Page 11 of Double the Redemption

When he stopped counting, he made a big production of checking everywhere around the room until he finally got to the couch. When he yanked the blanket away, Asher looked up at him with wide eyes, and Ink thought he was going to cry, but it quickly turned to laughter as he climbed to his feet. “Again!”

He was off, finding a new spot to hide.

Ink looked back at Naomi as he started counting again, only to find her assessing him. It wasn’t hostile, but it wasn’t trusting either. She clearly didn’t believe his nice-guy routine. Or that he was just trying to entertain her son.

Eventually, she would trust him. Until then, he would spend some time being a kid himself again.

5

NAOMI

The Devil’s Predators left with a lot of fanfare, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or roll her eyes. By them, she meant mostly Taz. He made the rounds, hugging all the women goodbye and acting emotional as he begged for Karissa’s forgiveness over the hair-and-eyebrow situation. Karissa had punched him in the nose, but not hard enough to break it. Glitch laughed and told him to watch his back; she always knew where to find him.

Taz looked downright gleeful.

Naomi was starting to see that having Taz around wasn’t a bad thing. It was a distraction, and now, her distraction was leaving.

Before they headed for their bikes, Simba called her over to where he, Taz, Jag, Glitch, and Karissa were waiting. She shifted Asher to her other hip, her arm growing tired. Since Ink and Ice had to leave, he had become quiet and unsure again. That was a whole other problem she would need to deal with later.

“Naomi, you’re in good hands here,” Simba assured her. “I know that it’s going to feel like we’re abandoning you with strangers, but you will be safe here. Not just because they’re an MC we trust, but because you have two of our own that will be here with you,” he reminded her, nodding at the two women who wore serious expressions on their faces. “And if you need anything, all you have to do is tell them or call that number in your phone.”

“I … I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” It was hard to admit. She’d always had a job, something to do. Now, she was being left in a strange place with people she didn’t know anything about.

“You just need to stay low,” Jag said. “We’re not saying you can’t go into town or whatever, but you need to keep your face hidden or find a way to disguise yourself. The cartel will be looking for you, so avoiding as many cameras as possible is your best move.”

“And we’ll find you something to do if you’re bored,” Glitch offered. “With Esme soon going to be out with the baby, Rogue would probably be grateful to have someone working at the garage. Or if that’s not your thing, we’ll find something else.”

“Or, since you’re a genius, you can help us plan our next attack against the pains in the ass that stop through here,” Karissa suggested, shooting a glare at Taz.

“She likes me too much,” Taz taunted. “We’ll probably be back once a month, so you won’t be without us forever. And if we come back and this isn’t working, we’ll figure out something else. I know they’re not as great as I am, but if you give them a chance, I’m sure it will work out just fine.” He brushed a hand over Asher’s hair. “And this little guy is going to keep you on your toes, I’d say, once he gets comfortable.”

Asher looked at him and didn’t shy away from the touch like he sometimes did. Maybe they were right, and her son would start to see what a normal life was like. Not everyone was dangerous. It was her own instincts she’d need to learn to fight against.

“Do you have any questions or concerns for us before we go, Naomi?” Simba asked, jerking her out of her thoughts.

“Will you keep me updated on the cartel and where the Feds’ case stands? I’m going to need to prepare.” In more ways than one, including figuring out how to organize all the information whirling around in her head that has never been written down on paper before.

The whole reason she was given immunity in the first place.

“We will, but Glitch will be the one who knows more than us if you need anything specific. She’s our tech person, and she’ll be the only contact with the Feds and prosecutors; they’ll contact via secure and encrypted emails and messages.” He looked at Glitch for confirmation.

Glitch nodded. “I’ll keep you updated on everything I have, Naomi. Right now, it’s been quiet, and I assume that’s more to make sure that the cartel hasn’t caught your trail. We were very careful, and I’m seeing nothing that indicates they’ve located you. Diego has been pushing hard, but they got you out quickly and carefully.”

Relief and fear warred. The Devil’s Predators seemed very good at their jobs, so she had no reason to believe they would give her up or make a terrible mistake, but she couldn’t get complacent. That was when everything would fall apart. She’d had too many instances of that to prove otherwise.

“Thank you all for your help,” she said, with what she hoped was a smile. She hadn’t done that much in a long time. “I’ll make sure to follow all the rules.”

“Oh, now, where’s the fun in that?” Taz joked. “Darlin’, if you aren’t having a little fun, it’s going to get mighty stale around here. Just don’t be doing anything crazy, but you can live your life here a little bit. The women here will become good friends with you, and your son will have other kids to play with. You just have to let them in.” He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze.

When they all headed out, the roar of their bikes filling the air, she tried not to let the dread sink in. Or show. She was alone on a biker compound with strangers and in charge of keeping her and her son alive.

No one said anything or tried to stop her when she retreated to the apartment. They also didn’t bother her when she didn’t leave for most of the day. Asher went down almost immediately for a long nap, exhausted from so many events and emotions. She managed to doze with him, but her mind was filled with so many worries, fears, and questions.

By the time darkness fell, Asher was awake and cranky. He was bored, tired of the same toys and books. She tried to come up with little games to play with him, but he quickly grew bored with those too. He also had a high IQ and was picking up on things much faster than the average two-year-old.

But the things she could use to test him with would be expensive and noticeable if purchased. So she would have to figure something else out.

A thought occurred to her. Glitch was a tech genius, right? Maybe she could search for things and make them untraceable. Things that would help her work with Asher, improve his skills, and keep him happy.