sinner old ladies,” Sparky said, his voice laced with admiration. “They always gotta have a turn.”

  Cade’s voice softened, his eyes dropping to her lips. “Is that another request?”

  “My fight. The first punch is my business. Then you can address the disrespect done to the club. After that, and this is my final request, I would like you to give him to Doug, as well as all the evidence. He’ll face justice twice. Our way and Doug’s way.”

  Our way. It hadn’t taken long for her to start thinking of herself as a Sinner. Maybe because she’d always been a Sinner at heart.

  “Can’t refuse my old lady.” Cade turned her to face Stan. “He’s all yours.”

  * * *

  “Mommy. Cade’s here.”

  Dawn almost didn’t hear Tia’s whispered words above the chatter of monkeys in the Conundrum Valley Zoo. They’d been visiting the animals all afternoon, and although she’d sent a text to Cade telling them where they were, she didn’t expect him to show. But there he was, cut, chains, sku
ll bandanna, Harley-Davidson buckle, and kickass biker boots, all ready for some clean family fun.

  She registered the concerned looks of the parents around them, but the delight on Tia’s face more than made up for her slight embarrassment at being outed as an outlaw biker groupie.

  “Babe.” Cade leaned down and kissed her cheek. Dawn could almost hear the gasps of disapproval.

  He knelt down in front of Maia and Tia, all decked out in matching pink-and-purple T-shirts, purple sparkle skirts, and rainbow jelly shoes. “Ladies.” He shook hands with them one at a time. “You are looking lovely as always.”

  Maia and Tia giggled, and Dawn smiled. So what if everyone disapproved. He might be a biker, but he had heart.

  “What’s on your hand?” Maia pointed to the brown streaks on Cade’s knuckles, and he jerked his hand away.

  “Just something I forgot to wash off.”

  “It’s blood, isn’t it?” Dawn whispered when he stood. “Are you hurt?”

  “Not my blood.” He headed for the washroom, and her stomach churned. Was it Stan’s blood? Did she want to know what he’d done? How could he switch off the violence to be so gentle with the girls?

  “So, where are the animals?” He joined Maia and Tia in front of the monkey exhibit a few minutes later.

  “Here.” Maia pointed to the cage. “We’ve got names for them all. Tia named the biggest, strongest one with the long hairy arms, Cade.”

  He looked down at Tia and grinned. “My arms aren’t hairy.”

  “She thinks they are,” Maia said. “But she doesn’t mind.”

  His face softened and Dawn almost forgave him for coming to the zoo without washing up first, but the real-life reminder of what had happened at the restaurant sent a shiver down her spine. What had she done? What kind of role model was she for her girls if she had to resort to violence to solve her problems? She was no better than Jimmy.