Finding my feet as fast as I could, I pushed up from the bed and started to run after whoever the fuck had just been in my room. The energy flowing through me was pumping so hard, I felt the power start to spread from my toes, crawl up my spine and feed itself into my biceps.
“Stop them!” I shouted to the guys in the main area as loud as I could, but the music was so heavy, they'd have had to see him rather than hear me.
Running out into the open room with no T-shirt on and my jeans practically hanging off my ass, I tried to squint to find the obvious foreign body in here. It was only when I saw a mass of long hair weaving between all my half pissed-up crew that I really let my voice turn into a roar.
“Close all the fucking doors! NOW!”
Then everything went silent.
Everything except the sound of a young voice crying out as his body was slammed up against the wall by none other than Jedd Thomas himself.
We had him.
Bingo.
Chapter Five
Ayda
Considering what a bad day it had been, I found myself almost in high spirits when I came home that night. It was ten thirty, I had nowhere else to be, and walking into a clean house didn’t hurt, either.
Heading to the fridge, I grabbed myself a beer and kicked off my shoes with a groan of appreciation. Standing on my feet for four hours doing absolutely nothing productive was more draining than it should have been. At least I’d had some entertainment. The MC had been out in full force. There was coming and going from the bar across the street for most of the night. Most of them were absolutely annihilated. Huge, leather-clad men were stumbling around like teenage girls, their arms slung around scantily clad women who seemed more than eager to please.
I envied them their freedom, but that was about the crux of it. I had more self-control and pride than that. They didn’t have the responsibilities I did and they wasted it all. I just needed something to hold my attention, and the distraction came in the form of a six-pack, microwave popcorn, and a cheesy eighties movie in the darkness of my living room. There was nothing like the brat pack to make you feel better about your life.
I was just up to the part where the hottie showed up at her sister’s wedding when there was a hammering at the door. My popcorn had a near miss with the couch as I scowled at the door over my shoulder and felt around in the flickering light of the television for the remote to mute it. The little screen in the corner told me it was almost midnight.
Pushing myself up, I tiptoed to the door and peeked through the blinds, my shoulders sagging with relief as I noted the uniform on the other side. It wasn’t half as scary when you knew half of the people in town, and this was someone everyone knew. Unlocking the three sets of deadbolts and pulling it open, I smiled at Chief Sutton. He wasn’t bad looking for his age, and I seemed to be the only one he didn’t feel the need to hold his gun when speaking to. Most people in town didn’t take offense on account that they were used to it.
“Evening, Chief.”
“Miss Hanagan. I’m sorry I’m disturbing you so late. The MC is out in full force this evening and I know you work late most nights. Sloane was worried about you and Tate. She asked me to check in on you.”
I shifted from one leg to the other, suddenly feeling a kernel of popcorn dislodge from my shirt and drop down into my bra. I had to fight the inclination to grab for it as I smiled at the chief, completely confused as to why he or Sloane would be worried.
“Oh, that’s a lovely thought, Chief, and I appreciate your concern, but Tate’s in bed, and I’m in for the night. To be honest, neither Tate nor I have interacted with the MC outside of serving them coffee at work. We stay out of their way and they do whatever it is they do.”
“Whatever it is they do is exactly what I’m worried about.The boys are having a celebration tonight. I have a couple of them in holding cells for trying to ride loaded and I’ve given warnings to the rest. They’re generally not too bad in town these days. They don’t like to crap where they eat, but tonight appears to be an exception.”
“Well, like I said, we’re both in for the night, but I appreciate your concern, sir. It was really kind of you to come by and check on us. Thank Sloane for me, too, won’t you?”
“I will. Lock up and have a good night, Miss Hanagan.”
“You too, Chief. Be safe out there.”
He turned away, his hand on his gun as he took off down the porch steps. The only signal that he’d heard me at all was a wave over his shoulder before he climbed into his cruiser. I waved him off, waiting for him to be out of sight before pulling the popcorn from my bra, throwing it in the grass and shutting the door behind me.
“You just had to date the chief of police’s daughter didn’t you?” I mumbled, heading back toward Tate’s room, half laughing and half shaking my head in frustration. I stopped outside his door and took a deep breath before pushing it out of my way and staring at the disaster zone.
“Hey, bright spark, your girl just got her dad to check on—”
The words got stuck in my throat as nothing but the mess met me. His bedside light was on, and the sea of clothes littering the floor cast deep shadows over the cheap rug that was curling at the edges. I could see a piece of paper on his pillow but I was dubious about entering, unsure of what lay beneath the material. If I hadn’t been so worried, I wouldn’t have gone in at all, but that paper taunted me from its place.
I turned to check the bathroom, but the door was openand the light was off. The little shit had climbed out of the window. As I turned to look, it only confirmed what I already knew. It was wedged open an inch so he could let himself back in. He’d left the house, but for what?
“You’re so fucking grounded,” I mumbled, kicking the football jersey to the side before venturing toward the bed, cautiously. I almost twisted my ankle on the empty bourbon bottle by the side of it, my breath hissing out of me as my concern grew. He wasn’t a drinker and it had been half full, which meant he’d been loaded when he left. I was just grateful he only had his learner’s permit, or I’d probably end up bailing him out of jail, or worse, the hospital.
Planting my ass on his bed after inspecting it for God knows what, I pushed the note under the light and started to read.
