“You know I don’t do drugs.”
Shelly-Ann fixed her gaze on Arianne and Nick. “Did she tell you she’s a little crack whore? She was a crack whore when she was with Jimmy, and she just couldn’t shake the habit after she left. She got caught buying drugs behind the school and made up a story about Jimmy setting her up. Of course no one bought it. That’s how she lost her kids.”
Dawn’s body trembled and she fisted her hands by her sides. Jimmy had tried to get her addicted to crack when she first moved in with him, but she’d resisted, terrified that if she didn’t keep her wits about her, he’d beat her to death. “That’s a lie and you know it.”
“Is it? Tall, dark, and handsome isn’t too sure.”
Dawn looked back at Nick, her heart sinking when he averted his gaze. “It’s not true.”
“We know that,” Arianne said. “She’s just trying to wind you up. Don’t play her game.”
“So you got my money?” Shelly-Ann stood and held out her hand. “No money means no kids. No money means I call the cops and report a break-in and a breach of the custody order. No money means Jimmy hears about your visit.”
“No money beyond what we originally agreed.” Dawn’s voice wavered with emotion. “I’m tired of playing this game. I’m tired of having you use my children to blackmail me. I don’t know why you need so much money, and frankly, I don’t care. Now tell me where they are.”
“Or what?” Shelly-Ann’s face twisted in anger. “You think I’m afraid of you? You think I’m gonna break ’cause you showed up with a damn prospect and a Sinner old lady? I don’t think so. You don’t have what it takes, or you woulda done something long ago.”
“I did do something.” Dawn dug her nails into her palms, wishing for the first time in her life that she was the kind of person who could solve problems with her fists. “I started a lawsuit, and I’ve just filed an assault complaint. I’ll drag Jimmy through the courts until I get my girls back.”
“’Cause using the legal system worked out so well for you last time.” Shelly-Ann sneered. “Get the fuck outta here and stop wasting my time.”
“Here.” Dawn pulled a handful of cash from her purse. “I’ve got twelve hundred.”
Shelly-Ann crossed the room and snatched the money. “It’s not enough.”
“Don’t give her any more.” Arianne put a cautioning hand on Dawn’s arm. “I know her type. It will never be enough. The blackmail will never end.”
Which was exactly what had happened last week, but what choice did she have? Sure it was nice to have Arianne and Nick here, but she wasn’t about to ask them to beat up Shelly-Ann, or even threaten her, and she’d never hit anyone in her life. Shelly-Ann had effectively called her bluff, leaving her with no choice but to pay her off.
“How much?” Cade’s growl reverberated through the room, so rough and harsh, even Dawn trembled. For the first time since Dawn arrived, fear flickered across Shelly-Ann’s face.
“Where did you come from?” Dawn gave him a puzzled frown. “I thought you were on the road.”
“The prospect texted me just as we were leaving. He thought I might want to know you and Arianne were planning to bust your girls outta Shelly-Ann’s jail. I figured you might need some help, and the door was open. Looks like Arianne’s handiwork. No one can shoot up a lock like her.”
“Thank you.” Arianne gave a mock bow.
“Thor to the rescue.” Shelly-Ann snorted. “Where’s your hammer? Oh. I forgot. You don’t need one. You prefer to kill men with your bare hands.”
“What’s she talking about?”
“How much?” Cade said to Shelly-Ann, pointedly ignoring Dawn’s question.
“She owes me another eight hundred.”
Cade pulled out his wallet and counted eight hundred dollars into Dawn’s hand. “Your choice, sweetheart. You can pay her, or you can walk out of here and leave her to me.”
“Hey.” Arianne gave an indignant sniff. “I was here first. If anyone gets to throw a few punches at Shelly-Ann it’s me, and only if Dawn doesn’t want to do it first.”
Dawn stared at Shelly-Ann, considering. But how could she inflict violence on someone after what she’d suffered at Jimmy’s hands? She hated Shelly-Ann, but she couldn’t physically hurt her, and she couldn’t ask anyone else to do it. “I’ll pay her.”
“Good call,” Shelly-Ann let out a breath. “Didn’t think you were the type who could live with blood on her hands. Thor, on the other hand, probably went drinking with his brothers after killing Rusty the other night.” She scrawled the babysitter’s address on a piece of paper and handed it to Dawn.
“You killed Rusty?” Dawn whirled around and stared at Cade aghast. She remembered Rusty from her time in the Brethren—a tall, thin, redhead with a scraggly goatee, and one of Jimmy’s closest friends.