“Did he take the plea deal?” I asked.
He jerked up his chin. “Today, he pled guilty to possession and was sentenced to nine months. Luke said he was a first-time offender, so his sentence was light.”
I frowned. “Well, at least they’ll never be approved to foster again, so we won’t have to worry about Colson mentoring any more children.”
“True.”
“What about Mrs. Colson?” I inquired.
“No charges. It appears she didn’t know anything about it, but it’s still an open investigation into the organization as a whole, so you never know.”
“I’d be surprised if she was involved,” I admitted.
“Luke doesn’t think she knows anything.”
I considered that for a moment, but it seemed odd that Bear was given this information. “Why would Luke share this information with you? Isn’t it confidential?”
Bear took a deep breath and ran his hand over my calf to settle on my thigh. “I was the one who took the case to him.”
“I don’t understand,” I admitted, and then something occurred to me. It had always seemed so coincidental that Dominic’s foster dad was arrested, and Dominic himself mentioned to me that he had gotten himself into a bad situation. I’d often wondered what happened and if I’d ever know. Something told me I was about to find out. “Does this have anything to do with Dominic?”
Bear squeezed my thigh. “I followed him back to that warehouse, Josie.”
“He was doing drugs?” I asked the question I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer to.
“No.” Bear shook his head. “He was involved in packing and preparing it for shipment.”
“He told you that?”
“Yep.” He ran his hand over his beard. “Ritz and I followed him and brought him back to the clubhouse where he told us what he knew and why he was doing it.”
“Why was he doing it?”
“I think you know,” Bear confessed.
“Money,” I guessed, and he nodded. “That makes sense.”
“We offered him a job and promised to help him keep an eye on his sisters, and he was smart enough to accept.”
“Is that why Gunner is fostering them?” I questioned him. “To help Dominic?”
“Partly,” Bear admitted. “But more for the girls.”
I smiled softly. “Maggie told me she didn’t want them to feel alone like she did when she was on her own,” I told them. “It made sense why she would want to give them what she never had. They’re doing so well with Maggie and Gunner. Kyla’s really opening up, and I think with more time, Arie will too.”
“I think it was a good fit for all of them.” I took a sip of my coffee, and Bear ran his hand back down my calf. “Luke said Colson’s talking, and as he talks, word will hit the streets. His boss is gonna want to get rid of anybody who has any information on his business. We’ve put Dom on lockdown in the clubhouse.”
I sat up a little taller when a wave of fear for Dominic’s safety rolled over me. “He’ll be safe there?”
“Safer than anywhere else.” Bear watched me closely while he spoke. “The man involved in this has a long history with the Sinners, so until Luke can pick him up, we’re going to play it very carefully. I’ll have men on you, Becs and Maggie, and when I can’t, Luke will.”
“Okay.” I took another slow sip of coffee, contemplating how this would affect my work schedule. “How will that affect my office?”
“Luke wants to have his brother Brody install a security system in all of your offices with a panic button. It’ll be simple to use. Something happens, you hit the panic button.”
“Okay,” I replied again. “But my time with the students is confidential.”
He jerked up his chin. “Know that. Luke already talked to Brody, and he can have surveillance set up in your offices without sound. Luke’s arranging it with the school so everything will be in place on Monday. Brody will call you Monday to make sure you don’t have questions about the system.”
“That should work.” I agreed even though it wasn’t ideal. I needed to protect myself and any student I may be seeing at the time. “This is crazy.”
“With any luck, Luke will have enough shit on this guy to shut him down quickly.”
“Can you tell me his name?” I asked.
“I can’t share that, baby.” He frowned, and I believed he felt bad that he couldn’t share all the information he had. “No one knows that information because it’s an open investigation with the department. I wouldn’t know either if it wasn’t an enemy of the club.”
“Is it the person responsible for my attack?”
“Far as I know.” He reached out and took my cup before sitting it on the table. “Wanna stay with you.”
“You can’t,” I replied. “You need to take care of Becs and Wyatt.” I patted his chest. “I’ll be okay.”
He shuffled us around until he was lying beside me and propped up on his elbow, but before he could speak, I did. I really wanted to put truth to what Lucy heard, and I didn’t want to miss my opportunity while we were actually talking. “Did you pay to have the new rec center in town built?”
His eyebrows shot up. “Why are you askin’ me that?”
I thought about how to answer him and decided not to break Lucy’s confidence. She’d said he did it anonymously, and I didn’t want him to be angry that people were talking about it. “I heard a rumor, and I was wondering if it was true.”
His eyes flicked between mine. “Rumor’s true.”
“Why would you do that?”
“The club voted, and we decided the town needed a safe place for the kids. The old one was in bad shape, so we donated enough to have it rebuilt.”
I laid my hand on his chest and thought of the other wonderful things Lucy told me, including how the Sinners have sponsored families every year at Christmas to ensure the kids woke up to presents from Santa. “That was very generous.”
He leaned down and kissed me softly, but as soon as he spoke, I knew he didn’t want to admit to more. “Come stay with me.”
