by Blair Grey
“I know, we’ve got to get together one of these days. You know, when we aren’t on opposite sides of the country,” I laughed.
“Yeah, New York to California is a bit of a drive,” he joked. “So did you call me because you missed me?”
“I need to call in a solid,” I admitted.
“What did you do?” he asked. “Break someone’s nose and find out it was the son of the governor?”
I laughed. I had always enjoyed his sense of humor. Evidently, being a lawyer didn’t change that for him. But, I knew I had to get to the point of the call. With Kline out there, time was sensitive.
“I wish,” I said. “But it turns out a friend of mine got caught up with the wrong crowd, and now she’s got a guy after her. I want to get this guy off her back, but I need you to help make sure he doesn’t try to pull anything that’s going to get her in trouble.”
“Has she done anything that would get her in trouble?” he asked simply.
“It’s a gray area, if you ask me,” I replied. “So I need to know what we can do when we take this guy down to make sure she doesn’t get taken down with him.”
“Who is this guy?”
“He goes by the name Kline, from Boston.”
“Sadly, I don’t even have to look that up. Damn, that’s someone to get caught up with. And, he’s a sleaze. He’ll do anything he can to get her taken out with him. Alright, well, I know I can help you. As long as she didn’t help kill anyone, that is,” Rob replied.
“No, nothing that bad,” I said quickly. “Let’s just say he was lying to her and she believed him. And when she found out the truth and quit, he came after her.”
“Excellent. There are so many things we can do in this situation. I’m going to do some paperwork, and I’ll get back to you. Keep me updated on whether he gets arrested. Or did he already?”
“No, I wanted to talk to you before any of that happened. Like I said, I think he’s going to try to take her out with him, and I want to make sure he doesn’t,” I replied.
“Then we’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Rob assured me.
“Thanks, man,” I said. I continued to chat with him for a while longer before we hung up, then I sat back and sighed. This was just what I wanted to hear, and I knew we now had the upper hand in the situation. We weren’t out of the woods yet, but with Rob on the case and Kline so pissed off, it was just a matter of time before he made a mistake.
And when he did, the cops would be waiting, and Erika would be okay. It was all coming together, we just had to stay on our toes and make sure he didn’t catch us by surprise.
And with the entire MC on the lookout, I was sure that wouldn’t be a problem.
22
Erika
I was relieved to hear how the phone conversation went with the lawyer, though I wished Adam was able to tell me more. He had made it clear that the lawyer insisted I wasn’t going to get in trouble for what I’d done, but he couldn’t tell me how.
“I’m not the one who went to law school. I just told him what was going on, and he told me he would take care of it. Listen, Erika, this guy is the best of the best. He’s been on high-profile murder cases, cold cases, and every other case you can think of – and he’s always been the one to win,” Adam assured me.
“Has he ever proven a guilty person not guilty?” I asked.
“Don’t talk about yourself that way. I’m not so sure that you are as guilty as you think you are,” he told me. “You were doing what you had to do to get through college, but you didn’t realize quite what you were doing in the process.”
He went to get changed into something comfortable, and I sighed. I wanted to believe him, but I had a feeling he didn’t realize that I felt more guilty than that. I had known what I was doing was wrong, I just didn’t think it was going to get anyone hurt, let alone me.
Now, I was afraid for the lives of all these men who were helping me. Kline had been so calm and collected with me in the tattoo parlor, but that didn’t mean he was going to stay that way. I knew him well enough to know that he really had killed people.
He wasn’t the kind of person to just walk away; he was going to come back. The longer the day wore on, the more tense I became. I just had a feeling the other shoe was going to drop, and when it did, it was going to come down hard.
Adam and I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch, cuddling and watching TV. Neither of us wanted to be out in public. It just wasn’t a good idea for me to be out with Kline in town, and Adam wasn’t about to leave me unsupervised, even in the apartment.
I was convinced by now Kline had to know where I lived. He had found me in the tattoo parlor, so there was little doubt in my mind he knew I was living in the house behind it. Sure, he might not know which apartment within the house, but he had found me once, so I figured he’d be able to twice.
Zach showed up in the evening after he was done with his shift. He’d told his girlfriend that shit had gone down at the tattoo shop, so he wanted to be the one on the couch tonight. It should have been Spencer’s turn, but since Zach called the shots between the two of them, he was going to be the one on the couch. She must have been okay with it, or Zach wasn’t worried about it if she wasn’t.
Either way, he was at the apartment, and I was glad. I was glad Nathan had been there for us in the shop, but there was something about Zach’s douche bag attitude that made me feel as though he’d be able to handle Kline even at his worst.
The night wore on, and if either of the men was tense, neither of them showed it. I felt I was the only one who was stiff as a board when we finally called it a night and went to bed. I was about to take off my shirt when Adam stopped me.
“Don’t get undressed tonight,” he said. “Leave on everything you can, even your shoes if you think you can stand sleeping in them.”
I looked at him, and he shook his head. “I don’t trust that guy, and I have a feeling if he’s going to make another strike directly on this place, then he’s going to do it under the cover of darkness.”
