by Wilder, L.
By the time I was done, I needed to get over to Rider’s place. I let the guys know where I was off to and, with Duchess in tow, ran out to my truck. Once I got her loaded up, we were on our way. Rider’s place wasn’t anything over-the-top, just an older two-bedroom home in a good neighborhood near the center of downtown. As I pulled up in his driveway, I wondered if I could find something similar for myself. Something with a backyard for Duchess and enough room for a family down the line. I was surprised that the thought of having a family had even crossed my mind. It seemed Landry had had more of an effect on me than I’d realized. Before I had a chance to really consider the notion, Rider stepped out the house and motioned for me to come inside. “Come on in. I’ve got a cold one waiting on ya.”
“Good!” I replied as Duchess and I got out of the truck and walked up the steps. “I could use a cold one. Hell, I could use about a dozen.”
Rider chuckled. “Get your ass in here and quit the whining.”
“Just telling it like it is.” I was about to enter with Duchess when I stopped and asked, “It gonna be all right if she comes in, or should I tie her up out here?”
“She’ll be fine as long as Scout doesn’t spot her.” While I’d never seen either of them, I’d heard many stories about Darcy’s cat and her dwarf rabbit. For small animals, it sure seemed like those two were always into something. Rider held the door open as he waved us both forward. “Bring her on in.”
As soon as I stepped inside, the scent of home cooking made my stomach start to growl. “Damn. Something’s smelling awfully good.”
“Darcy made lasagna. Let’s get to the kitchen and I’ll fetch you that beer.” I followed him through the small entryway towards the kitchen, and Rider grabbed a beer out of the fridge and offered it to me. “How you making it today?”
“I’ve been better, but nothing a little sleep won’t fix. How you doing, Darcy?”
“I’m just fine, thanks. Maybe a good dinner will help too.” Darcy was standing at the stove, finishing up the garlic bread. She turned and looked over her shoulder with a smile. “It’s almost ready. Just need to put the bread in the oven and make up the salad.”
“Smells great.” It seemed strange to see her standing there at the stove looking like a typical housewife. Normally, I only saw her at the garage. Cussing like a sailor in her painters suit, she seemed more like one of the guys than an ol’ lady. Darcy was a pretty girl, but she was tough and didn’t take shit off of anyone. I liked that about her. We all did, and if I had to guess, it was one of the reasons why Rider had hooked up with her. “You need a hand with anything?”
“No, I’m good.” She used her hand to motion us out of the room and ordered, “You two go discuss your club stuff, and I’ll call you when it’s done.”
Even though Darcy worked at the club’s garage, she wasn’t privy to any of the club’s business. While it wasn’t always easy for them to understand that it was for their own protection, the brothers’ women had become accustomed to the fact that there were certain elements of their men’s lives that they’d never truly know or understand. Rider walked over and kissed her on the cheek, then popped her on the ass. “Thanks, babe.”
I hit my thigh, signaling Duchess to follow as Rider and I walked outside onto the porch. As soon as I sat down, Duchess settled in next to me, resting her head on the tip of my boot. Moments like that made it difficult not to get attached to her. Unable to resist, I leaned down and gave her a quick rub on the head, then rested back in my seat and took a sip of my beer. Wasting no time, Rider turned to me and said, “You’ve been on a run before, so you might think you’ve already got the gist of things. You need to know this one’s gonna be different. Very different. There’s a lot on the line, but if things go as planned, there’ll be a hell of a payout.”
He took some time to explain how the shipments were carried in two different horse trailers. The crates were hidden beneath the trailer floor in secret compartments that Gus had installed to help throw off the cops, or anyone else for that matter, if they happened to run into any trouble. “Blaze and Shadow will lead in the trucks. You’ll follow behind with me and T-Bone. It’ll be our job to keep an eye on things, and when we get to the dock, we’ll go in first. We’ll survey the area … check for any signs of trouble.”