Staring into his gorgeous gray eyes, I thought about that. I didn’t want to stay alone in my apartment during this, but I didn’t want to bring anything following me to his place either. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, especially with Becs and Wyatt there.”
His face softened, and he pushed a piece of hair off my forehead. “Always thinking of everyone else.” He dropped his hand to the side of my neck. “What if I have Race stay with Becs, and I stay with you?”
I wasn’t sure that was a good idea either. “Will Becs be okay with that?”
“She will be if it means I can keep you both safe.”
His reminder of the danger surrounding him and his club filled me with a sense of trepidation. “If you’re sure she won’t mind, then I’d like that.”
“Thank fuck.” He exhaled loudly. “Thought I was gonna have to chain you to the bed and convince you in other ways.”
I lifted my eyebrows and let his teasing soothe my battered nerves. “In that case, I refuse to let you stay with me.”
He smirked and shook his head slowly. “You keep surprising me, baby. I fucking love that.”
I love you, I thought to myself when he dropped his lips to mine again, but I’d loved him for the better part of a year. Although that love didn’t change the fact his life was dangerous or the reminder today that this nightmare that began a year ago still wasn’t over. All our lives continued to be at the mercy of a few men who hated Bear and his club. I wasn’t sure I could live the rest of my life surrounded by the uncertainty that he could ever be safe.
My mind recognized that fear was real.
If only my heart understood.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
JOSIE
Smiling, I signed Arie and Kyla’s hall passes. “Make sure you show these to Ms. Bennett before you get on the bus.”
“Okay,” Kyla agreed.
“Have fun tonight.”<
br />
“We will,” Kyla replied. Arie didn’t answer, but she was smiling, so I considered that a win. The girls had come so far over the past few months, and that had everything to do with Maggie and Gunner.
I opened the door, and Maggie stood immediately from one of the four chairs by the door. I had no idea when she’d gotten here, considering she hadn’t been there when the girls came in.
“Maggie.” Kyla smiled and ran to stand in front of her. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to tell you to have fun.”
“You did that this morning,” Kyla reminded her.
“Twice,” Arie added quietly, and Maggie giggled.
“I know, but I’m going to miss you.”
Kyla rolled her eyes. “It’s just a field trip to the planetarium for a night show.”
“I know,” Maggie said, “but it’ll be strange not having you home for dinner.”
Grinning, I dropped my head and stared at my shoes while Kyla told Maggie what they were going to see, most likely for the tenth time. Maggie was nervous that they would be out of her sight, and she had reason to be, but the girls really wanted to go on this trip, and at some point, they needed normalcy.
We’d all been on high alert since Luke put out the warrant for the man involved in the drug distribution business that Bear had gotten Dominic out of. It had been five days, and even with most of the department’s officers searching for him, they hadn’t found him. The security guard for the elementary school was going on the trip to be safe, but it was still a concern.
My head snapped up when the overhead announcement called for dismissal, which meant the girls needed to get their stuff and get on the bus.
“You better go,” I encouraged them.
Arie and Kyla threw their arms around Maggie. “Bye, Maggie.”
They dropped their little arms and started out the door when Maggie called out, “We’ll pick you up right here at nine.”
“We know,” Kyla called back, and then they were gone.
I wrapped my arm around Maggie’s shoulders while she stared at the empty doorway. “They’re going to be fine.”
Her shoulders sagged. “I know.”
“You want to talk?”
She finally broke her stare with the doorway and smiled. “If it’s okay, I just need to stay here until Gunner picks me up.”
“Of course.” I nodded and walked back inside the room, closing the door. “I can take you home. I just need to stop at my office at the high school first.”
“That’s okay.” She looked at the clock on the wall behind my desk. “He should be here soon.”
We listened to the loud noises of the kids while they gathered their things. My office in the middle school was located on the third floor, so it became quiet much faster than if I had an office on the first floor.
“How are you, Maggie?”
“Happy.” She answered immediately.
“I already knew that.”
She giggled. “Here’s something you don’t know. We’re getting them a puppy for Christmas.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“Yeah.” She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “We went to the dog shelter just to look, and there was a mama dog who’d had her puppies, and all had been adopted except one little boy. He was so cute. Just a ball of white hair with brown and black patches. They’re not sure what breed mom or the puppy are, but they’re guessing a border collie mix just based on the markings and mom’s size.”
“The girls are going to be so excited to get a puppy.”
“Well…”
My eyebrows drew together. “Oh no, well what?”
“We’re adopting the mom too. We couldn’t leave her behind, and she was so sweet.”
“I’m not surprised.” Shaking my head, I laughed. “What are you going to do with two kids, two cats, and two dogs?”
She giggled loudly. “I have no idea.”
I laid my hand on her arm. “But you love it.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “All I ever wanted was a home of my own. I never expected to have all that I do.”
“You deserve it, all of it.”
Glancing behind me, I noted the time. “The kids will be gone now. Let me grab my bag, and we can wait for Gunner downstairs if you want.”
Maggie nodded and stood. “That sounds good.”
