“You still haven’t told me why you came here,” she said.
Cade sifted his hand through her hair, his touch more soothing than erotic. “I needed to tell you something … Fucking bastard’s coming after you. He’s gonna make you choose between going back to him or losing your kids.”
Dawn stood, removing herself from temptation. “I knew the risks, but I couldn’t help myself. I miss my girls so much I ache inside every minute of every day.” Her throat tightened and she looked away. “I’ve been fighting to get them back for a year now, but the court process is slow and Jimmy has the money to pay a lawyer to drag out the case with frivolous motions that are draining me dry.”
“How the fuck did the courts get involved?” He toyed with her curls, twirling them around his fingers as he cupped her jaw in his hand. “One-percenters don’t do civil weddings. We find a woman we want to be with; we make her an old lady. Fuck the courts. Fuck the law. And when a biker says it’s over, it’s over. Simple.”
“Simple if he says it’s over. Hell if he doesn’t. Double hell if he was the one who initiated the civilian wedding. Triple hell if he was clever enough to use the system against me.” She sighed and tipped her head against his hand, his palm warm and soothing on her skin. “He was so angry when I filed for divorce, but he’d planned for it, and he used the system against me. He hired a shady private investigator to set me up. The guy wore a school sweatshirt and said he was selling tickets for the school picnic. I handed him the money. He handed me a Baggie filled with crack. I was thrown off for a moment, trying to figure out what it was. Even though I’d seen quarters like that before, because we were behind the school, and I wasn’t expecting it, I thought for a moment it was a sugary treat for the kids, or some kind of fairy dust. By the time I figured it out, it was too late. Someone was secretly filming our encounter. Jimmy produced the tape at the custody hearing. He paid off the judge so no questions were asked. My lawyer did everything he could, but on its face, and given my history, it looked bad.”
“Bastard.”
“I was so scared for the girls,” she said softly. “I didn’t know he planned to give them to Shelly-Ann just to spite me. He’d hit Tia once before…”
“He hit your kids?”
Instantly she realized her mistake. Cade was nothing if not protective. The first time they’d met, she and Arianne had been fleeing the Black Jacks and Cade offered to take her to the safety of the clubhouse and spend the night watching over her. One motorcycle ride pressed up against Cade’s broad back later, and she’d let him watch her in more ways than one.
“Yes, he did. That’s when I finally left him.” She didn’t mention the years of abuse she’d endured as Jimmy’s old lady. The day she’d left Jimmy was the day she put the past behind her; the day she realized she was a fighter and a survivor. The day she’d started her life as Dawn, and not Dee.
Cade thudded his fist against the cabinet. “Fucking cowardly piece of shit beating on children. Gimme my clothes and I’ll go out there—”
“Cade.”
“I’ll find him and show him just how it feels to be beaten up by someone bigger and stronger. Then I’ll flay him alive—”
“Cade.”
“And when he’s on the ground whimpering and pissing in his pants, I’ll pull out my gun—”
“Cade, honey.” She pressed her hands against the only unmarked skin on his chest, stilling him in a heartbeat. “Can we save the beating and flaying talk until tomorrow? I have a feeling you won’t be able to get off the couch in the morning, much less pulverize Jimmy, and I’ll have nightmares if you keep it up. Not that I’m turning the offer down. I’m quite happy to endorse the beat-him-till-he-pisses-his-pants plan. But not right now.”
“You want revenge?”
“When someone messes with my children, I’m not going to shed any tears if someone lands a few good blows on the bastard’s face, except for the fact I couldn’t do it myself.”
Cade gave a satisfied growl. “At your service.”
She licked her lips and Cade slid his hand over her hip, pulling her against him. His erection pressed against her belly and Dawn bit back a groan. Even battered and bruised, Cade turned her on like no man ever had. “I’m sure you are. But why?”
*