*
“You’re gonna love these twins.” Gunner showed Cade a picture of two young women in a hot tub, one blond and one brunette, both with what Cade knew to be surgically enhanced breasts. Real breasts floated.
“Just what you need to get out of your black mood,” Gunner continued. “So things didn’t work out with your girl. You just gotta get back in the saddle.”
Cade studied the picture as he sipped his beer in the clubhouse kitchen. The blonde was cute but she had nothing on Dawn. Her hair was too short, her face too thin, and her eyes hazel and not brilliant green. She had the look of a pampered princess who had never done a day of work in her life, unlike Dawn who worked three jobs. But maybe Gunner was right. He needed someone to take his mind off Dawn. He needed to go back to having casual hookups where he could have his fun without the emotional burden or intimacy of a relationship dragging him down.
“When are you going?”
“Tomorrow night. They’re bringing some friends. But you’re gonna have to sober up. You don’t want to have to ride out there in a cage. These chicks dig our bikes.”
Gunner jabbed him with his elbow but Cade couldn’t even muster a smile. He hadn’t heard from Dawn since the police showed up to investigate the body outside her house. And, of course, Benson was with them, and everything went downhill. Benson promised to protect her and arranged for a police detail to watch her house. Benson assured her he would find out who was responsible, and if it was Mad Dog, he would lock him up for good. Benson took her away in his police car after she’d arranged for Martha to look after the kids.
From his vantage point on the hill above Dawn’s street, Cade had watched Benson put his arm around Dawn’s shoulders in the police car. Was she really planning to take him up on the witness protection offer? Nothing had ever cut Cade so deep as the moment she’d called Deputy fucking Benson.
He’d texted to see how she was doing, but she hadn’t returned his messages. At first, he figured she was overreacting to the body in her back lane. But then Arianne had passed on a message that she needed some time alone.
Alone from him. Not Benson.
“Yeah. I’m there. Never could resist twins.” He stared at the picture and wondered if they were like Maia and Tia who had such different personalities. Maia was so damn sharp. She knew exactly what was going on. And Tia … he would have liked to hear her talk. Just once.
Damn Benson for giving her a way out. Damn Mad Dog for making her need it. Damn him for not doing what needed to be done. He had to get her out of his system and move on. Or was it moving back? Back into endless nights and unfulfilled mornings. Back to a search for something he had already found.
*
“Look what we got!” Dawn slid off Arianne’s bike and held up the USB stick she had just picked up from Bunny. They had driven straight to Banks Bar to share the news and watch the video together. “Bunny interviewed the investigator before Jimmy got to him. I didn’t really think he’d pull through for me, but he did.”
“Gimme a minute.” Banks stuck his head out from under the hood of his Jeep. “I need a new part and I gotta get a measurement.”
“Your Jeep always needs parts.” Arianne laughed as she parked her bike. “If not for you, I don’t think Sparky would be able to keep his garage running.”
“She’s got no respect,” Banks muttered. “You don’t talk down a man’s Jeep. Something happens to people when they put on that damn Sinner cut. Never happening to me. When Jagger came begging me to join the club, I told him where to go. Don’t want anything to do with bikers.”
“Me either.” Dawn hadn’t spoken to Cade since the afternoon Jimmy dumped the body in the lane, nor had she answered his text messages. She knew she’d hurt him when she called Doug, but panic set in, taking with it all her faith in Cade and the Sinners. And now she’d made a decision that meant she and her girls would be safe, together, and as far away from the Brethren as possible. She should be happy, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was making a terrible mistake.
After Banks finished with his Jeep, they squeezed into his office and Banks downloaded the file. “Where’s the popcorn?”
“You want popcorn while we watch someone being interrogated?” Dawn stared at him aghast. “That’s sick.”
“Buttered popcorn would be sick. Plain popcorn is a healthy snack.”