“Understood.”
“Everyone keep your eyes peeled and ears open. We don’t know what we’re dealing with.” Prez bangs his gavel.
We’re no closer to answers.
I’m frustrated. Pissed off that I didn’t do more to protect her.
As the meeting dissolves and the rest of the club brothers file out of the room, Prez keeps me back, his enormous arms folded across his chest.
“You’re not off duty until I say so,” he warns, gaze flicking toward the door. “She doesn’t leave unless I give the word.”
“That’s not a problem,” I say, and mean it. Her safety matters to me.
He leans in, voice dropping. “I don’t like having unknowns under my roof. You’re responsible for her. Any more fuckups and I’ll send her out of town, your protests be damned.”
I nod. He claps me on the shoulder, hard enough to rattle my spine. “Good. Because if this blows up in our faces and she’s playing damsel, it will be your ass on the line.” He storms off, cell already to his ear, calling Buford, no doubt.
“Can I have a word?” Graves asks when I leave the room.
“Now really isn’t the time.”
“I’m sorry about earlier with Candy.”
“Stay away from my sister.”
“We weren’t together. She ended it with me. So yeah. I fucked someone. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same.”
“Don’t drag me into this. I’ve told you before. This is your final warning. You hurt her again and no one will find your body. Get me?”
“Yeah, man.”
“Keep an eye on her. Better than you did the last time.”
He doesn’t say anything, he knows there’s nothing more he can do to defend himself. He fucked up. He does it again and I’ll make shark food out of him.
He takes off.
All the windows in the clubhouse have been covered, and Guts stands guard at the front with Tequila. Another prospect. No one comes in or out unless they have our patch on their back. Not until we have more to go on.
After Shelby’s betrayal and Momma Tee doing the fucked-up shit she did, Prez is stricter when it comes to the safety of the people he cares about. He knows what it’s like to lose them.
Lacey is nowhere in sight.
I find her in the media room with Ashley and two other women I recognize as regulars. They’re huddled up watching a reality show, popcorn in their laps, but my girl is tuned out. She’s got one knee pulled to her chest, one hand wrapped awkward around a mug of tea. When she looks up at me, her eyes are so wide and blue I almost forget how to speak.
She’s beautiful.
“There you are.”
“Everything okay?”
“Let’s go talk in my room.”
Ashley gives her arm a squeeze as she gets up. “You need anything, I’ll be around.”
“Thank you.” I wait by the door while she dumps her tea out in the small kitchen area that’s for convenience. This room used to be an employee break room back when it was a motel.
I lead her up the backstairs avoiding the main floor. I don’t want her to see the windows blacked out and freaking out any more than she probably already is.
