“Dawn.” Cade grasped her shoulders. “I’ll protect you. You’re a Sinner now. The club will look after you and the girls. You don’t have to worry.”
“You can’t protect me.” She pulled away, letting her fear spill over in words. “You weren’t there when he broke into my house, or when he caught me on the street. The Sinners didn’t stop him from coming into town again the night he attacked me. Tank and T-Rex couldn’t stop him from throwing a body in front of my children. No one can protect me. No one ever could. I was a fool to think I could stand up to him. I’ll call Doug. He’ll get me into witness protection. I can’t lose my girls again.”
She knew she’d hurt him when his eyes hardened. “You’re panicking. We’ll deal with this. Together.”
“There is no dealing with this.” She was shaking now, her words coming thick and fast. “There’s a dead body in my back lane, Cade.” She gestured behind her, unable to look at the man again. “Not just dead. Murdered. Jimmy murdered him just to make a point.”
“I’m not going to lose you because of him.” Cade cupped her face between his palms. “Trust me, Dawn. I won’t let anything happen to you. I love you. I didn’t want to, but I do. I didn’t think it could happen, but it did. There isn’t anything I won’t do for you and the girls. I’ll give my life to keep you safe. Just don’t run away. Give me a chance to make this right.”
She stared up at his handsome face, trying to memorize every plane and angle, the scars on his cheeks and chin, the way his nose was slightly off center as if it had been broken and never properly set. His lips were perfectly shaped, full and firm. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine those lips on her body, feel his breath on her skin. She leaned forward and brushed a kiss over his cheek. His eyes darkened almost to black, and she wanted to drown in that inky sea.
“Please, Cade. Don’t make me choose.”
She’d made the biggest mistake of her life getting involved with the Sinners, thinking she could beat Jimmy at his own game. She’d forgotten how clever he was, how ruthless, manipulative and totally unforgiving. Jimmy played to win and he would never give up. Not until he had her back. Not until the girls were gone. Not until Cade was dead.
Never.
TWENTY
I will strive to understand myself and my machine so that I rely on no one but me.
SINNER’S TRIBE CREED
Dawn laced her fingers together under the wooden table. She’d never been in an interrogation room before, but it was much as she’d imagined—four white walls, a one-way mirror, cold fluorescent light on the ceiling, camera in the corner, and Doug seated across from her, clearly uncomfortable, as evidenced by his constant shifting in his seat.
“Where exactly were you when you saw the body?”
“In the back alley behind my house.”
He tapped on his laptop his eyes focused on the screen. “Who else was there?”
“The girls. Cade. And two Sinners.”
Doug’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly when she mentioned Cade’s name. “Did you know the deceased?”
“He’s the private investigator from the video Jimmy showed at court to win custody of the girls. My lawyer has a copy if you need to see it.”
“And the mark on his shirt?”
She’d never seen Doug so cold and detached. Professional. A little part of her died inside. He’d always been a good friend to her and he clearly felt hurt and betrayed. “MD for ‘Mad Dog.’”
He stopped typing and looked up. “You think Jimmy did this?”
“I know he did. It’s a message. He’s angry because…” She cut herself off just in time.
“Because you’ve taken up with the Sinners.” Doug slammed his laptop closed. “I can’t believe it myself, Dawn. I mean, what the hell were you thinking? After what you’ve been through—what you’re going through now—how could you do this? How could you put your children at risk? How could you go back to a world that caused you so much pain?”
“Doug…” Nausea gripped her belly. He was right. About all of it. She’d spent three years trying to get away from the biker world and live like a civilian. And now, not only was she fully immersed in the life, her children were, too. “I want to take you up on the witness protection offer. I want to testify against Jimmy.” Bile rose from her throat as she spoke the words.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. She felt it in her gut, but she didn’t have a choice.
Almost instantly his face softened. “Dawn … I don’t know what to say. You’ve made the right choice, of course, and I’ll be with you every step of the way.” And then his smile faded. “But what about … Cade? I won’t pretend I don’t know you’re close.”
“He’s a Sinner. He’ll stay with his club.”
“And your cut?” He gestured to her leather vest.
Dawn swallowed hard, curling her hand around the soft leather. “I’m giving it back. I have one more thing I have to do for the club—a party I organized—and then I’m done with the Sinners. The whole biker thing was never real. It wasn’t me.”