She doesn’t give me a chance to answer, thankfully, and just keeps laying it out there, “You’re going to go there. Mayhem is the President of the chapter. He’ll keep you safe while assessing the threat. The plan will be for you to come to New Orleans, the distance will probably be a good idea, but only if it is safe to travel. Jensen will clear the way and get everything sorted.”
I take a few breaths as I let the plan form a path in my head. Having a next step, shaky as it is, helps me to push away enough of the fear.
“Addy,” my best friend’s voice tugs at me and the world comes back into focus fully. “This is the part where you save yourself. You’ve come this far, just a little bit more to get to safe ground. Then you’ll have people at your back, but this part is on you.”
“I got it, Tal,” I tell her my voice a little shaky, but it’s there. “I still have to meet my niece.” Tallulah chuckles, but it’s strained. She’s afraid for me, but if she can pretend to be brave then so can I. “Okay, give Joplin a kiss for me and send me the address.”
The moment she does, I’m on the road. I don’t know how this is all going to play out, but I know that if Wagner thinks I’m a witness and have evidence, he’ll want to find me. I’d rather not have that conversation.
And if he can find out even more about me or what I know? Then I really want to have some protection.
Having a biker clubhouse as a destination was not part of my plan, especially not today considering it’s Valentine’s Day, but here we are. It’s just another day to me at this point, but hopefully Cupid is out there helping someone along.
Okay, maybe not just another day. I am driving to a motorcycle club to ask for refuge from a cop who murdered his estranged wife after all. So, maybe not quite normal.
I should have gotten a new job years ago.
CHAPTER 3
MAYHEM
I share a look with my VP, Rampage, and grimace. He has a maniacal grin on his face, which doesn’t surprise me. The fucked-up story we just heard involves a woman who needs help and a dirty cop who killed his wife. The woman, Addyson, who is coming to the gates of my clubhouse for protection, is probably the only witness to the woman’s murder.
Talk about a perfect storm of fucked up things. If this woman’s life is like this all the time, I feel sorry for her.
Rampage probably hopes her desperation extends to the bedroom. Or the wall. Or wherever really. He’s not all that picky.
“I know it’s not exactly your problem,” Lucifer’s voice fills my office, my phone on speaker so my VP can hear, “but I appreciate you opening your doors for her.”
Lucifer is a damn good president and has ruled the NOLA chapter for a long time. He’s close with my dad and the formerPrez of this chapter, Battle. I grew up knowing I was always going to follow in my dad’s footsteps. While some might say it’s too much pressure to put on a kid, I welcomed it. Having the president patch on my cut was always the dream.
Now I’m living it.
Still, I had some damn big shoes to fill. Hopefully, I’m doing a respectable job. Since there hasn’t been a mutiny, I’m going to count it as a win.
Not like Battle would allow something like that to go down. He’s still a fixture in the club along with my mom, Tonya, who still makes sure things run smoothly. Talk about a fucking godsend. If it weren’t for her, the club would have fallen apart a long fucking time ago.
Honestly, I think Mom gets a kick out of mothering so many rough and tumble bikers. I was their only kid for 18 years, but then she got pregnant with my little brother. Arch, who refuses to answer to Archie—and who can really blame him—is turning 18 soon and can’t wait to prospect for the club.
I’m looking forward to making his year as a prospect a living hell. It’s my right, and my duty as his big brother, to make it happen.
Fuck, Mom would smack me if she thought I even considered not helping this woman, Addyson. I can only hope she’s a good woman like Tallulah is. I only had to meet Tal once to know that much about her. She’s damn good for Scythe too.
I can’t see myself settling down. Any time soon, or ever really. But that doesn’t mean I’m not happy for Scythe and the rest of the brothers in New Orleans who have found Old Ladies. There have been quite a few found in Seattle last I heard too.
“She’s an innocent who was trying to do the right thing. I can imagine hearing what she did has shaken her up.” What I don’t say is that I hope she isn’t a wet blanket. I don’t do well with crying women.
“I don’t think she’s been sleeping,” Scythe informs me. “Tal said Addy sounded really tired the last few days and then today she was panicking with everything that happened.” I can hear the concern in his voice, “The moment it’s safe for her to come here, I’ll come and get her or meet halfway or whatever needs to happen. I appreciate you looking out for her.”
The sincerity is fucking palpable, to the point that Rampage arches an eyebrow in question as he looks at me. All I can do is shrug, but it makes me want to snarl and tell the man to back the fuck off before reminding him that he has an Old Lady of his own.
I bite the words back. Fucking barely.
Lucifer’s voice has an edge of warning, “She’s family to Tallulah, which means she’s family to me.”
“Understood,” I clip.
“We have Hacker digging into things, but I’m sure you want Anchor to do the same on your end. If they need to do whatever the fuck they do with computers and shit, together, then make it happen,” he grunts the words and I can’t help but smile.
