Cade. She toyed with the idea of calling him, but he had enough to deal with right now, and after what had happened, he was the last person she wanted to see. She pushed away the nagging thought that Cade might not make it through the fight with the Jacks. He was a survivor. Just like her.
“I don’t think so. Jimmy’s insanely jealous, and he’s seen me with Cade. But I don’t know if that would be enough to make him take the risk of being caught in Conundrum. And the money thing doesn’t make sense.” She shivered and Doug tucked an arm around her waist, pulling her into his warmth. Dawn leaned her head on his shoulder. God, she just wanted a hot bath, a warm bed, and two days’ worth of sleep.
“Do you have somewhere you can go for the night?” Doug said. “We’ll be putting police tape around the property until forensics has finished collecting evidence, and you’ll need a new window and all your locks changed before you can move back in.”
Not the clubhouse, if it was even still standing. And Arianne was probably there with Jagger. Most of her other girlfriends had kids and she didn’t want to disturb them.
“I can call Banks. He’ll come to get me.”
Doug leaned down and tucked a rogue curl behind her ear. “Or you can stay with me.”
ELEVEN
I shall show no mercy to those who have cause to fear me.
SINNER’S TRIBE CREED
Cade parked his bike outside Dawn’s house and took his first deep breath of the night. They had only just chased away the Jacks and tended their wounded when the prospect called to tell him about the break-in at Dawn’s place.
So here he was, his body thrumming with adrenaline, his brain still wired for action, and his trigger finger itching for another workout.
All of which were going to be a problem if Benson didn’t get his fucking paws off his girl.
Cade gritted his teeth as he slid off his bike. He needed to calm down. Still primed and in full-on fight mode, he was inclined to stalk down the sidewalk, rip Dawn away, shove his fist in Benson’s face, and then take Dawn someplace safe where he could strip off her clothes and make sure she hadn’t been injured. Then he would mobilize the brothers and hunt down Mad Dog. At least he’d done Cade the favor of letting him know just who had trashed Dawn’s house.
MD. Mad Dog. Bastard clearly wasn’t afraid of the police, or the Sinners.
Or did he know the Sinners would be busy fighting off the Jacks? The timing of the break-in couldn’t be a coincidence. But if that was the case, how did he know? And what the fuck did he want?
“There are two cops out back.” The prospect stepped out of the darkness. “Looks like he got in through the window. The house is totally destroyed. I heard them saying he was looking for something. Dawn and that cop have been sitting there for about ten minutes. She seems pretty rattled.”
“You did good, prospect. Go back to the clubhouse. Tell Jagger I’ll be at the meeting tomorrow.”
He scrubbed his hands over his face after the prospect walked away. Okay. He could do this. Walk in. Get the girl. Find out what the fuck was going on. Walk out. Solve the problem. Keep his hands to himself.
He crossed the street and headed down the walk.
And that’s when it all went wrong.
Dawn looked up and the despair on her face sent his heart crashing into his gut. Not only that, she was shivering, and wrapped in an overly intimate cop who had timed his comfort for the exact moment Cade arrived.
“It’s okay … Cade.” Benson held up a warning hand. “I’ve got this. Dawn’s coming home with me tonight where she’ll be safe, and we’ve got a forensics team on their way. We’ll find the perpetrator and put him behind bars. Guaranteed.”
Jesus Christ. Is the cop purposely winding me up? He’d managed to restrain himself at Banks Bar, but he was way past restraint now. A night in jail would be worth the pleasure of wiping that smug smile off Benson’s face.
Cade pulled up short, the chain on his belt swinging violently against his thigh. “We both know Mad Dog did this. We also both know you won’t be able to touch him, just like you can’t keep Dawn safe. But I can.” He held out his hand to Dawn. “Come.”
Of course, she didn’t come. Damn woman had a problem following orders. That had become abundantly clear when she’d stayed to help fight the fire, risking her life in the process. He had to respect a woman who knew her own mind, but not if she put herself in danger. Right now, he needed to assure himself she was safe and protected. And if she didn’t get off the step, and let him hold her, he didn’t know what he would do.
As if she sensed his inner struggle, Dawn slid out of Benson’s grip. “Could you give us a minute, Doug?”
Benson gave her a curt nod, then headed around the back of the house. Dawn made her way over to Cade. Her bare feet slapped softly on the pavement, bright in the darkness, white from the cold.