“There you are, sweetheart.We’ll get your seat moved then we’ll get somewhere safe.Your daddy will make sure no one hurts you.”She kept her voice low enough only Carter would be able to hear her.She kissed the fine dark hair covering the top of his head, then turned and handed him off to Smokey, and went to work removing the safety seat.“Tell me more about this club of yours.I’m assuming they’re not the criminals and whoremongers Dad called them.”
“We’re not.Though I’m not surprised to hear that’s what your dad said.We’re a group of men with our own sense of right and wrong.Our own standards for living.We’re a family, if not a traditional one.We’re not related by blood, or at least most of us aren’t.We all know that if we have trouble, the other Fallen Angels will have our backs.Do we always follow the letter of the law?Not exactly.But we’re also not out there knocking over liquor stores, dealing drugs, or forcing women to sell their bodies.Are there women at the club house who will sleep with any of the guys?Yes.We call them Mama’s and every single one of them is there because they choose to be.If they want to leave, they’re free to go.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but Elkhorn County has the lowest crime for a hundred miles around.That’s not an accident.It’s because the Fallen Angels don’t put up with a lot of that shit in our territory, and Elkhorn County is our territory.”
She stopped what she was doing and stared at him for a moment.“I didn’t know that.If Dad knows that, why does he hate you all so much?”
“You’d have to ask him, but if you do, I’d be prepared for him to brush you off or misdirect you.Personally, I think he doesn’t like that we help keep the county clean.He either thinks we’re nothing but a bunch of dirty bikers, not good enough for his country club scene, or he’s up to something he doesn’t want us finding out about so we never turn our attention on him.”
Tania wanted to say her father wouldn’t do that, but if she was being honest with herself, could she really?She hadn’t gone to him over what Rod had done for a reason.Fifteen minutes later, she had it in the back seat of the small crossover and Carter strapped inside.While she’d been busy with the car, David had moved everything else from the Escalade except for her phone.Smokey had asked who paid for it.When she’d told him it had been Rod, he said leave it behind.He would get her a new one.Her phone and the car keys were in the glove box, and the rest of the stuff had been moved into the space behind the rear seat with the groceries they’d bought.She settled into the seat beside Carter while Smokey and David got into the front seat.
“Where to?”David asked as he put the car in gear.He’d started it a few minutes earlier to keep the heat running for Carter.
“The clubhouse.Raven is waiting for us.”
Chapter Three
Smokey spent the tenminutes it took to get back to the clubhouse trying to control his temper and try to think this through.Why hadn’t she come to him?He would have taken care of her and Carter.But she’d married Rod instead, and now look at where they were.
He couldn’t imagine letting her go back to that asshole, but at the same time, he knew he couldn’t stop her.But what he could do was stop her from putting his son back in that situation.
Smokey took a deep breath and forced himself to let it out slowly.Tania hadn’t fought him when he’d said he was taking her.She’d done nothing but help him.Did she want out?
The only way he would know would be to sit down and talk to her.They had a few things to do before they had time for that.
“How much stuff do you have at the house that you want out?”he asked, addressing Tania for the first time since they’d left Jeff’s.
“Not much.I need our clothes and a few of Carter’s toys.Just his favorite ones that he can’t seem to sleep without.”
“None of the furniture?”
“No, Rod paid for it all.I don’t want anything more from him than I have to accept.If I had the money to replace all our things I’d say to hell with him and walk away from it all.”
“I’ll take care of whatever you need, Shell.”He fell into the old nickname as if it was all he’d ever used.It was a shortened version of her middle name, Michelle, but as far as he knew, he was the only one to call her by it.“But I don’t have bottomless pockets, so let’s take advantage of what you do have.Can you make a list and text it to me?I’ll get your keys and send a couple of guys over with the list after we get to the clubhouse.”
He glanced at David, who nodded.