The thought sent chills down my spine. It would make sense for Kline to handle it that way rather than walking right up to the door. But, it made me not want to fall asleep. I wanted to stay up and listen for every single noise that came up the stairs or passed outside.
Though I did end up sleeping, it took me a long time with the stress that was running through me. I had bad dreams about the time that I was with Kline. The things that he’d say to me, the threats that he’d made. I dreamt about what could have happened if he had gotten too drunk the night that he hit me and didn’t stop when I talked him down.
There were so many fears running through my mind, it made me wake up in a cold sweat. But, Adam was sleeping next to me, his chest rising and falling softly with his breathing. He was sound asleep, and I had to remind myself that he had seen combat. Sure, he had to get through it when he got home, but he could still sleep at night.
So I could, too.
With a small whimper, I curled up against him. I didn’t have my shoes on, but I was in my jeans and a t-shirt plus a bra. It wasn’t the most comfortable way to sleep, but if something were to happen, the bastard wasn’t going to catch either of us naked.
Slowly, I was able to close my eyes and start to relax. I was with Adam, and he was going to take care of me, no matter what. He had been there in the shop with me when Kline came the first time. And I was sure the next time Kline tried to make a move, Adam would be there again.
Finally, sleep crept up on me, and I was claimed by the inky darkness.
I woke with a start the next morning. Adam was already up and in the other room, where I could smell breakfast cooking. The sound of his and Zach’s voices droned softly through the door, but it sounded to me like they were the only two in the apartment.
I had a knot in my stomach as I walked to the bathroom. I didn’t need to get dressed, I already was. Sure, it was obvious that I slept in my clothes, but I didn’t want t
o change. I didn’t feel the need to look good knowing that I was still being stalked by a monster.
After brushing my teeth, I headed out to the kitchen. The two men were already eating, but there was a plate of food for me on the stove, keeping warm.
“Hey,” Adam said. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like shit,” I said. “You?”
“Rough,” he replied. “Carl’s going to come and stay at the shop with us today.”
I nodded, though I didn’t say anything. I’d learned it was pointless to argue with them, but I wanted Zach to be there. Like Adam had said before, however, Zach had to work. I couldn’t have them all put their lives on hold for me.
They were all making sacrifices, so it was my turn now. Besides, Carl was the president of the MC. He was the one who called all the shots. If there was one person who I should want to be there, it was him.
The only problem was Carl intimidated me. I felt really bad when he was around, knowing the trouble that I’d brought to his town. The way he looked at me made me feel as though he was disappointed. Not that I had brought Kline, but that I had made such a bad choice.
He made me want to make better choices. Which, I imagined, was why so many of the men in town respected him. Hell, if I was in the MC, I would have voted him to be president, too.
We ate in silence before Zach headed off to work. I had a feeling he’d also want to see his girlfriend. He talked about her enough, but he didn’t want to bring her around this shit. Hell, if we were all in danger, I didn’t blame him. I wouldn’t want her to come.
Though, it would be nice to have the company of another female. I had spent all my time with men for as long as I could remember, and I was ready to have some girlfriends again.
“You ready?” Adam’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked up. I had been picking at my plate, not at all hungry, so I just nodded. I wasn’t sure what the day was going to bring, but I knew I had to face it.
The longer I hid, the worse this was going to get. But, the problem was, I didn’t know how long this was going to last. Kline liked to be in control, and if he thought he could control me through a game of cat and mouse, I was sure he would try.
I cleared the table, not bothering to do the dishes. Instead, I followed Adam right out the door and down the stairs. We crossed the street to the tattoo shop in silence, and I was glad when Tanner and Jonas left me alone for the day.
There was likely an attitude about me that made me seem like I wanted to be left alone. But, when Carl showed up around noon, I felt like I had to thank him. Adam was talking to him at the front desk when I walked up, giving him a small smile.
“Thank you so much for what you’ve done for me,” I said. “Really. It means a lot.”
He looked at me and only nodded, but there was a small smile on his face. “We are a family, and we take care of each other.”
The thought of family reminded me of my father and a wave of guilt wash over me. I hadn’t talked to him in a while. He had no idea about any of this. God knew I desperately missed him, and I was going to get a hold of him as soon as I could.
I wanted to hug him more than anything.
“Thank you,” I said. Carl gave me another nod, but he reminded me so much of a father. There was a touch of disappointment in the nod he gave, and I just wanted to disappear. I headed toward my corner, eager to stay out of the way and as quiet as possible.
The day was as much of a drag as I thought it was going to be, and I wanted nothing more than to go back home and get to bed. I just wanted to sleep and forget about all this. Let the time pass and hope that it all just went away. Of course, that was ridiculous, but it’s all I wanted.
Suddenly, I heard Adam shout from behind the counter. I couldn’t make out what he said in the confusion – it was all happening so fast, I didn’t even fully register that he was yelling before the explosion hit.
A bright light and glass filled the room, shattering all over me. I hit the ground, covering my face with my hands and trying not to get cut. Then, I felt something grab my hair and start dragging me out the door. I kicked and screamed and fought, but there was no breaking loose.