“Got it. And if all’s clear?”
“We’ll meet up with Ronin, our distributor. He and his crew should be at the dock waiting on us so they can help load everything onto the yacht.”
“The yacht?”
“Yeah. They originally used a barge to move the shipments, but after some fuck-up, Ronin purchased the yacht,” Rider explained. “It’s a little unconventional, but there’s not much about all this that isn’t.”
“I can’t disagree with you there,” I scoffed.
“Just remember. There’s a lot weighing on this.” His expression turned fierce as he said, “No mistakes. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Now, that we’ve got that out of the way … How’s it going with the brothers? You getting a sense of what they’re about?”
“Yeah, I’m getting there.” I leaned back in my chair as I told him, “There’s a lot to get down. Hard to keep it all straight in my head, especially with all the running there is to do.”
“I remember.” He shook his head and sighed. “There were times when I thought I’d never get it right, but I did and you will too.”
“I sure as hell hope so.”
“So …” From the look on his face, I figured he wanted to hear about my conversation with Gus, but instead, he asked, “How’d things work out with your girl?”
“Got no idea.” I took a chug of my beer. “I haven’t talked to her yet.”
“Don’t sweat it too much. Things have a way of working themselves out.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
The back door opened, and Darcy stuck her head out. “Okay, guys. Dinner’s ready when you are.”
“Coming!” Rider answered before turning his attention back to me. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
I nodded, then Duchess and I followed him up to the back door. We were just about to head inside when I stopped Rider. “So, you aren’t gonna ask about what went down with me and Gus today?”
As he opened the door, he glanced back at me, and with a typical Rider response, replied, “Nope. That’s between you and him.”
Without any further discussion, we went inside. Duchess and I made our way into the kitchen, and Rider started helping Darcy get everything on the table. I went over and gave them a hand, and it wasn’t long before we were all seated and making ourselves a plate. Everything smelled incredible, and it tasted even better. While I managed to leave there with a full stomach, I didn’t leave with a clear head. Instead, I had even more on my mind than I did when I’d arrived. I needed to focus on the upcoming run, and only the run, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen until I resolved things with Landry. I was on my way back to the clubhouse when I found myself driving in a completely different direction. Twenty minutes later, I was pulling up to Landry’s apartment door. When I looked around, I didn’t see her car in the parking lot. I still took a chance and knocked on her door, but there was no answer. It was impossible not to feel frustrated. I needed to set things straight with her, but that wasn’t going to happen—at least not tonight.
CHAPTER 14
Landry
It was after two in the morning when I finally pulled into my parking lot. I was mentally and physically exhausted and just wanted to get into bed. I could barely keep my eyes open, much less think straight, as I got out of my car and started towards my apartment. I was just about to unlock the door when I heard, “Landry?”
Even though I recognized Clay’s voice, he’d startled me by coming up behind me in the dark. With a terrified gasp, I whipped around and shrieked, “Shit! You scared the hell out of me, Clay!”
“Sorry. I figured you heard me walking up.”
“Well,
I didn’t,” I fussed. “What are you doing here anyway?”
“You haven’t returned my calls.”
“Yeah, well … I’ve been busy.” A disapproving look crossed his face, but he said nothing. He just stood there waiting for some explanation as to where I’d been. I was too tired to argue with him, so I unlocked my door and went inside. He followed me into the kitchen and waited patiently as I placed my things on the table and removed my coat. When I was done, I walked over to the sink and poured a glass of water, trying to collect myself. Sadly, it didn’t stop my voice from trembling as I turned to him and said, “I had to remove a girl from her home and put her into protective custody tonight.”
“Why? What happened?”
“The girl’s father decided to get plastered after getting into an argument with his girlfriend. It’s not the first time this guy’s had issues with alcohol, but this time … he really screwed up, and it could quite possibly cost him his daughter.”
“Fuck.” Clay ran his hand through his shaggy hair, brushing it back out of his eyes. “She gonna be put in foster care or something?”
