“I’ll work on Ginger. She doesn’t trust any of us right now, and I can’t say I blame her based on what they probably put her through.”
“You think they inked her without consent?” Priest asked. Both of us were ex-military, though he’d gone through a hell of a lot more shit than I did while he was in the service.
“She hasn’t admitted it, but yeah, I’d say so.”
Priest shook his head. “Wasn’t any of my guys. They know better than to pull shit like that.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to double check. Maybe one of them decided to earn some extra cash on the side,” I suggested. Priest ran a tattoo shop downtown. If one of his artists had inked the Bones logo on Ginger, Priest would make sure he’d never be able to hold a tattoo gun again.
“I’m on it.” He pushed back from the table and left.
I glanced around the guys left at the table. With it being a holiday and the morning after my brother Dean’s wedding, there were several empty seats. Some of the guys were probably sleeping off a hangover and others were ringing in the new year with their wives or girlfriends. If I’d needed them, they’d come. And based on what we were learning about Savage Bones, there would come a time in the near future when we’d have to defend our town.
“We’ll run eight-hour shifts around the clock to keep an eye on the clubhouse,” Bear said. “Until we know what we’re up against, we need to keep our eyes and ears open.”
The guys nodded in agreement. I left Bear to set up a schedule for around-the-clock shifts and headed back to check on Ginger. I entered the living room to find her and Everly smiling at each other over a cup of coffee. Ginger’s cheek looked better. I couldn’t tell if it was because of the first aid Everly had administered or because of the way her smile lit up her whole fucking face. Whatever it was, I felt like I was staring at the goddamn sun.
“You guys figure out your next move?” Everly asked.
“Something like that.” Until I knew more about Ginger, I wouldn’t give up any info that might help the Bones. Not that we had much of a plan yet.
“How are you feeling?” I rested my hand on the back of the chair next to Ginger.
She looked up at me, and her smile faded. “Okay under the circumstances.”
“You’ll be happy to know your stitches weren’t half bad.” Everly nudged her chin toward Ginger. “She’ll have a scar, but it could have been a lot worse.”
“Sorry about that. I guess I’m out of practice. Either of you need a refill on your coffee?” I didn’t want to interrupt their conversation. Looked like Everly had a good thing going with the mysterious redhead. Maybe she’d have more luck getting information from her.
“I’ll take a little more.” Everly slid her cup toward me.
Ginger shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“Be right back.” I carried Everly’s mug to the kitchen and filled it with fresh coffee. By the time I took it back out to the living room, Ace had joined the women at the table. He held his phone out to Ginger and flipped through the photos.
“They’re adorable.” Ginger put her hand over her heart, and her voice filled with a wistful tone. “I used to have a cat when I was younger.”
“We’ve been having fun watching them grow up, especially when we get the kittens back together for a playdate.” Everly wrapped her fingers around Ace’s arm and snuggled into his side. “You’d be surprised at how caring for a kitten can bring out the softer side of these guys.”
Ginger’s gaze lifted to briefly meet mine. “Did you take one of the abandoned kittens?”
“No.” Even though I had a slight allergy to cats, at that moment, I wished I had taken one of the kittens just so I could tell her I had.
“Six is too busy taking care of the club.” Everly offered a smile. “You’re in good hands with him watching over you.”
Warmth spread across my cheeks. I wasn’t used to receiving compliments, especially when I didn’t feel like I deserved them. “I’m going to go check in with the guys outside. Let me know if you need anything?”
Ginger nodded.
I left the women and Ace to their coffee and conversation. Until she was ready to share information, there wasn’t much to do except keep an eye out. Hopefully she’d come around before someone else got hurt.
The sun reflected off the snow, momentarily blinding me as I stepped outside. I made the rounds, checking in with the guys we had stationed around the perimeter of the property. Except for a cargo van that had driven by on the main road a few times, no one had seen anything out of the ordinary.
Our club’s location wasn’t a secret, but it wasn’t exactly advertised either. Everyone in town knew where it was since we hosted events and get togethers every month. I had no doubt we could defend ourselves if it came to that, but hopefully Ginger would realize we were trying to help and work with us so we could avoid a violent confrontation.
Speaking of confrontations, I caught sight of Ruby Nelson, owner of the Nelson Mercantile, wife to the mayor, and resident town busybody. She pulled in and stopped to talk with the two guys assigned to the front gate. They must have bought whatever story she told them since they waved her on toward the clubhouse.
She came to a stop and scrambled out of the car. “I heard you’ve got a hostage inside. Is it true?”
