“Are you sure?” Cash asked.
“What reason do I have to lie?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Johnnie started. “I’m thinking of a tall redhead, who you think of as your daughter. I’m wondering if she’s convinced you to let her work on Christopher’s release and you can’t tell her no but know better than to tell her yes, so you’re dragging your ass!”
“No, that’s not it at all.” Brooks grabbed his handkerchief from his lapel with a shaking hand and mopped his brow. “It’s…it’s a glitch.”
“What glitch?” Johnnie pressed. “As far as I know, there’s nothing in the system that should complicate matters. According to you. Remember? Upon our last quarterly review, you said no members had any legal issues to report. Records were clean. Permits were up to date. You do recall that, don’t you, Redding? I certainly do. It was the same day your cash bonus was awarded to you. On Christopher’s orders.”
“Some things aren’t detectable until a problem arises,” Brooks cried, his face reddening. “His name has been mixed up with a man who had a BOLO out from Stamford.”
“A be-on-the-lookout for a Christopher Caldwell from Stamford?” Johnnie asked skeptically. “In Connecticut?”
Brooks nodded. “The name’s fairly common.”
“I won’t dispute that. However,” Johnnie added, just as Brooks relaxed a fraction, “social security numbers are unique to every motherfucker. If his name is mixed up, his number sure the fuck won’t be.”
“Johnnie, please, I swear, I wouldn’t fuck over the club. I’m working through the problem. It’ll be resolved soon. Please. Just don’t hurt me.”
A moment of silence went by before Johnnie backed away. “Let’s leave Brooks to work, Cash.”
It disappointed Cash the lawyer didn’t have better news. “Sure thing.”
At the door, Johnnie halted. “Brooks, for your sake, I hope you’re telling the truth. If you’ve lied to me, it’ll be my pleasure to kill you and end my drought.” He smiled. “Good day, motherfucker.”
With Christopher still in jail, Fee’s release from the hospital felt underwhelming. Escorted by a slew of bikers that included Johnnie and Val, she sat in the passenger seat of Zoann’s Yukon as her sister drove her to Christopher’s house. Neither of them spoke so Fee enjoyed the scenery on the short drive, not caring clouds covered the sky again today. She was at peace, happy to be alive. It could’ve been storming and she’d revel in the rain.
At the entrance to the compound, the bikes roared onto club grounds as Stretch waved them through, their show of strength exciting to Fee. Zoann didn’t seem fazed that so many bikers escorted them. She looked serene, awaiting her turn to drive through the gates.
The beautiful machines impressed Fee but the sight of them also led her to a revelation. “I’ve never been on a bike,” she blurted. Her throat still felt sore and tender, but, as Cash said Noah had missed everything vital.
“Cash or Stretch never took you?”
“Secret relationship. Remember?”
Stretch knocked on Fee’s window before Zoann responded. In the three days since she’d given her blessings for Cash and Stretch to pursue each other, they’d continued to visit, not giving her a clue regarding their choice. She pretended her decision didn’t wreck her, needing her strength to recover.
“Fee?” Stretch called through the raised window glass. Leaning on his cane, he held a red rose in his other hand.
She reminded herself she had a family to create. As long as she was with Cash and Stretch, that wouldn’t happen. If she had any sense, she’d tell Zoann to drive on, but the hope in Stretch’s eyes gave breath to her lingering dreams of them and renewed her wild, raw feelings, if only for that moment.
Lured by his blue gaze, she pressed the button to roll the window down.
“Welcome home, Fee,” he told her, his eyes saying what words couldn’t. I miss you. I need you.
I love you.
Did he really feel that? Or was she seeing what she desired the most?
Accepting the rose from him, she sniffed its fragrance. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be at the house soon,” Stretch said. “Meggie’s there, waiting to pamper you.”
Fee didn’t want pampering. She wanted to live. “You know what I really want?”
“Besides me?” he flirted, not caring that Zoann was within earshot.
She adapted his carefree mood, twirling her rose. “Yep.”
“What’s that, sweetheart?”