“Yes. At least, temporarily.” I shrugged with defeat. “It’ll be up to the judge to decide if we need to put her somewhere more permanent.”
He took a step towards me and placed his hands on my hips. “It’ll sort itself out.”
“I know.” Tears filled my eyes as I whispered, “It’s just hard to see kids being mistreated, you know? I just want to bring them home with me and keep them safe.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I started to cry. Normally, I wouldn’t have been so emotional, but I was simply too tired to keep myself together. Clay wrapped his arms around me, holding me close as I leaned my head on his shoulder and sobbed. After what had happened the night before, I should’ve resisted, pushed him away, but I felt so safe there in his arms. Without saying a word, he just stood there holding me until the tears finally stopped falling. My head was still resting on Clay’s chest when he knelt down and lifted me into his arms, cradling me close to his chest as he carried me into the bedroom and lowered me down on the mattress. After he helped remove my jeans, he leaned down, kissed me on the forehead, then pulled the covers over me and whispered, “Get some rest.”
Not wanting him to leave, I pleaded, “Wait! Don’t go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I want you to stay.”
“Okay, I’ll stay, but I’ve gotta get Duchess out of the truck.”
I nodded, then watched as he walked out of the room. When he returned with Duchess, she trotted over to the edge of the bed, licking me hello and wagging her tail wildly as I rubbed her on the head. After several moments, Clay snapped his fingers and ordered, “Okay, girl. Make a spot.”
With that, Duchess gave me one last lick before walking to the foot of the bed and lying down with a thud. While I couldn’t see her, I could hear her tail thumping against the floor as Clay slipped off his boots, socks, jeans, and t-shirt, leaving him only in his boxers as he climbed into bed next to me. He slipped his arm around me, easing me closer. As I nestled in next to him, I draped my arm across his chest and rested my head on his shoulder. He felt so good lying there next to me that I practically melted into him. He started to trail the tip of his finger up and down the length of my arm as he whispered, “I know you’ve had a long night and aren’t up for a big talk, but I have something I need to share with you.”
“Okay.”
His voice was low, almost a whisper, as he started, “I made a promise to my sister that I’d never repeat the story she’d told me on the night of Homecoming, so out of respect for her, I can’t tell you much … just that … after hearing what she told me, I ended up beating the hell out of her date. Damn near killed the guy.”
“Oh God, Clay.” My stomach drew up into a knot. I’d heard countless stories of boys taking advantage of young girls—drugging them, even raping them—and the thought of that happening to Clay’s sister made my heart ache for him. Even though I felt certain that he did, I asked, “Did that guy hurt your sister?”
Clay didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “I’ll never forgive myself for not being there to protect her. She’s my little sister. I should’ve been there watching out for her.”
“There’s no way you could’ve known anything was going to happen.”
“Maybe not, but that doesn’t change the way I feel.” He turned and looked down at me as he said, “That guilt is one of the reasons I lost it last night. That guy was trying to force himself on one of our hang-arounds and ended up hurting her when she didn’t give him what he wanted. As soon as I saw her face, all bruised up and bleeding, I lost it.”
“Oh, Clay … I had no idea.”
“I know you didn’t. That’s why I told you.” He leaned down and kissed me once more. “I hadn’t had a chance to tell you sooner.”
“That was my fault. I shouldn’t have bailed on you like that.” Feeling guilty, I glanced up at him and said, “I’m sorry.”
“Nothing for you to apologize for, Landry.”
I snuggled up a little closer and whispered, “Thank you for coming here tonight. It really means a lot to me.”
“Good, cause you mean a lot to me.” He rested his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes as he said, “Now, get some rest, beautiful.”