Kline’s voice filled my ear. “You are my property now. You had the chance to make this right, but you chose to do things your way. Now, I’m going to take you home and show you what happens to those who make a fool out of me.”
I screamed even louder, continuing to fight against him. I was still blinded from the flash and the shock of the moment, but my senses soon came back to me. In all the confusion, I realized Adam was coming out of the smoke. He didn’t even hesitate.
With a single leap, he went straight for Kline – and in that moment, I didn’t give a damn if he killed the man on the spot.
Anything to make sure he never touched me again.
23
Adam
Every instinct in me told me to kill this guy who had my girl by the hair. I didn’t care how I did it. I could shoot him, I could break his neck, I could throw him to the ground and beat him – but in the back of my mind, I could still hear Erika telling me that she didn’t want him to be killed.
She insisted that part of my life was behind me, and it was time for me to stop acting like it wasn’t. Sure, that might have been a part of my life even with the MCs, but today, this man was lucky. Today, I wanted to end his life because of the woman he was mistreating in front of me – the very woman who was saving his life without his knowledge.
Instead, I hit him – hard. I’d always kept a baseball bat in the shop to threaten those who got violent with me, but before that day, I’d never had to use it. I ran through the smoke right at Kline, hitting him hard in the side of the head. He turned just in time to see me come down on him, taking it to the side of his face.
With a single spin, he hit the ground hard. I could see that he was still breathing, merely knocked unconscious. He likely had one hell of a concussion, but he was alive, and that was all I told Erika I’d do.
The sound of sirens already filled the air. I could make out the sound of cops and ambulances both. The EMTs would be there any minute, and they were really the ones I wanted. Sure, the cops could take in Kline and this would all be over with. But, if I had my way, I’d be the one to take care of him myself.
Instead, I took Erika in my arms and cradled her. I put my forehead to hers, holding her as she sobbed in my arms. She had her arms around my neck, her feet straight out in front of her. Her hair was messed up from where he had grabbed her, but she didn’t seem to be too hurt from what I could see.
There were small cuts and scrapes on her arms from the blast and the glass she had been dragged through, but I was mostly concerned she had sustained a concussion in the explosion. If he had done anything that hurt her permanently, all bets were off.
I would hunt him down, even if I had to break into prison, and I would make sure he paid for what he did to her. She didn’t deserve this, even if she had stolen from him. Hell, I didn’t care what she did to anyone. This woman was the love of my life, and she could have been killed in that blast.
All at once the EMTs were around us, pulling me away from her, but letting me stand nearby. I looked around frantically. Tanner and Jonas had been in the back when the blast hit, and they had come out unscathed. Carl, on the other hand, had been sitting on the couch in front of the window. He had been flipping through a magazine, so when the explosion came, he didn’t have the time to get out of the way.
He had taken the worst hit of all of us, and he was now surrounded by paramedics and EMTs, all working to fix him up. I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach. Not only had this guy hurt my girl, but he had hurt the president, as well.
I loved Zach, but I didn’t want him to become president yet. Not this way. He was supposed to be voted in when Carl was too old to ride, not because he had been killed doing his best to protect the woman I loved – a woman who wasn’t even in the MC, just a woman who was part of the town.
Carl was a good man, and I said a quick prayer, begging God to spare his life.
“Who’s this?” the cop on the scene asked about Kline.
“His name is Kline; he’s a notorious mob member from Boston. If you scan his ID, you’re going to find a lot on him – but don’t worry, I’ve already got Rob Cummings on this case, and we’re going to be contacting him as soon as I make sure my girlfriend is okay,” I said.
He nodded, writing down a few notes as I spoke. If there was one benefit to being part of the MC, it was that the cops took us at our word. Sure, there were plenty of MCs who weren’t abiding by the law – and there were times when we hadn’t, either – but that didn’t change the fact we’d been clean for some time, and the cops knew it.
“Okay, we’ll have someone meet you at the hospital for further questions,” he said. “For now, I’m going to take him into custody, and we’re going to assess the crime scene.”
“Thank you,” I said. But, it was hard for me to focus on what he was talking about. All I could think of was Carl and Erika and the blast. I had expected Kline to do something, but I didn’t think he was going to go through with something like this.
Hell, no wonder Erika had been so afraid of him. The man was a psycho, that was for sure. He could have killed us all. And, it made me sick to my stomach to think of what he might have done to her if he had taken her.
If he was willing to hit her when she worked for him, what would he do to her when he was going to get revenge?
“We’re going to take her into the hospital for an evaluation,” the EMT’s voice cut through my thoughts. “She seems to be alright, but we need to make sure she’s not internally hurt.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’m coming with you.”
“Can you ride separately? We aren’t going to have a lot of room in the ambulance, I’m afraid,” he said.
“That’s fine with me,” I said. “I’m going to be right behind you.”
I ran behind the parlor and to the apartment, hopping on my bike and flying out of there as fast as I could. The ambulance was already on its way to the hospital, but with me on the back of the bike, it didn’t take me long to be right behind them. I wasn’t going to let them get so far as fifteen feet ahead of me at any time.