“That or they locked it to keep us out.”
My stomach tightened uncomfortably. I’d hoped they weren’t smart enough to think of that idea. Only real idiots would stick around in a mall when there were already alarms blaring in another area.
“Should we break the window? If he’s in there, he’ll look guilty.”
“Do it. Then we need to go. I don’t want to get caught and end up in jail. This shit is stupid. We should be just taking them out like we normally would.”
My blood turned to ice in my veins at that comment. It didn’t take a genius to guess what they meant by that. The Dirty Devils didn’t carry weapons. We weren’t that kind of crew. If Battle’s crew attacked, there would be fuckall we could do about it. And with kids in and out of the club…
The front window shattered and I heard a muffled cry from the storage room that sounded a lot like Isla. Shit. If she started screaming, it’d give away their location. I’d have no choice but to confront the assholes. Armed or not, I wasn’t letting them near those kids. They’d been through enough.
Looking around, I spotted a metal bar that looked like part of a clothing rack under the register. I’d have to cross the aisle to get there, but if they came in, they’d see me anyway and I needed something to protect the people in the storage closet. Ikept recording because I knew I’d need the proof to clear the club’s name from this mess, but didn’t pay much attention to what it was filming. I peeked from behind the clothing rack I was using to hide, watching the two idiots knock off some overhanging glass that hadn’t fallen before stepping inside. I was gearing myself up to run for the metal bar when someone shouted behind them, making them both turn around. Using the opportunity, I lunged across the aisle, snatching up the bar without any finesse whatsoever.
“There he is!” one of them shouted. I heard the crunch of their boots as they came closer, tightening my grip on the bar as I prepared to fight guns with nothing but a clothing rack bar to protect myself. This shit was messed up. I joined this club for a reason. I never wanted to deal with shit like this.
“Piston! Gravestone! Let’s go!”
Holding my breath, I waited for them to decide whether it was worth it to confront me or not. They must’ve decided it wasn’t because the crunch of their footsteps sounded like they were walking away, not getting closer.
“Fucking pussy,” one of them called into the store. “Tell your prez Battle is running out of patience. He can leave town or we’ll face him directly. His choice.”
They ran off without waiting for a response, and when I risked a look and saw the empty storefront, I slumped against the register desk, letting out a long breath. I noticed my phone on the floor where I’d dropped it when I lunged for the bar, snagging it and stopping the recording. I sent it immediately to Prez and Wraith, pushing to my feet, my hands shaking a little as I went to the back and knocked on the storage door.
“They’re gone. You can come out.”
The door opened and to my surprise, Jasper was the first to come out, latching around my middle with a tight grip. I dropped the metal bar in surprise, stumbling on unsteadylegs before I caught myself and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. I shot a questioning look at Simone, who looked a little pale, Isla still cuddled close against her chest.
“He was worried about you.”
Hugging him a little tighter, I rested my cheek against the top of his head. Sort of felt like I needed the comfort as much as he did. “I’m alright. It’s going to be alright.”
The sound of boots running toward us made me stiffen, but before the police could start pointing fingers, the older guy from before stepped in front of me and Jasper. “It wasn’t him. He locked this place down and helped us hide. You’re looking for the wrong guy.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
SIMONE
It took more convincing than I would’ve liked to clear Elias’s name, but not only did he have video evidence, the other shoppers he’d ushered to safety spoke in his defence, telling the officers that he’d stayed out of the closet so he could lock the doors and turn off the lights. He wouldn’t have had enough time to join us in hiding before the men who’d caused all the damage showed up. Elias was innocent. And according to the video, so was his crew.
Elias had been on the phone with his club president for the past half hour, pacing the living room, one hand constantly running through his hair as he listened to whatever was happening on the other end. Every once in a while he spoke in hushed tones, giving his back to the room I assumed to not tip off the kids to how upset he really was by the whole situation. He’d gone quiet after the mall, driving us back to his house with a tight grip on the steering wheel and a cloudy expression, but he masked it when we arrived safely home, putting aside his feelings so he could better care for the kids.
“Ms. Brooks?”
Jasper’s quiet tone drew my focus and I turned to look at him where he was sitting on the couch, eyes glued to Elias as he paced by again. I’d been reluctant to go after the confrontation at the mall, so I was sitting on the floor with Isla, who was playing with one of the toys we’d bought her that afternoon. When he had my attention, he leaned forward, whispering to me, “Is he okay?”
Tipping my head, I considered the reply. I didn't want to lie to him, but I didn’t want to unload adult issues onto him either, half of which I didn’t fully understand myself since I didn’t know anything about Elias’s crew outside of rumors.
“He’s… processing, I think. It doesn’t matter who you are, being blamed for something you didn’t do isn’t a good feeling. From what he’s told me, people have been doing that for a long time. You know him pretty well by now. Can you imagine him doing anything dangerous like those vandals at the mall?”
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. The worst he’s done since we showed up was burn chicken nuggets. But I haven’t met his crew.”
This I knew. Elias had been wanting Jasper to spend more time with his crew, but Jasper hadn’t accepted the invite yet.
“Do you think Elias is the type of person to spend time with people who cause property damage to frame other people? Who we call friends is a reflection of who we are as a person, Jasper. If you’re spending time with people who regularly do things you don’t agree with, can you really call them friends? Would you support them despite knowing what they were doing was wrong?”
Sinking back in his seat, he thought about what I said. I could understand his initial trepidation. I wouldn’t be comfortable meeting a group of rowdy bikers without any background knowledge. But I knew Elias pretty well by now. He wouldn’talign himself with people who acted like the bikers in the mall did today. He was a good man. I doubted his friends were much different.
Since Elias was busy and I needed to do something with my hands, I handed off Isla to Jasper and headed for the kitchen to look for something to make for dinner. Something warm and comforting was probably best.