I was tempted to argue, especially when having him so close brought up all those hot memories from the night before, but I was just too exhausted. And from the looks of it, he was too, so I did as I was told and quickly drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I awoke to not only an empty bed, but an empty apartment as well. I lay there a few more minutes before I forced myself out of bed and into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. When I spotted a note from Clay sitting on a little pink box, a huge smile crossed my face. I rushed over to read what it said:
Morning, Beautiful,
Sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up. I had to get back to the clubhouse, but I’ll give you a call in a bit. Take it easy today.
Clay
Enjoy your breakfast!
Still smiling, I opened the pink box and found it filled with muffins, croissants, and various other baked goodies. It seemed that Mr. Clay Hanson was full of surprises, and I couldn’t deny that I liked it. I liked it a lot. After I made myself a cup of coffee, I grabbed one of the chocolate croissants out of the box. I leaned against the counter as I took a bite, and a small groan of pleasure vibrated through me as I stood there savoring the decadent treat. Once I was done, I headed to the bathroom for a shower. As much as I hated to go into the office on a Sunday, I didn’t have a choice. I needed to get my reports on the Coburn case sent over to Mrs. Hawkins. The emergency hearing for foster placement would be the following morning, and I wanted to make sure I had everything ready for the attorney who would be handling the case. I had a lot I wanted to get done, so I wasted no time getting dressed and out the door.
When I got to the office, I picked up the phone to call Danny down at the precinct. As soon as he answered, I asked, “How you making it this morning?”
“I’m here. That’s gotta count for something, right?” he scoffed. “What about you? Have you recovered from all of last night’s excitement?”
“No, but I’m working on it.” Danny had been on the force for years, so last night wasn’t anything new for him. He’d seen it all before, and even worse. The same didn’t hold true for me. I was still trying to wrap my head around everything, and seeing Katie in danger didn’t help matters. I thought back to the moment when I pulled up at the house.
Danny had just arrived and was talking to Coburn, who was pacing back and forth on the front porch. I couldn’t help but notice the almost-empty bottle of tequila sitting on the table as I got out of my car and started walking towards them. Coburn lost it as soon as he saw me. “What the fuck are you doing here? Are you the reason why this fucker just showed up at my house?”
“I already told you,” Danny barked. “A call was made
about a possible domestic disturbance. We’re here to make sure everything’s okay.”
“Done told you everything’s fucking fine, so the both of you can get your sorry asses off my goddamn property,” Coburn slurred.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Coburn. That’s not going to happen until we speak to your girlfriend, Casey Michaels, and your daughter.” Danny continued towards him as he said, “Where are they now?”
“Casey’s gone. I done got rid of her sorry ass,” he shouted.
“And Katie?” I asked nervously.
“She’s in the house,” Coburn answered. “She’s fine.”
Coburn had scratches on his face, and when I glanced down at his hands, I noticed that his knuckles were all scratched and bloody as well. Seeing his wounds terrified me, making me wonder what he might’ve done to Katie. It was like he was reading my mind when Danny growled, “I’m going to need to see that for myself.”
Without asking for consent, Danny walked past Mr. Coburn and barged into the house. “Hey! Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
As Danny entered the house, I could hear him shout, “Katie! It’s Officer Reed. Where are you?”
Coburn raced in behind him, and when Danny reached the bathroom door, Coburn lunged at him, trying to prevent him from getting to his daughter. Thankfully, Danny was stronger than he looked and was able to tackle him to the ground. After he got Coburn restrained, Danny put him in a pair of cuffs and led him out to the patrol car. As he started out the door, I heard him call into the dispatcher and request backup. Once they were outside, I turned my attention to the bathroom door. I cringed when I noticed that the wood was covered in dents and blood stains. I reached for the handle, and when I saw that it was locked, I tapped on the door. “Katie? Are you in there?”
“Ms. Dawson?” she cried.
“Yes, sweetie. It’s me. Can you open the door for me?”
Without answering, Katie eased the door open, and my chest tightened when I saw that she was still crying. She rushed towards me, wrapping her arms around me as she sobbed, “You came!”