Grabbing my bag, I put in a few files and turned off my computer. Heading toward the door, I pulled it open and flicked off the light. Maggie walked out, and I pulled the door closed behind us, making sure to lock it.
I threw the keys in my bag. “Okay, I’m ready.”
I raised my head and gasped when I saw Maggie facing me with a gun pointed at her temple.
A man stood behind her with his eyes locked on me.
And then he smiled.
I shivered at the smile that still haunted me.
Flashes of the night I was attacked rolled through my mind.
“You bitches couldn’t have made this easier for me.” He stared at me while he talked, but my eyes kept flicking to the gun that rested on Maggie’s temple. “Bear’s whore and Gunner’s whore. Shoulda taken you”—he jerked up his chin in my direction—“in the parking lot but needed to make sure you belonged to Bear first.”
I had no idea what to do, and to make matters worse, the security guard was on the trip. I wasn’t sure who was left in the building.
I glanced at my office and wondered if I could make it to my desk and push the panic button, but then he spoke. “Don’t bother. I’ll shoot her before you take a step.”
“I remember you,” Maggie confessed softly.
“Yeah, and I remember you, bitch.”
“This won’t work, Battle.” Maggie responded with her eyes locked on me. “They’ll kill you if you hurt us.”
He lifted his hand from where he held her around the waist and wrapped his palm around her throat. “Shut up, whore. Shoulda killed you when you turned.” She closed her eyes. “Told Snake when he was fucking you to end you, but he wouldn’t listen.” He smiled while he spoke. “Always figured you musta been one hell of a lay.” He dropped his hand back to her waist and leaned my way. “You too, I’m guessin’, by the way Bear’s pantin’ after you.”
I held up my hands. “Listen, you can still get out of here. Get a head start out of town. You don’t need us.”
“Don’t need you to get me outta town.” He snarled. “You two are gonna be the price those pussies pay for fucking up my club. And when they come runnin’, I’m gonna finally do what I shoulda done a long time ago.” He gestured with his head toward the stairway closest to where we were. “Let’s go and don’t drag your fucking feet.”
“That stairway leads directly to the offices,” I lied, hoping he hadn’t been in that stairwell and that he came up the middle one. This could buy us more time, and maybe Gunner would show up.
He glanced toward the far end of the long hallway. “Where’s that one go?”
Relief washed over me that he’d believed my lie, so I lied again. “Parking lot.”
“Let’s go.” He dropped the gun from Maggie’s temple and pointed it at me. “Lead the fucking way.”
I didn’t even have time to nod before Maggie pulled her arm forward and shoved it back into his stomach. It was hard enough to take him by surprise and gave her time to do something I would have never expected.
She stomped on his foot and grabbed his arm, biting down hard. I rushed forward and wrapped my hands around his wrist, squeezing as hard as I could until he dropped the gun. He grabbed Maggie by the hair and pulled her mouth from his arm, but she turned quickly, pulled up her knee, and slammed it into his groin. He dropped to his knees immediately.
She grabbed my hand, bent down, and picked up the gun before running toward the nearest stairwell.
Breathing hard, I ran behind her to the nearest staircase. She slammed open the door, the bang loud in an otherwise quiet stairwell when it hit the wall
.
Hearing his boots behind us, we ran down the stairs, my chest burning while I breathed heavily. Just as we cleared the first landing, he grabbed my hair from behind and shoved me. I screamed from the pain of my hair feeling like it had been pulled from my scalp. My foot slid, and I reached out, grabbing the railing and sliding down the first few stairs.
He rushed past, grabbed Maggie, pushed her up against the wall, and slammed her hand holding the gun against the wall until it dropped. Then he pulled back his fist and punched her hard in the cheek.
Adrenaline coursed through my body, and I ran down the remainder of the stairs before jumping on his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on just as Maggie pulled back her fist and punched him right between the eyes. The sound of crunching bones made my stomach turn, but I held on.
He grabbed Maggie by the throat and shoved her hard against the wall, her head slamming off the concrete. I tightened my arm around his neck, but it was as if I wasn’t there because he slammed her again and again until she slid down the wall and landed.
Then he reached around, pulled me from his back, and slammed me up against the wall. He held me by the neck while I kicked, but my feet weren’t on the floor, so I couldn’t get any traction. I clawed at his hands. He slowly lowered me, but he continued to hold me against the wall with his left hand around my throat.
Breathing heavily through my nose, I watched him draw his fist back, but in my mind, I was smiling. From the amount of blood dripping onto his shirt, it was obvious Maggie had broken his nose, and I was so proud of her. When his fist slammed into the side of my face, he dropped his hand from my neck, and I slowly slid to the floor by Maggie. Heat pierced my temple, and my eye throbbed while I watched him lift the gun.
And aim it in our direction.
I grabbed Maggie’s hand and pulled, but she wasn’t conscious. I couldn’t leave her behind. Tears welled in my eyes when flashes of Bear appeared like photographs in my mind. I would never see him again. Never touch him again. And never tell him I love him. At this moment, I couldn’t remember why loving him had scared me when knowing I’d never get to tell him was so much worse.
End Game (Sinners MC Book 2) Page 30