“I can arrest him,” Doug said. “What he did was illegal. Give him to me and he’ll be subject to the full force of the law.”
Cade barked a laugh. “Invasion of privacy? Taping someone without consent? What’s that gonna get him? A fine? A slap on the wrist? A night in jail? You think that’s gonna stop him from doing it again? Is that gonna make Dawn feel any better knowing dirt bags across the country saw pictures of her that no man should see? Is that justice?”
“It is justice,” Doug said. “The right way. The legal way. You have to trust in the system.”
“Don’t trust in the system at all,” Cade said. “Legal justice is no justice. My old lady has been disrespected. That means my club has been disrespected. That means justice, Sinner style.”
“Cade…”
Cade grasped her arm and pulled her forward. Her cheek hit his chest and he brushed his lips over her ear and murmured. “You’re a Sinner now, babe. You are my old lady. I like that you’re a fighter but this is one of the times I’m stepping in and you’re just gonna have to suck it up.”
She trembled at the press of his body, hot and hard against hers, the feel of his heart, thudding in his chest, his anger, barely contained.
Wait. That was her heart pounding. Her anger. Her rage. Dawn took a deep breath and let the unfamiliar feelings wash over her. She had never been angry with Jimmy. In the fight for survival, emotion had taken a backseat. But now she felt indignant, powerful, and capable of exacting her own revenge. Yes, Stan deserved to be punished. But not without her.
“Don’t kill him.”
Cade looked down, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Is that a request?”
“Yes.” She caught her breath at his gentle reminder that old ladies needed to ask permission if they wanted to get involved in Sinner business. Chauvinism at its finest.
“Since you asked so nice, sweetheart, I’ll give you that. I won’t kill him. But I’m gonna take it pretty damn close to the line.”
Dawn bit her lip, considering. Her decision to wear the cut meant acknowledging the way things worked in his world, including the use of violence. She didn’t have to like it, but she couldn’t judge Cade for wanting to handle this the biker way. And he was right. The justice Doug was offering was no justice at all. Would Stan really stop if he got a slap in the wrist? Would she feel the horrific violation of her privacy had been addressed if he had to pay a fine? Why not dive in a little deeper and embrace what Cade had given her? Do the one thing she secretly desired.
Vengeance. The Sinner way.
“I want the first punch.”
“Dawn!” Doug’s outraged shout drew chuckles from the Sinners. “What are you doing? What have you become? This isn’t you. You’re not violent. You don’t break the law.”
“Actually, I think this is me.” She tipped her head to the side, musing over her decision. “This feels right. And I have broken the law, Doug. I did it to survive. And I’m about to do it again.”
“Fucking Sinner old ladies,” Sparky said, his voice laced with admiration. “They always gotta have a turn.”
Cade’s voice softened, his eyes dropping to her lips. “Is that another request?”
“My fight. The first punch is my business. Then you can address the disrespect done to the club. After that, and this is my final request, I would like you to give him to Doug, as well as all the evidence. He’ll face justice twice. Our way and Doug’s way.”
Our way. It hadn’t taken long for her to start thinking of herself as a Sinner. Maybe because she’d always been a Sinner at heart.
“Can’t refuse my old lady.” Cade turned her to face Stan. “He’s all yours.”
*
“Mommy. Cade’s here.”
Dawn almost didn’t hear Tia’s whispered words above the chatter of monkeys in the Conundrum Valley Zoo. They’d been visiting the animals all afternoon, and although she’d sent a text to Cade telling them where they were, she didn’t expect him to show. But there he was, cut, chains, skull bandanna, Harley-Davidson buckle, and kickass biker boots, all ready for some clean family fun.
She registered the concerned looks of the parents around them, but the delight on Tia’s face more than made up for her slight embarrassment at being outed as an outlaw biker groupie.
“Babe.” Cade leaned down and kissed her cheek. Dawn could almost hear the gasps of disapproval.
He knelt down in front of Maia and Tia, all decked out in matching pink-and-purple T-shirts, purple sparkle skirts, and rainbow jelly shoes. “Ladies.” He shook hands with them one at a time. “You are looking lovely as always.”
Maia and Tia giggled, and Dawn smiled. So what if everyone disapproved. He might be a biker, but he had heart.
“What’s on your hand?” Maia pointed to the brown streaks on Cade’s knuckles, and he jerked his hand away.
“Just something I forgot to wash off.”